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Wheel balancing weights?

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#82 ·
mfdemicco said:
My Shimano wheels are balanced. Shimano put a weight opposite the valve stem integrated with the rim. They don't even advertise this as far as I know, but I tested it and the wheel is balanced. Hmmm...

What about balancing low pressure gravel, touring, or mountain bike wheels? Would you feel difference at high speed? Don't know, but I suspect you could, depending on the degree of imbalance. 50 psi for the gravel/touring bike, 25 psi for the mountain bike.
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That's funny, because on every wheel I can remember, the heaviest point is at the seam, not at the valve (with tire installed). That suggests your little "thingie" is something else than a balancing weight. Either that or the Shimano is more interested in creating an image than in balancing wheels.

You will have to repeat your question on low pressures. It's not making sense. Are you
suggesting that wheel balance will change as pressure changes? Are you suggesting that a MTB tire will compress at 25 psi due to rim weight imbalance?
 
#83 ·
Kerry Irons said:
That's funny, because on every wheel I can remember, the heaviest point is at the seam, not at the valve (with tire installed). That suggests your little "thingie" is something else than a balancing weight. Either that or the Shimano is more interested in creating an image than in balancing wheels.

You will have to repeat your question on low pressures. It's not making sense. Are you
suggesting that wheel balance will change as pressure changes? Are you suggesting that a MTB tire will compress at 25 psi due to rim weight imbalance?
Click to expand...
On old rims that were pinned/sleeved, you are right, but most rims are not made that way anymore.

If not a balance weight, what is it? I undid my quick release and let the front wheel hang from the fork lawyer lumps to minimize bearing drag. Wherever I rotated the wheel, it stayed in that position. It was balanced.

Wheel balance does not change but the effect does. Due to low pressure, that's why car tires need to be balanced. At 100 psi, road tires are so stiff that you don't get a bounce from imbalance. F=k*x. The higher the spring rate, the more force it takes to get movement.

Yes to the last question.
 
#84 ·
mfdemicco said:
On old rims that were pinned/sleeved, you are right, but most rims are not made that way anymore.
Click to expand...

There are plenty of new rims that are still pinned/sleeved.
 
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#86 ·
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#87 ·
Guys and gals, please calm down. Furthermore, remember when you patch a tube to also place another patch at 180 degrees to insure the tube is balanced. :)
 
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#89 ·
onlineflyer said:
Guys and gals, please calm down. Furthermore, remember when you patch a tube to also place another patch at 180 degrees to insure the tube is balanced. :)
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Best post yet in this thread! Repped!
 
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Discussion starter · #90 · (Edited)
Lombard said:
Out of round is not the same as out of balance.
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No, but an out of round wheel will sure knock it out of balance! It still involves inertial forces that induce instability in the rotating mass, which would be felt as a less solid connection to the road. True, that placing a substantial load over the wheel will minimize the effect. The tires soften the bumps in the road, as well as any minor instability of the rotating wheels.
 
#92 ·
Fredrico said:
No, but an out of round wheel will sure knock it out of balance! It still involves inertial forces that induce instability in the rotating mass, which would be felt as a less solid connection to the road. True, that placing a substantial load over the wheel will minimize the effect. The tires soften the bumps in the road, as well as any minor instability of the rotating wheels.
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For an out-of-round situation that occurs during a ride, place a weight on the "bulge" side of the wheel using the simple formula: + 1 gram weight for every 1 millimeter out of round. OK to estimate. I keep a roll of solid-core solder in my ride toolkit in case I need this "life hack" fix.
 
#93 ·
Blue CheeseHead said:
Has anyone seen a dead horse I can beat?
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Spike is still alive. :D

Surprising that this thread is still alive!

I keep coming back to this very wise quite by our own DCGriz. It is very relevant regarding this wheel balancing topic:

dcgriz said:
With bicycles in particular, you need to separate between what's merely true and what's important.
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Discussion starter · #94 ·
Lombard said:
I keep coming back to this very wise quite by our own DCGriz. It is very relevant regarding this wheel balancing topic:
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You and dc are right; no argument. Some wheels may benefit. Most wouldn't. :D

Like so many other technical features of bicycles, all these little things do add up, however, and then make a difference, things like carbon tubing weaves, frame shapes, wheel spoke counts, on and on.

Wheel weights? Glad we figured out that scam! :D

Ok, how about oval chainrings, massive V section rims, one chain ring drive trains and 23C, er millimeter tires? Same difference, IMO, having seen these "technical innovations" come and go, and will surely return for a second chance to take our money! :nono:
 
Discussion starter · #95 ·
onlineflyer said:
Guys and gals, please calm down. Furthermore, remember when you patch a tube to also place another patch at 180 degrees to insure the tube is balanced. :)
Click to expand...
I reuse my tubes so often, I've never encountered this issue. Just wait until the second flat! The next patch will even out the wheel balance just fine, unless by some stroke of bad luck, it's in the same place! Then of course, replace the tube.
 
Discussion starter · #96 ·
Mike T. said:
I think they're making a comeback - if they ever went away. For instance both Pacenti and Ryde are sleeved. I have samples of both and the joints are perfect. Way back ('70s. '80s) there were some poor sleeved joints - that created an uneven surface and a tick-tick-tick, (or worse) when braking.
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Aha. So they discovered jettisoning the sleeves weakened the rim joint, so they went back to sleeves? I've seen newer rims break at the joint quite frequently. The older rims seldom did that.
 
#99 ·
mfdemicco said:
On old rims that were pinned/sleeved, you are right, but most rims are not made that way anymore.

Yes to the last question.
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My last several rims have been welded. The weld is heavier than the valve stem and that is where the wheels come to rest, with the weld down.

You are simply wrong that the weight of a rim weld could compress a low pressure tire as it revolves. It take that back: it could compress the tire. It's just the compression would be so miniscule as to be undetectable.
 
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