Split Rim??? Freego Eagle

steve.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 16, 2011
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Exeter Devon
image.jpg Hi.Here is a pic of my rear rim on my Freego Eagle and I've never come across it before?? what the hell happened to it ?? no wonder I kept getting punctures !! My question is what do I do now!! tape it up and try again? new wheel? or take it to a shop for a new rim & spokes !!!.
Regards Steve
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
Weird, I've never seen that kind of split before and I certainly wouldn't use it any more, since the crack would expand further with a tyre under pressure.

I'd recommend a rebuild with new rim and spokes.
.
 

D C

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 25, 2013
1,140
575
Wow, never seen that before!
New rim at least required I would say, maybe it would tape up as a very temporary measure but I would think tyre pressure will widen the crack.

Dave.
 

VictoryV

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 15, 2012
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near Biggleswade
View attachment 10793 Hi.Here is a pic of my rear rim on my Freego Eagle and I've never come across it before?? what the hell happened to it ?? no wonder I kept getting punctures !! My question is what do I do now!! tape it up and try again? new wheel? or take it to a shop for a new rim & spokes !!!.
Regards Steve
It looks like some form of metal fatigue crack propagating from spoke to spoke, as Mr Flecc says it will only get worse, I would also check your front wheel too (although it is more lightly loaded) in case there is a batch fault with the rims and that is on its way out as well. If under guarantee, contact your supplier asap. Are they magnesium alloy rims, 'cos if so it could also be the effect of salt water corrosion weakening the metal.
 
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RobF

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 22, 2012
4,732
2,311
Yes, that's beyond bodging.

We once tried to keep a blown tyre on a rim using cable ties.

As we inflated the tyre, the cable ties popped off.

Goes to show there's quite a bit of force created by inflating a tube.

I suppose that's the reason why firefighters use the same principle to lift vehicles.
 

SRS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 30, 2012
847
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South Coast
I'm amazed the tyre didn't pop off whilst riding. About 50p per kg scrap at the moment.

New rim and away you go.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
That's interesting. It looks like another Marathon Plus that's popping off. That's four I've heard of, and I've never heard of it with any other tyre!
What caused it? Was there rim damage or did it just pop off?
 

Aushiker

Pedelecer
That's interesting. It looks like another Marathon Plus that's popping off. That's four I've heard of, and I've never heard of it with any other tyre!
What caused it? Was there rim damage or did it just pop off?
The rim split along the braking surface ... braking surfaces wear out over time. This one got too thin and gave way before GJ realised the sitatution. What GJ then did was deflate the tyre, taped it up and then pumped the tyre back up and I think road about 700 km [that might be from another emergency so not 100% sure of the distance but know it as a fair distance for sure] of more dirt roads to the next town where he got a rim shipped in IIRC.

Andrew
 

trex

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 15, 2011
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even quality rims can split due to heavy load.

This is a Mavic XM719 rim

 

Emo Rider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 10, 2014
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It looks like towing a trailer was involved as well. Like the rest of the gang, I have rarely seen this happen. When I did come across it, it was usually on a decent quality aluminum rim. This could very well be a "one of" caused by a manufacturing fault or as a result of a hard impact and spread. The latter being more likely.
 

steve.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 16, 2011
302
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Exeter Devon
It looks like towing a trailer was involved as well. Like the rest of the gang, I have rarely seen this happen. When I did come across it, it was usually on a decent quality aluminum rim. This could very well be a "one of" caused by a manufacturing fault or as a result of a hard impact and spread. The latter being more likely.

Hi.No no trailer involved got rid of that some while ago it's just that I haven't taken the hitch off as it's good to hook a strap over and yeah road damage more likely as there are some bad holes around and when it's raining you can't see them.Took it to repair shop and going to look at it and they haven't seen anything like it either.
Regards Steve.
 

