I have had the flo wheels for a little while now. I normally just use them to race on since i like to train heavy and not aero and race light and aero. Today i went for a little test ride to make sure my bike is ok for my race tomorrow and found that my rear wheel was flexing enough to rub the break pad (Its the flo 90) Its just the rear wheel that is doing this. I never notice this before. I had them on for about a week so i could get used to them i never noticed any rubbing. When getting out of the saddle i get rubbing and if i lean the bike to one side i also get rubbing. I backed my break off so that it didn’t rub. Is there anything else i could do say after my race tomorrow to help this problem? I ride a felt b16 and only weigh 167 so i don’t think weight is an issue.
Backing off your brake is probably the best thing you can do to avoid the issue. Also, at least some of the flex could be from the frame. I also ride Flo wheels (30 and 90 rear), and have found them to actually be stiffer than my stock 32h rims on my 2011 Tarmac (SL2).
I would try to identify what’s actually going on. Sounds more like a hub, installation, or frame issue than “wheel flex.”
Could be that the Flo is actually stiffer than what you’re used to. Though it depends on the wheel, often stiffer wheels have more brake rub, as explained by this ST article.
The two previous posters pretty much covered everything I was going to mention. Here’s what I would look at…
- The FLO wheels are likely wider than what you are training on. Make sure you brake pads are properly set up and have enough clearance.
- If you are installing the wheels in a frame with horizontal dropouts, make sure everything is centered when installing the FLO wheel. Sometimes, different hubs can vary slightly.
- Often times FLO wheels are actually stiffer which causes the frame to flex more. So in reality the wheel itself isn’t doing the flexing, it’s the frame. What frame are you using?
Let me know if you have any additional questions.
I have a FLO 90 (Clydesdale version) and experienced the same thing. Compared to my training wheels (bombproof 32 spokes, DT Swiss 585 rim and DT Swiss 240 hub) there is a lot more flex. With the DT wheel, when it’s in the frame it is impossible to bring the rim close to the brake, or to the frame, even when directly just grabbing the rim and pulling / pushing it. There just isn’t any movement and consequently, the brakes can be very close to the rim. (Bike is a 2008 P2).
WIth my Flo 90, I can push the rim to the brake or frame and easily get a few millimeter displacement even when only using one finger. There is a huge amount of flex every time I stand up, or when cornering. I have to open the brake very far to make it work. I don’t like it as it doesn’t give me the security I have with my training wheels but that might just be a mental thing. On the other hand they do make for a much softer ride compared to my training wheels which make me feel every crack in the road).
Bottom line for me is I don’t like the flex to be that much especially in a clydesdale type wheel, but at the same time the wheel is comfortable to ride on, looks great, has (so far) stayed perfectly true, it spins smoothly, so many things to be happy about.
can you add a little preload to the hub like so?
I had a zipp 808 FC that seemed to be ‘flexing’ but adjusting the hub preload a tiny bit fixed it
I have a FLO 90 (Clydesdale version) and experienced the same thing. Compared to my training wheels (bombproof 32 spokes, DT Swiss 585 rim and DT Swiss 240 hub) there is a lot more flex. With the DT wheel, when it’s in the frame it is impossible to bring the rim close to the brake, or to the frame, even when directly just grabbing the rim and pulling / pushing it. There just isn’t any movement and consequently, the brakes can be very close to the rim. (Bike is a 2008 P2).
WIth my Flo 90, I can push the rim to the brake or frame and easily get a few millimeter displacement even when only using one finger. There is a huge amount of flex every time I stand up, or when cornering. I have to open the brake very far to make it work. I don’t like it as it doesn’t give me the security I have with my training wheels but that might just be a mental thing. On the other hand they do make for a much softer ride compared to my training wheels which make me feel every crack in the road).
Bottom line for me is I don’t like the flex to be that much especially in a clydesdale type wheel, but at the same time the wheel is comfortable to ride on, looks great, has (so far) stayed perfectly true, it spins smoothly, so many things to be happy about.
I just tried this pushing the rim to the brakes experiment myself, and found there was some movement on my training wheels. However, this is not really the normal load that a wheel would be under, so it doesn’t seem like an honest experiment to me. I then tried to move the rim to the brake by pulling on one side of the handlebar, and then on the other, simulating a sprint or what have you. No flex at all then. Pure n=1, but pushing a rim toward a brake doesn’t seem like it tells you anything about the performance when actually applying a load that is experienced while riding it.
I have had the flo wheels for a little while now. I normally just use them to race on since i like to train heavy and not aero and race light and aero. Today i went for a little test ride to make sure my bike is ok for my race tomorrow and found that my rear wheel was flexing enough to rub the break pad (Its the flo 90) Its just the rear wheel that is doing this. I never notice this before. I had them on for about a week so i could get used to them i never noticed any rubbing. When getting out of the saddle i get rubbing and if i lean the bike to one side i also get rubbing. I backed my break off so that it didn’t rub. Is there anything else i could do say after my race tomorrow to help this problem? I ride a felt b16 and only weigh 167 so i don’t think weight is an issue.
