Repair guides › Wheels & Tires
Replace a rim (rebuild the wheel)
The hoop the tire mounts on and the spokes pull on. Double-wall means a box section: two walls with a hollow between them, much stiffer than a single-wall rim. Internal width (often 19–25 mm) decides which tire widths sit well. The tire beads lock under the hooks on the rim edges. A center channel lets you push the beads down to get the tire off. Rim tape covers the spoke holes so they cannot cut the tube. The internal width decides which tire widths sit well: about 1.5× to 2× the internal width (a common rule of thumb; MTB tire makers allow wider, so check the tire maker’s chart). With disc brakes the rim never wears from braking, so it lasts until it is dented or cracked.
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Tools
- Tire levers: Pedro's Tire Levers 2.0 ($)
- Bike grease: Park Tool PPL-1 PolyLube 1000 ($)
- Digital calipers: Clockwise Tools DCLR-0605 IP54 Digital Caliper ($$)
- Spoke wrench: Park Tool SW-7.2 ($)
- Truing stand (or zip-tie method): Basic wheel truing stand (16–29 in) ($$)
- Spoke tension meter: Park Tool TM-1 Spoke Tension Meter ($$$)
- Wheel dishing gauge: Park Tool WAG-5 Wheel Alignment Gauge ($$)
- Spoke nipple driver: Park Tool ND-1 nipple driver ($)
- Spoke ruler + bearing gauge: Park Tool SBC-1 spoke bearing and cotter gauge ($)
Compare Good, Better and Best for each tool
Steps
- Buy a rim with the same diameter (ERD) and spoke count so your old spokes fit. Ask the shop if unsure.
- Tape the new rim alongside the old one, valve holes lined up.
- Loosen every nipple a few turns evenly, then move each spoke across to the same hole position on the new rim one at a time.
- Grease nipple threads, snug them all to the same thread depth.
- Tension in quarter turns all the way round, true side to side, then round, then dish. This is a patient job; a shop rebuild costs about $40–60 in labor.
Diagram
Signs it needs doing
- Repeated flats on the inside of the tube (rim tape shifted or torn)
- Dent or flat spot after hitting a pothole
- Wobble that will not true out (bent rim)
- Cracks around spoke holes
- Tire bead will not seat evenly