Can it be fixed? Bent tubular rim

[Geeheeb]

http://i63.tinypic.com/2rg2fr7.jpg

I don't ride tubular. These are my father's wheels from the late 70s. Not sure what the rim is, but its laced to what I think are first-gen Dura-ace hubs. The wheel is true, but there is a bulge in the brake track. Can this be salvaged? Do you want to be the one to do it?

[carpediemracing]

I've ridden and raced rims like that. For a smoother brake surface I'd either use channel locks (set so jaws are parallel on the brake tracks) or some special aluminum rim bending tool that the shop had, with some sanding or filing for final bit of smoothing.

[Peter P.]

carpediemracing has it right; channel locks and a little sanding.

I'd put a pair of vernier calipers on a good section of rim to measure the width. Tighten the channel locks a little at a time and measure after each crimp until you're close enough.

I've done it with clinchers; no problem.

[carpediemracing]

btw the tool that the shop had (the internet is amazing):
http://www.ison-distribution.com/image/complete/2br-rs1.jpg

The left jaw (the outer one) was about 1/3 the length of the right jaw (inner). This allowed the left jaw to reduce lumps without creating an equal indent on the other wise.

I don't remember my channel lock procedure, I might have put something on the good side of the rim to spread the load, like a piece of plywood or something.

The wheels where this really came in handy were two dented TriSpokes that a teammate gave me as he had written them off. He double dented the pair, also flatted both (tubular) tires hitting a massive pothole at high speed (I was right behind him but avoided the impact). Obviously the wheels can't be trued. I channel locked them into submission, raced them for a long time, and really only stopped using them because I went to wider rim wheels.

The rims back then were pretty pliable. Conducive toward such fixes.

[Geeheeb]

Thanks for the replies!

[saab2000]

A block or two of wood and a hammer can go a long ways as well. It will never be as good as new, but you can probably make it ridable.

I've done this on a Campagnolo wheel and it wasn't perfect, but it was way better than after the brake track bulge. You've got nothing to lose. Try to fix it. Gently at first. These older rims were made of soft metal.

[carpediemracing]

I just remembered!

The Bicycle Research tool is curved on the pressure/left side. What you did was sort of clamp the rim if you will then you moved the pressure side up and down the side of the rim. Somehow this motion concentrated the pressure on the pressure side, didn't really focus the pressure as much on the inner/non-pressure side. Oh, right, because there's the bulge and the contact area on the bulge is smaller than the contact area on the flat/good side. So the bulge gets pushed in. When it's pushed in "enough" then the contact area on both sides matches and it becomes super difficult to dent the rim.

Move the channel lock along the rim to get the whole bulge. Most bulges are too wide for the channel lock to get it at once, so you get one edge of the bulge down a bit, the middle, the other edge, repeat.

The curve of the jaw allowed the tool to bend the rim back without scuffing it.

With the channel locks you do the same thing but you'll need to do some touching up after to get rid of the jaw marks, or you put thin protective things (wood shims or whatnot) to keep the rim from getting marred.

[m_sasso]

I have had pretty good results with these on clincher rims, the closed channel nature of tubular rims would make the operation a bit more difficult but maybe worth a try.

Sheet metal vise grips:

http://cached.tptools.com/RS/SR/product/88/8060-35_L_1b69505d.jpg

[Mike V]

Blocks of wood on both sides of brake track and clamp together with vice slowly. It should push it in and parallel.

http://cdn.instructables.com/F2Z/9R7N/GHFJX1KU/F2Z9R7NGHFJX1KU.MEDIUM.jpg

[oldpotatoe]

Plastic mallet there..tap, tap..to make the sidewall/breaking surface smoother..re check true..BUT if ya need a rim, I have some nice NOS Mavic Monthery, 36h..polished silver..

[AngryScientist]

that dent doesnt look too severe. before you do anything, check the braking. if there is not too much pulsation or grabbing at that spot i'd probably just ride them as is.

[ultraman6970]

If the wheel is true I would not even bother fixing it, as some said... it will work just fine, it not going to explode or anything. Used one like that for years in my training wheels for the track :D

[RedRider]

It looks like your front wheel... what could possibly go wrong?
Do you have dental insurance?

[ultraman6970]

If the tubular is well glued pretty much nothing can go wrong, tubular rims and clincher rims are totally different when they have to hold and stand damage. The interesting thing is that the damage is not even at the edge of the rim, thats why the wheel is still true. A clincher rims would have died big time with a hit like this one.

That rim is at least 30 years old, looks like a weimman or similar to me.

If you have the dough tell potato to put a set of ambrosio rims in there, with the hubs you have those wheels will last forever.

[oldpotatoe]

It looks like your front wheel... what could possibly go wrong?
Do you have dental insurance?

Really? That wee dent isn't going to make the wheel explode/fail/crumple. I rode and raced on a GEL280 front(36h) for 3 years with a little dent..only felt it when braking..