We are very similar it sounds. I ride a felt b16, use a FLO 90 read and weigh a little more than you. There have been a number of posts on the forum about felt and their rear brakes, you should search and review those. The wheel fit on the bike is very tight and can rub. I had to remove the spacers/washers on the brake pads, make sure the brake is absolutely centered and make sure the brake is cleaned and the pivot point is lubricated. I found that my brake was not releasing fully after squeezing. A real good cleaning and better routine maintenance fixed that. Sometimes the brake itself will get knocked off center, I always check before each ride. When doing these things, I have not had any issues with wheel rub.
Hope this helps.
I have a FLO 90 (Clydesdale version) and experienced the same thing. Compared to my training wheels (bombproof 32 spokes, DT Swiss 585 rim and DT Swiss 240 hub) there is a lot more flex. With the DT wheel, when it’s in the frame it is impossible to bring the rim close to the brake, or to the frame, even when directly just grabbing the rim and pulling / pushing it. There just isn’t any movement and consequently, the brakes can be very close to the rim. (Bike is a 2008 P2).
WIth my Flo 90, I can push the rim to the brake or frame and easily get a few millimeter displacement even when only using one finger. There is a huge amount of flex every time I stand up, or when cornering. I have to open the brake very far to make it work. I don’t like it as it doesn’t give me the security I have with my training wheels but that might just be a mental thing. On the other hand they do make for a much softer ride compared to my training wheels which make me feel every crack in the road).
Bottom line for me is I don’t like the flex to be that much especially in a clydesdale type wheel, but at the same time the wheel is comfortable to ride on, looks great, has (so far) stayed perfectly true, it spins smoothly, so many things to be happy about.
I just tried this pushing the rim to the brakes experiment myself, and found there was some movement on my training wheels. However, this is not really the normal load that a wheel would be under, so it doesn’t seem like an honest experiment to me. I then tried to move the rim to the brake by pulling on one side of the handlebar, and then on the other, simulating a sprint or what have you. No flex at all then. Pure n=1, but pushing a rim toward a brake doesn’t seem like it tells you anything about the performance when actually applying a load that is experienced while riding it.Pulling or pushing the rim is not intended to simulate true riding experience, but it allows to compare a wheelset that I know is super stiff and never rubs with a wheelset of unknown stiffness that can rub a lot. If the wheel that rubs easily can also be ‘bent’ easily it seems like quite a strong indicator that it’s the wheel stiffness that is the problem, and not the frame.
So in other words:
- if I can not push wheel A against the brakes by hand when it’s in the frame
- but i can push wheel B against the brakes easily by hand when it’s in the frame
it must be due to the wheel stiffness of B, right? I can not see a situation where either the frame has flex, or wheel A has flex, yet somehow they do not allow any rim movement and a supposedly stiffer wheel DOES allow movement. It makes no sense to me.
First: Is your brake up top or on the bottom? This changes the equation
Second, if you can push the wheel against the brake up top easily with your hand, that could imply a flexible rim, but that shouldn’t cause it to touch the brake while riding. If your brake was on the bottom, then it would.
On the other hand it might be pushing against the brake easily because of a hub preload problem, or spoke tension problem.
So in other words:
- if I can not push wheel A against the brakes by hand when it’s in the frame
- but i can push wheel B against the brakes easily by hand when it’s in the frame
it must be due to the wheel stiffness of B, right? I can not see a situation where either the frame has flex, or wheel A has flex, yet somehow they do not allow any rim movement and a supposedly stiffer wheel DOES allow movement. It makes no sense to me.
First: Is your brake up top or on the bottom? This changes the equation
Second, if you can push the wheel against the brake up top easily with your hand, that could imply a flexible rim, but that shouldn’t cause it to touch the brake while riding. If your brake was on the bottom, then it would.
On the other hand it might be pushing against the brake easily because of a hub preload problem, or spoke tension problem.
So in other words:
- if I can not push wheel A against the brakes by hand when it’s in the frame
- but i can push wheel B against the brakes easily by hand when it’s in the frame
it must be due to the wheel stiffness of B, right? I can not see a situation where either the frame has flex, or wheel A has flex, yet somehow they do not allow any rim movement and a supposedly stiffer wheel DOES allow movement. It makes no sense to me.2008 Cervelo P2C, so traditional brake location (top). I don’t think the rim is flexible, squeezing the spokes together seems to suggest the tension is rather low.
I have a FLO 90 (Clydesdale version) and experienced the same thing. Compared to my training wheels (bombproof 32 spokes, DT Swiss 585 rim and DT Swiss 240 hub) there is a lot more flex. With the DT wheel, when it’s in the frame it is impossible to bring the rim close to the brake, or to the frame, even when directly just grabbing the rim and pulling / pushing it. There just isn’t any movement and consequently, the brakes can be very close to the rim. (Bike is a 2008 P2).
