After nice morning ride, when loading the bike on a car rack I noticed that the rear rim is cracked on the external wall:
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I don't know how long it's been there, but the tyre stays inflated all the time, there is no sealant bubbling through or anything. Is the rim on its definite last breath, or will it make some more miles?
It is Alexrim Evo Supercomp 29.
I'd change it. It may go on for hundreds of miles, or it may fail catastrophically on the next 2 inch drop you take. The thing is you don't know which it'll be...
Rims are cheap, I'd swap it out asap for peace of mind.
I've managed to make the photos working now...
This is how it looks:
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Do you guys think it's a warranty issue? Have you ever seen a rim cracked like this one? The cracks are only on the drivetrain-side - the other one is intact. I'm asking, as if it is usual "wear and tear" (bike used for gentle XC, no jumps! Wheels about 16 months old) then I'd just get the wheel relaced locally and save time and money sending it back to Superstars 8)
Photos not working for me
Me no Leica
Imgur time... Hopefully it works now! 😆
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Had exactly the same on a WTB KOM rim last month:
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I'd noticed one small split a few weeks earlier, but while checking the bikes over two days before going away discovered a few other bulges round the rim that were certainly not there before.
Others will have their own opinion, I'm sure, but I'm fond of my teeth, so bought a new rim from Wiggle on next day shipping, and the wheel was rebuilt the next evening. Rims are dirt cheap (unless you have really posh wheels!) so if I were in your shoes I'd definitely fix it.
Drive side spokes are tighter than non drive, and they are all broken by the spoke. Are they really tight? 16 months isn't much for a rim.