How long would you ride on a dented rim?

[Dmitriy]

Lets say you hit a pothole and your cast aluminum rim got a dent big enough to unseat the bead and let all the air out. You then proceeded to smash the said taco'd rim into shape with a help of a VERY large rock; enough to hold the bead and air.

How long would YOU ride it for?

Before & After:

 

[corndog67]

Forever. If it holds air, doesn't shake too much, and you don't care what it looks like, why change it out?

As I recall, there are companies that straighten rims, they quoted me about $200 to straighten a Marchesini forged Magnesium rim.

 

[DReg350]

Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. :thumbup

 

[i_am_the_koi]

As long as I'd have to if it didn't cause a wobble or any other ill effects.

Next time I saw somewhere to get it fixed or a new one, I'd probably change it out though.

 

[louemc]

Can't call it... lotta depends involved. Can't imagine doing any rock bashing, on Cast Aluminum, as a Make this better, plan.

And when it comes to a fix...Switch it out for new, period... Cast Aluminum is crap.

 

[ScottRNelson]

If it still works, I would ride it far enough to get back home.

I rode several hundred miles with a failed clutch master cylinder once. No problem unless I needed to stop for some reason.

I have a bent Brembo wheel from a 1997 Monster in my garage as sort of a reminder of what can happen. I would have ridden that if so much of the rest of the bike wasn't also wrecked.

I've ridden about 50 miles with a missing right footpeg when I knocked it off against a rock up in the hills.

I'll ride an injured bike back if I can make it. Think of it as a challenge. :cool

 

[Honey Badger]

Just enough to get home, and I'd be taking it easy the whole way.

After having a cast aluminum rim break due to non-visible stress fractures, I wouldn't mess around with it any longer than I absolutely had to.

 

[DReg350]

I'll ride an injured bike back if I can make it. Think of it as a challenge. :cool

Yup. One time, bent bars, bent peg, broken turn signals and a broken collar bone. 50 miles back home... in the rain.

Another time, 13 broken spokes on a rear wheel. Tie wrapped 'em together and 60 ginger careful miles back to the RV and trailer.

Another time, bent bars, broken front brake lever, so no front brake at all. Another 50 mile ride home back across 17. Sometime's ya just gotta man up and :ride it.

 

[Junkie]

Just enough to get home, and I'd be taking it easy the whole way.

After having a cast aluminum rim break due to non-visible stress fractures, I wouldn't mess around with it any longer than I absolutely had to.

Yep. I'd ride home if needed, but if anyone trucked their bike I'd do my best to get a ride with them rather than riding it up.

 

[1962siia]

I'd say stop riding it and get a new rim. Send that one out to someone who knows their stuff for repair or at least professional diagnosis and if it gets the ok keep it as a spare. Amazing road side repair by the way. Glad you made it home safe.

 

[Lunch Box]

I would ride it home, for sure. I would also get it the hell off of the bike as soon as I arrived at home. If I were a long way from home, I would consider putting a tube inside as an extra precaution. If Gerry were to repair it and say that it is good to go, I would 100% take his word for it. If not, I would find a new one ASAP.

 

[revnort]

I'd ride it back from Baja. I'd prolly commute on it but avoid pleasure riding and certainly replace before another trip.

I have tubes though, and might just keep it forever. :laughing

 

[stangmx13]

thats some good work w/ that rock. im surprised u didnt take a chunk off the wheel.

id ride on it til it was practical to replace it. but id avoid rough roads like the plague and go really slow over speed bumps.

 

[rodr]

Sure I'd ride it home if I could. But my question is, would you take the same bike to Baja again?

 

[Lunch Box]

Sure I'd ride it home if I could. But my question is, would you take the same bike to Baja again?

I would take the same bike that I took again in a heartbeat. I would not, however, take the wee-strom pictured above. :laughing

 

[redtail]

Since its cast aluminum, it most likely has a weak spot that could fail at the most inopportune moment. If it were me, I'd see it as a "limp home mode" and replace it as soon as I got back.

 

[mean dad]

I believe the term is "Till the wheels fall off". :thumbup

 

[auntiebling]

I'd covr it in jbweld to make it an official Janky Repair and ride it till I found a replacement that is less than 1/8 the cost of a brand new wheel.

It was probably reliably fixable till the rock came into the picture. Aluminum needs a fair bit more finesse in such situations

 

[DReg350]

I'd covr it in jbweld to make it an official Janky Repair and ride it till I found a replacement that is less than 1/8 the cost of a brand new wheel.

It was probably reliably fixable till the rock came into the picture. Aluminum needs a fair bit more finesse in such situations

But, where ya gonna find finesse in the middle of a Mexican desert? Beauty, yes. Finesse, not so much. :laughing

 

[louemc]

Wheelie all the way back home...