WIth my Flo 90, I can push the rim to the brake or frame and easily get a few millimeter displacement even when only using one finger. There is a huge amount of flex every time I stand up, or when cornering. I have to open the brake very far to make it work. I don’t like it as it doesn’t give me the security I have with my training wheels but that might just be a mental thing. On the other hand they do make for a much softer ride compared to my training wheels which make me feel every crack in the road).
Bottom line for me is I don’t like the flex to be that much especially in a clydesdale type wheel, but at the same time the wheel is comfortable to ride on, looks great, has (so far) stayed perfectly true, it spins smoothly, so many things to be happy about.
A poster above mentioned you may be riding a Felt B16. Can I ask what brake you are using? Have you removed the spacers from the brake when switching to the FLO wheel? This could be your issue. The style of brakes that are on a lot of felt bikes, specialized bikes… tri bikes in general are a pain to set up with wider wheels.
Let me know.
I have a FLO 90 (Clydesdale version) and experienced the same thing. Compared to my training wheels (bombproof 32 spokes, DT Swiss 585 rim and DT Swiss 240 hub) there is a lot more flex. With the DT wheel, when it’s in the frame it is impossible to bring the rim close to the brake, or to the frame, even when directly just grabbing the rim and pulling / pushing it. There just isn’t any movement and consequently, the brakes can be very close to the rim. (Bike is a 2008 P2).
WIth my Flo 90, I can push the rim to the brake or frame and easily get a few millimeter displacement even when only using one finger. There is a huge amount of flex every time I stand up, or when cornering. I have to open the brake very far to make it work. I don’t like it as it doesn’t give me the security I have with my training wheels but that might just be a mental thing. On the other hand they do make for a much softer ride compared to my training wheels which make me feel every crack in the road).
Bottom line for me is I don’t like the flex to be that much especially in a clydesdale type wheel, but at the same time the wheel is comfortable to ride on, looks great, has (so far) stayed perfectly true, it spins smoothly, so many things to be happy about.
A poster above mentioned you may be riding a Felt B16. Can I ask what brake you are using? Have you removed the spacers from the brake when switching to the FLO wheel? This could be your issue. The style of brakes that are on a lot of felt bikes, specialized bikes… tri bikes in general are a pain to set up with wider wheels.
Let me know.Not a Felt, but a 2008 Cervelo P2 which has the original brakes on it. They are Cervelo labeled but i think they are Unbranded Tektro brakes.
I have a FLO 90 (Clydesdale version) and experienced the same thing. Compared to my training wheels (bombproof 32 spokes, DT Swiss 585 rim and DT Swiss 240 hub) there is a lot more flex. With the DT wheel, when it’s in the frame it is impossible to bring the rim close to the brake, or to the frame, even when directly just grabbing the rim and pulling / pushing it. There just isn’t any movement and consequently, the brakes can be very close to the rim. (Bike is a 2008 P2).
WIth my Flo 90, I can push the rim to the brake or frame and easily get a few millimeter displacement even when only using one finger. There is a huge amount of flex every time I stand up, or when cornering. I have to open the brake very far to make it work. I don’t like it as it doesn’t give me the security I have with my training wheels but that might just be a mental thing. On the other hand they do make for a much softer ride compared to my training wheels which make me feel every crack in the road).
Bottom line for me is I don’t like the flex to be that much especially in a clydesdale type wheel, but at the same time the wheel is comfortable to ride on, looks great, has (so far) stayed perfectly true, it spins smoothly, so many things to be happy about.
A poster above mentioned you may be riding a Felt B16. Can I ask what brake you are using? Have you removed the spacers from the brake when switching to the FLO wheel? This could be your issue. The style of brakes that are on a lot of felt bikes, specialized bikes… tri bikes in general are a pain to set up with wider wheels.
Let me know.Not a Felt, but a 2008 Cervelo P2 which has the original brakes on it. They are Cervelo labeled but i think they are Unbranded Tektro brakes.
So centering them is a matter of adjusting spring tension in each arm? Or is it like a standard SRAM/Shimano brake where you center the brake using the bolt that connects it to your frame with a cone wrench?
With the bolt that attaches it to the frame, just like Shimano.
I ride a felt b16 stock brake and never had an issue before until the other day. It was a day before a Race so I just made my brakes as wide as I could, but this makes for a mushy brake feeling. Love the wheels just wasn’t sure if it was the wheel or my frame. I’m sure the felt frame isn’t the stiffest.
With the bolt that attaches it to the frame, just like Shimano.
How much clearance are you able to get on each side of the brake pad? Are there additional spacers that can be removed to create more space?
I ride a felt b16 stock brake and never had an issue before until the other day. It was a day before a Race so I just made my brakes as wide as I could, but this makes for a mushy brake feeling. Love the wheels just wasn’t sure if it was the wheel or my frame. I’m sure the felt frame isn’t the stiffest.
Have you used the FLO wheels on the bike before without issue?
Yes for the while season. Just the other day is the first time it happened. Kept happening until I readjusted my breaks.