Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Bent (new) rim after pot hole incident :-(

So on my 3rd day of riding my shiny new road bike (with shiny new Hunt wheels) I’ve hit the biggest pothole I’ve ever hit – in about 14 years of road riding.

I’ve dinged the rim and it now has a slight vibration in it – although bizarrely the rim is still true and I didn’t puncture the tyre (unless it’s gone down since I locked my bike in the work car park).

I’ll pop round to the bike shop at lunchtime with the bike for their advice, but thought I’d see what people’s experiences on here are with bending back rims.

Both sides of the wheel have damage – but not so much that the tyre went down (I think it has tubes rather than being setup tubeless but I haven’t checked yet). It’s disc braked so no dramas with needing rim brakes to have a completely true surface.

Bad side

//i.imgur.com/Yh2PJkY.jpg)

//i.imgur.com/QgV6VBZ.jpg)

Less bad side 

//i.imgur.com/PKgCzqC.jpg)

 

 

 

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

Add new comment

13 comments

Avatar
Joebristol | 6 years ago
0 likes

Grahamd - fair shout if that worked - in just waiting for the full bill before I look to do anything. Like your style!

Don Simon - I’ve had a look round and couldn’t see any other damage - even the tyre looks ok (and stayed up with no puncture amazingly). I’ll have another look round this weekend just to check. Hopefully nothing else on the bike would be effected by the impact. It was bad, but not that bad I’d say.

Hunt do a 30% off crash replacement - so the rim is £48 - but they don’t lace them into the wheel for you.   Mud Dock who I got the bike / wheels from are going to do that for me,  it sure how much that’ll cost yet.

Thatll teach me to be further back from vans in future so I get a chance to react to pot holes etc!!

Avatar
Grahamd | 6 years ago
1 like

Don’t muck about, just send the council the bill / estimate and ask them to pay within 14 days before you escalate matters. Do it on a presumptive basis that they will pay and put the onus on them. Did this when my car broke a coil spring hitting a pot hole, had refund within the 14 days.

 

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to Grahamd | 6 years ago
0 likes

Grahamd wrote:

Don’t muck about, just send the council the bill / estimate and ask them to pay within 14 days before you escalate matters. Do it on a presumptive basis that they will pay and put the onus on them. Did this when my car broke a coil spring hitting a pot hole, had refund within the 14 days.

This.

Take photos and a measure, if it's as big as you say it is then it doesn't happen overnight nor even a couple of weeks. If the road is on a bus route then the road should be checked een more regularly.

The onus is on the responsible persons (this is the county council ordinarily in Egland and Wales or unitary authority), have a read of the relevant act (Highways Act 1980 section 58.

This states that a road is out of repair if it would be a danger to any road users -  eldery or infirm pedestrian, wheelchair user, cyclist), and is apparent to an ordinary person that it is in disrepair (so the measurements given by council as to when they would act in a gien timescale is total bollocks, they have 1 month from notification to make good a repair) and that reasonable measure were made to remedy the problem.

Given that we know that winter has a detrimental effect on the condition of the highway it would be apparent o an ordinary person that checking the highway to keep it safe for all users would be done at greater frequency than in the summer and reasonable steps to repair those defects to protect the public purse (i.e. to prevent compensation claims, ask for how much it costs in claims for year and have it broken down for winter summer periods)

If council state that inspection periods are set at regular intervals throughout the year then this shows they have acted unreasonably and with misfeasance as it ignores the very clear problems that arise when the change in the seasons/weather happen, particularly surrounding damage to the highway surface and the liklihood of personal injury or damage to property.

Ask for no of claims re potholes for winter against summer as this will further prove they had knowledge of the problem and have ignored it if they have not increased frequency of checks in those periods of known issues due to weather/prevailing seasonal conditions.

Basically make it clear that you know your stuff and you will go to small claims track and claim for all your costs on top of the cost to have a replacement wheel (don't mess about with just a rim, just get a new wheel complete)

remember, get the photos/video and measurement asap if you haven't done so already as it's very important. 

good luck.

 

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
0 likes

I'd have a quick check around the bike for other signs of damage too. Admittedly I went over the bars for this one, but the additional damage is clear to see.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/think180/3217750376/in/album-7215760020627...

Avatar
huntswheelers | 6 years ago
0 likes

This way (Camridgeshire) they only pay compensation if the pothole has already been reported.... they have a map here of notified and complete works..... they require photos as well.... worth checking where you live...

I only know as I duffed in a van tyre and went to claim only to find I couldn't as the pothole hadn't been acknowledged as being an issue.... I reported 20 on 2 roads here last week and they have already been inspected and marked up...the email says works will be completed in 12 days.... obvs anyone who has damage now can fill their boots with a compo claim.....

Avatar
TheHungryGhost | 6 years ago
0 likes

Do a Freedom Of Information request about the pothole.  A friend broke two car wheels going through a pothole.  The council claimed its not their responsibility as it hadnt been reported.  He did a FOI, and it had been reported several times.  The issue was resolved quickly after that!

Avatar
Joebristol | 6 years ago
1 like

Going to find the hole in the cycle home and photograph it. If it’s been reported then I understand I may have a chance of claiming back the costs. If it hasn’t then it’s tricky. Got to prove the council haven’t fulfilled their obligations to keep the road safe.

The bike shop who I bought my bike and the Hunt wheels from are contacting Hunt to find out the cost for a new rim under their crash replacement scheme.....

Avatar
Joebristol | 6 years ago
1 like

Rim is toast - just been to the bike shop and they’ve noticed it’s actually bulged down the full section of the rim.

They’ve tightened up the loose spoke for me and checked it’s safe to ride (steadily / no big means into corners) home. They’re going to speak to Hunt about the crash replacement costs and come back to me.

 

Avatar
fukawitribe | 6 years ago
2 likes

Outside bet, but might be worth checking whether the pot-hole has been reported.

Avatar
kil0ran replied to fukawitribe | 6 years ago
1 like
fukawitribe wrote:

Outside bet, but might be worth checking whether the pot-hole has been reported.

Good point, should be able to claim for repair or replacement costs

Avatar
StraelGuy | 6 years ago
1 like

You must have proper clattered that pothole! I've abused my Hunts terribly and never dinged a rim. If you buy a replacement and lace it up yourself you might find someone to true it up for £30.

Avatar
Joebristol | 6 years ago
0 likes

New rim is £69 on their website, plus labour I guess. As I got the wheels though my LBS I’m going to speak to them first - hoping for a cheaper deal on the rim as only had the wheels since Saturday (albeit it’s not their fault I’m an idiot and hit a pothole). If the new rim and fitting (if the rim isn’t save-able)  can come in within £100 I’d be happy!

Avatar
kil0ran | 6 years ago
0 likes

Impressive. Drop Hunt an email, see what they suggest. I'd guess new rim, which shouldn't be too expensive.

Latest Comments