split rim on 26" Point Beach Schwinn

dougsr.874

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Just wondering if anyone else has ever encounted this problem? About a year ago I installed a 4 cycle kit on this bike. Today, I had to push the thing home because the rear rim had about an 8" split on the flange that holds the tire on the rim. This caused the tire to go flat. Now I have to replace the rim, tire, and tube. In all my years I've never seen this happen. Could it be too much stress on a bike with a motor?
 
I would attribute it to a cheaply made rim :(
I have the same stock wheels (from a Jaguar) hanging on the wall in my garage...
I mangled 7 spokes just installing the rag-joint/sprocket !!!
that is why I upgraded to a disc-mounted sprocket on a better quality wheel
 
Just wondering if anyone else has ever encounted this problem? About a year ago I installed a 4 cycle kit on this bike. Today, I had to push the thing home because the rear rim had about an 8" split on the flange that holds the tire on the rim. This caused the tire to go flat. Now I have to replace the rim, tire, and tube. In all my years I've never seen this happen. Could it be too much stress on a bike with a motor?
Rims can have manufacturing faults, as well as be just plain built cheap--but I would ask what tire pressure you were running?

Generally--a cruiser rim is only intended for about 40 PSI max, and will easily hold 300 lbs per wheel at that pressure (using a 2-3/8" wide balloon tire).
~
 
Had the same thing happen to me with the point beach after about 4 months. First time I ever had a rim split that way and I was running 40PSI. The quality of schwinn's has dropped ever since they went to China.
 
Schwinn builds high quality bikes in their factory in China. They can be found in Schwinn bicycle shops, you won't find them in discount stores. They also buy cheap bikes with Schwinn badges from other Chinese factories. You will find these bikes in discount stores. You get what you pay for.

My first MB was a cheap Schwinn Jaguar with a Staton/Robin friction drive. It wasn't long before I put a better quality rear wheel on the bike because the rear wheel kept getting the wobbles, needing trued. The front is still the original wheel and is fine after 5 years, never needed to be trued. The weight and drive on the rear wheel put a pretty good load on the wheel.
 
Had a somewhat similar problem on the back of my bike. The rim wasn't split, but the flanges were bent and bulged. I do remember hitting a bridge expansion joint hard enough to bottom it out. I kind of attribute the damage to that. Odd part is that the tire didn't go flat, and the wheel was still true, but I noticed a notchiness in the rear brakes. Guess I got lucky on that, my bike does have more stress on the back.
 
After I read this post, I draged the old friction drive Schwinn out for a ride. It was cool but sunny. Before I fired it up I looked it over good as I do before a ride. 7 broken spokes on the rear wheel. Hmmmmm, maybe I should do an inspection after I ride. I did hit a serious bump, a storm drain cover recessed pretty low. I couldn't avoid it because of the car beside me. It's getting seven new spokes tomorrow.
 
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