Bent/Warped Rear Rim Replacement

Krysta Summers has a problem with the back wheel after someone tried to steal the bike and needs to know the cheapest way to make the repair. Here are our suggestions:

Question:
A few months back, someone tried to steal my bike. I managed
to stop them, but as a result my bike was damaged. It was dropped from
the 4th floor of my apartment building. The only damage suffered was
the rear rim getting bent out of shape and cracked at the seam so it
is also warped.
I’m trying to find the easiest fix possible. The tire is a Kenda 26 x
1.95 and since it is the rear tire, I’m not sure if I have to replace
the gears. The entire rear wheel (tire, tube, gear cassette and axle)
are quick release.

Do you have any advice or suggestions?

Thank you.

Hi Krysta.

Sounds like you had some luck there not to lose the bike, but you will need to do something about that rear wheel.

Probably the safest thing to do would be to replace the complete rear wheel with the cassette, tire and inner tube, but you may not need too. Check over the tire and inner tube for any damage, like bulges in the side wall or any rips in the material of the tire casing. If the inner tube has punctured then throw it away.

Now to the wheel; check the cassette, are any of the sprockets or the teeth bent or damaged, if they are then there is no point trying to swap them onto a new wheel, if the cassette is OK then have that put on the new wheel or keep it to use on the wheel with the replacement rim.

Ask at your local bike shop how much it would cost to have a new rim fitted to the old hub and ask the price of a wheel similar to the one you have. You might find it cheaper (and quicker) to replace the wheel that to have it rebuilt with a new rim, especially if some or all of the spokes also need to be replaced.

I suggest you should also check the back end of the bike, make sure the rear derailleur and the brakes have not been damaged and that the frame is not bent or twisted or the bike will not perform as it used too, cornering could feel strange and if you are descending at speed it could be dangerous.

We hope this all helps?