Longevity of rims with rim brakes

On the subject of rim brakes Tosspot says, "I
object to abrading away the structure of the wheel to stop."

How long do rims last before they are abraded to the point of
replacement by rim brakes? What's the longest your rims have lasted?
The shortest? What were the conditions in either case?

Andre Jute
I'm not a know-all. I don't need to be. I know whom to ask.

On Jun 7, 5:50*am, Andre Jute wrote:
On the subject of rim brakes Tosspot says, "I
object to abrading away the structure of the wheel to stop."

How long do rims last before they are abraded to the point of
replacement by rim brakes? What's the longest your rims have lasted?
The shortest? What were the conditions in either case?

*Andre Jute
I'm not a know-all. I don't need to be. I know whom to ask.

Around here, if you use Koolstop pads, your rims will last decades. I
use Avid Rim Manglers to break in non-machined rims before I switch to
KS pads. Shimano and Aztec products can also be used for this purpose.

On 7 June, 11:50, Andre Jute wrote:
On the subject of rim brakes Tosspot says, "I
object to abrading away the structure of the wheel to stop."

How long do rims last before they are abraded to the point of
replacement by rim brakes?

The rider may prefer to apply braking to the tyre with hand or foot,
this will save the rims and they will outlive the rider.

What's the longest your rims have lasted?

They're about 2m "long".

The shortest?
about a metre

What were the conditions in either case?
In England it rains. (hoping at the moment).


If good brake blocks are used and kept clear of grit then rims will
last for a very long time. I have a front rim (Weinmann A124 narrow
concave section) of which I do not now use (except in icy conditions)
which has covered maybe up to 40,000 miles, this is irrelevant. If
the bearings had held up and a 'better' rim were not available, I'd
still be using that rim after another 120,000 miles. It would
probably eventually have become weakened sufficiently (with regular
use) that a kerb collision due to winter riding would have made a
deformation which would be difficult to assess as being economical
(with guesstimate to time spent on repair for further likely usage
over a complete new wheel) to repair. As it is, it still makes a
brief appearance on compressed snow with a narrow Swallow tyre on it.

On Jun 7, 8:15*am, landotter wrote:
On Jun 7, 5:50*am, Andre Jute wrote:

On the subject of rim brakes Tosspot says, "I
object to abrading away the structure of the wheel to stop."

How long do rims last before they are abraded to the point of
replacement by rim brakes? What's the longest your rims have lasted?
The shortest? What were the conditions in either case?

*Andre Jute
I'm not a know-all. I don't need to be. I know whom to ask.

Around here, if you use Koolstop pads, your rims will last decades.

I'd think that would depend on how much you use the bike and under
what conditions.
I get about 50,000 miles of riding per front rim in generally dry
conditions in fairly hilly terrain, so I don't get close to even a
single decade on my most-used bike. Don't use the rear brake much, so
I've never worn out a rear rim due to brake wear.

consulting Jute's engineering manual we find CRC rubber dressing
recommended for rim life.
CRC has declined renaming the product RIM LIFE but....
the rim is cleaned with thinner then CHOH, CRC rubber dressing-maybe
at WalMart-sprayed on the brake surface, allowed to dry. You know,
hold the can steady on seat stays, spray and walk the bike.
The goo increases braking esp in wet conditions and protects the rim
surface.
The goo when too dirty is wiped of with CHOH as a first measure then
if impossibly dirty, removed with thinner, then CHOH, and reapplied.

I HAVE SPOKEN

In portland oregon where it rains everyday I got about 4500 miles from
an araya vp 20 rim and about 9000 miles from a weinmann 519 rim. I
think the weinman is made of 6061 T6 aluminum. If you use plain rubber
brake shoes you will get more life these are the generic shoes sold in
department stores. I do most of my breaking on the front wheel which
is cheeper to replace.

On Jun 7, 7:15*am, landotter wrote:
On Jun 7, 5:50*am, Andre Jute wrote:

On the subject of rim brakes Tosspot says, "I
object to abrading away the structure of the wheel to stop."

How long do rims last before they are abraded to the point of
replacement by rim brakes? What's the longest your rims have lasted?
The shortest? What were the conditions in either case?

*Andre Jute
I'm not a know-all. I don't need to be. I know whom to ask.

Around here, if you use Koolstop pads, your rims will last decades. I
use Avid Rim Manglers to break in non-machined rims before I switch to
KS pads. Shimano and Aztec products can also be used for this purpose.

I have a set of Koolstops (black) on a bike with Ambrosio Montreal
rims. They work, but man, do they squeak when it's a little humid, and
no amount of fiddling can make it stop. They also don't stop as
smoothly as memory says my last set of Campy blocks did.

On Jun 7, 8:50*pm, Andre Jute wrote:
On the subject of rim brakes Tosspot says, "I
object to abrading away the structure of the wheel to stop."

How long do rims last before they are abraded to the point of
replacement by rim brakes? What's the longest your rims have lasted?
The shortest? What were the conditions in either case?

*Andre Jute
I'm not a know-all. I don't need to be. I know whom to ask.

I rode a pair of CXP 30s for a while. The front survived about
100,000kms before being retired. I trained and raced on them. The
braking surface was somewhat concave from pressure and wear.

I rode a set of mavic open pro wheels, the rims with the ceramic
braking surface. The rear wheel died for two reasons. The contact
patch where the freewheel body rotates on the hub had worn so that the
cassette wobbled about, and the wheel I felt was a bit soft laterally.

I bought a pair of Ksyrium Elite 2010. I've only used the rear wheel
of this pair, leaving the open pro rim on the front. It is still
going fine after about 80,000kms. I have replaced the bearings once.
The braking surface looks just the same as the first time I rode it.

I hate riding in the rain and avoid it like the plague. Ali rims leak
black ali oxide and the rim surface disappears.

JS.

AS previously noted, location and soil type is the foundation for
owner sloth in cleaning the rig before and afetr, even during as a rag
held to rim while walking the bike isnot a big deal IS IT ?

IT'S THE SILICA or sand. Look up 'sand' in the NYT search box.

Not all sand is you know what right ? Sand is rounded, sand has sharp
cutting edges. Lotta sand is mixed with clay's which can go either
way.

Now the rider down in Portland gets a free ride caws sand and grit
washes grit and sand to the berm caws the sky continuously dumps vast
volumes of water onto the road surface. Then green everything grows,
sealing the grit and whatever in. The roads here are very grippy and
generally smooth as deep frost isnot.

In Florida, Sun Rims lasted maybe 4-5000 miles with careful wiping but
frequent rain riding during the 2-3 months of it. SouthWest Fla coast
sand is sharp edged.

oh yeah, call your county agent on sand or the University agricultural
extension service for sand and soil types: tellum ura doing reserach
for BM.
there are maps for soil types maybe online ?