Emo Rider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 10, 2014
659
414
That's interesting. It looks like another Marathon Plus that's popping off. That's four I've heard of, and I've never heard of it with any other tyre!
What caused it? Was there rim damage or did it just pop off?
Funny you should say this. I had a customer come in just the other day with a problem as in the picture. It was caused by rim failure due to the brake pads wearing down the sides of the rim. And yes it had a marathon on it. Like you, this was not the first time I saw similar factors. Yet in every case it happened on a bike used daily, in every kind of weather, as a commuter bike. The rim failure was bound to happen as it does on bikes used this way.

The only factor contributed by the tyre was the pressure involved. Most original eguipment tyres carry a max rating of 65 to 70 p.s.i. Marathon Plus tyres are rated for 85 p.s.i. Some Schwalbe commuter tyes are rated for 110 p.s.i. This means lower rolling resistance and improved puncture resistance, both important to daily commuter. Combine that with those that run their Marathon Plus tyres at 90 to 100 p.s.i. ( like I do) and the likelyhood of rim failure increases if you do not monitor the condition of your rim, (They have wear lines in most cases.)

This is not unusual and is part of the wear and tear factors that come into play when putting a lot of miles on a bike. Just like a car, parts wear out. Rim replacement will be necessary eventually regardless of the tyre and pressure used.
 

steve.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 16, 2011
302
42
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Exeter Devon
Funny you should say this. I had a customer come in just the other day with a problem as in the picture. It was caused by rim failure due to the brake pads wearing down the sides of the rim. And yes it had a marathon on it. Like you, this was not the first time I saw similar factors. Yet in every case it happened on a bike used daily, in every kind of weather, as a commuter bike. The rim failure was bound to happen as it does on bikes used this way.

The only factor contributed by the tyre was the pressure involved. Most original eguipment tyres carry a max rating of 65 to 70 p.s.i. Marathon Plus tyres are rated for 85 p.s.i. Some Schwalbe commuter tyes are rated for 110 p.s.i. This means lower rolling resistance and improved puncture resistance, both important to daily commuter. Combine that with those that run their Marathon Plus tyres at 90 to 100 p.s.i. ( like I do) and the likelyhood of rim failure increases if you do not monitor the condition of your rim, (They have wear lines in most cases.)

This is not unusual and is part of the wear and tear factors that come into play when putting a lot of miles on a bike. Just like a car, parts wear out. Rim replacement will be necessary eventually regardless of the tyre and pressure used.
 

steve.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 16, 2011
302
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Exeter Devon
Hi the rim wearing couldn't have been the problem with mine as it has disc brakes and everyone I show this pic to are all amazed and have never seen anything like it??? was I lucky not to have had a bad accident????????.
Regards Steve.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
Yes, obviously not rim wear with that disc brake in your photo. The only thing I can think of the cause this parting company like that is the possibility of a sudden shock impact on a tyre at quite high pressure.

For example, arriving quite fast at a speed calming ramp and maybe braking a bit at the same time, the downthrust and the large contact length as the ramp rises could produce a very sharp pressure rise, giving a shock expansion to the tyre. The rim still shouldn't give way, but it might have had a weakness to begin with.
.
 

Emo Rider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 10, 2014
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414
Hi the rim wearing couldn't have been the problem with mine as it has disc brakes and everyone I show this pic to are all amazed and have never seen anything like it??? was I lucky not to have had a bad accident????????.
Regards Steve.
Hi Steve,

I was commenting on the picture posted by Aushiker. Disc brake bikes will not have that type of problem. And yes I have seen cracks in rims like yours but not as bad. It could have started small, like in the pic trex posted, and gotten to the point over time where you luckily spotted it.
 

steve.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 16, 2011
302
42
73
Exeter Devon
Yes, obviously not rim wear with that disc brake in your photo. The only thing I can think of the cause this parting company like that is the possibility of a sudden shock impact on a tyre at quite high pressure.

For example, arriving quite fast at a speed calming ramp and maybe braking a bit at the same time, the downthrust and the large contact length as the ramp rises could produce a very sharp pressure rise, giving a shock expansion to the tyre. The rim still shouldn't give way, but it might have had a weakness to begin with.
.