Bontrager rim search

Stogaguy · Aug 1, 2009

I have a set of 2005 Bontrager Select wheels. The rear rim has developed a crack (at the spoke holes). The rim is question is 24 hole with a paired spoke configuration and an offset spoke bed. Does anyone out there know where I can get a replacement rim? Is there an LBS somewhere that has a compatible rim in stock. If yes, let me know as I would like to bring this wheel back to life. I am told (by Trek) that the "Race" and "Race Lite" rims will work.

Trek is not able to provide a replacement rim. Their customer service, while prompt, polite, professional and responsive cannot tell me when or if they will have a suitable rim in stock. With the redesign of their wheel line for 2010 (going to evenly spaced spokes) it is not clear if a replacement will ever be available again from Trek.

On a separate but related note, I am flat out POed that Trek cannot come up with a suitable replacement part. I do not expect a warranty replacement as the wheel come on LeMond Poprad I bought used on eBay. That said, IMHO they have an obligation to make parts available for proprietary designs like this. Effectively, I must now spend several hundred dollars to have a matching wheel set on this bike, instead of spending about $60 to just replace the rim.

pmt · Aug 4, 2009

Find a friend with a Trek or similar bike that came with factory Bontrager wheels of the same vintage. Then have him take them into the LBS and they'll likely warrantee them.

But really, any good 24 hole rim will work fine. Nobody will notice that it doesn't exactly match the paired spoke arrangement on the front.

Ligero · Aug 4, 2009

Call Velocity and see if they will sell you the rim they use in their Spartacus wheelset. It is a 24h paired spoke rim, the only thing is you would need different spoke lengths because of the difference in rim heights. http://www.velocityusa.com/default.asp?contentID=541

Stogaguy · Aug 5, 2009

Great suggestion!

Many thanks for the great suggestion.

Stogaguy · Aug 30, 2009

Measuring ERD?

I am bumping and high-jacking my own thread.

Is there an accurate method to measure the ERD of a rim when it is laced in a wheel? If yes, what is it?

I am continuing my search for a suitable replace rim for my 2005 Bontrager Select rear wheel. Determining the correct specs of the rim I am replacing has been an issue. This is important as my preferred path is to find a rim I can swap straight across without changing the spokes. If any one can shed some light on the situation I would appreciate it. Here are some more data points:

1. Part numbers : The part number on my rim is appears to be #251578. This number is on a sticker under the rim strip. The same sticker has two numbers in smaller type underneath the part number: “05” (assumed to be the year of manufacture) and “119” (assumed to be a production lot number). The hub is #220407, laser etched in white on the hub.

2. Rim Spec quandary: Trek has quoted the rim dimensions as ERD=592mm, Offset=1.5mm. The tables in SpokeCalc list ERD=604mm, Offset=1.5mm.

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4. SpokeCalc results: Running the numbers in SpokeCalc on the rim specs above yield a spoke length of about 294mm for the 604mm ERD and only about 287mm for the 592mm ERD. This suggests that Trek is quoting the wrong ERD spec. Thus my question of how to measure the ERD directly.<o></o>
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<o>This has now become more of a puzzle to be solved than an actual repair issue. </o>Thank you in advance for your input.

Stogaguy · Aug 30, 2009

Answered my own question

I measured the ERD as follows:

1. Measured the circumference at the rim strip with a steel tape.

2. Calculated the diameter by dividing by pi (3.1416).

3. Measured the "drop" from the rim strip to the spoke bed. I used a tooth pick as a probe and marked it with a sharpie. Measured from the tip of the probe to the mark with a steel tape.

4. Deducted two times the "drop" from the calculated diameter at the rim strip to get the ERD.

I confirmed that the actual ERD is about 604mm. Very frustrating to have Trek quote the wrong specs on their own product; even more frustrating than the fact that they cannot supply a replacement part.

Blue CheeseHead · Aug 30, 2009

Unless you can get it done under warranty, you will likely spend more money replacing the rim than the wheelset is worth. I would say you would be throwing good money after bad. (BTW, I ride a Trek but ditched the Bontragers)

As far as obsolete parts go, Trek is not obligated to provide parts forever. People that have the original "Rolf" wheelsets that came on Treks in the late 90's-2002 learned that. When Rolf and Trek parted ways, so did all the parts. Trek went to Bontrager and Rolf started "Rolf Prima" with a whole new wheel lineup. If you need parts for your old Rolf Vectors, you are relegated to E-Bay.

Mike T. · Aug 31, 2009

It's a wheelset. Welcome to the world of planned obsolescence. Welcome to the world of proprietary parts. It fuels a (transportation and recreation) business 10000x bigger than the bike industry. Just don't buy a '60s Corvette. Now's the chance to get the set of wheels you've always wanted.

Blue CheeseHead · Aug 31, 2009

Mike T. said:
Just don't buy a '60s Corvette.

That's why I have a 60's Mustang. The aftermarket is huge. You can literally build one from the ground up. (same with Cameros)

Stogaguy · Sep 12, 2009

Fix found

Kudos to Legero for his suggestion of the rim from the Velocity Spartacus wheelset. I ordered one through my LBS. Velocity was very easy to deal with. I just built it up with black DT Competition spokes. It came out looking great. I will test ride it today.

To Trek's credit, they now have Bontrager replacement rims back in stock. However, by the time I found this out I already had the Velocity rim in route.

Bontrager rim search

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