Urban Legend or not?

Triathlon Forum
1

I’ve always stored my bikes in the garage by hanging them from the ceiling with bike hooks. I’ve had a few people recently tell me that the wheels will “go out of round” due to the weight of the bike pulling down on the wheels. For the road and TT bikes, those see enough use that they are never hanging in the same position for more than a few days, but for the cross and Mt. bikes, they do hang in the same spot for months at a time.

Is this an Urban Legend or should I be “rotating” the hang points on the less frequently used bikes?

2

I have never had a problem hanging bikes at my house. Some bikes hung for years.
Especially if you are using two hooks.
What would be the difference if it were sitting on the ground on those two wheels for a while? Nope.
If that is not convincing enough, LBS hangs ALL of their bikes, and you know how long some of those bikes “hang” around. ba dump cha!

3

Urban legend. You weigh alot more than your bike and you don’t put the wheel out of round when you ride it.

4

Granted, but my weight is not being focused on a 1 cm spot on each wheel for months at a time.

5

Granted, but my weight is not being focused on a 1 cm spot on each wheel for months at a time.

Then you’re not riding enough. :wink:

6

True but you need to leave them hanging in the same spot for 800 years - eventually gravity will win!

7

The bigger issue is that the air in the tires will settle at the bottom. When you ride them, they’ll be out of balance and you’ll feel it. Be sure to rotate them on occasion, or be sure to change out the stale air.

8

lol…funny we used to ask a-hole customers (not everyone, just the ones who were jerks) if their tires were flat on the bottom only
.

9

how long would it take you to rotate the wheels, once every few weeks?
i’m not saying it will or won’t help teh wheels, but it’d certainly help you worry less, which would be worth the time it takes to rotate the wheels.

10

The bigger issue is that the air in the tires will settle at the bottom. When you ride them, they’ll be out of balance and you’ll feel it. Be sure to rotate them on occasion, or be sure to change out the stale air.

To avoid the dreaded air settling issue entirely and to ensure that the insides of your tubes don’t suffer from premature oxidation breakdown, fill your tubes with de-ionized water. Also, put butter on all your burns and roadrash.

More seriously - I’ve had heavy book boxes lean over onto a bike hanging on hooks for several months with no wheel problems.

Are there any documented examples of this problem happening? I’ve only seen it from cyclists running into parked cars.

11

Urban legend. Take it from a Mechanical Engineer, Aluminum will not undergo plastic (permanent) deformation based on a small load applied for an extended period; it does not “flow” at room temperature. However, if you plan on keeping you garage at temperatures above 500 deg. F, you may want to occasionally rotate the wheels…and swap out your current saddle for an asbestos one.

12

Urban legend. Take it from a Mechanical Engineer, Aluminum will not undergo plastic (permanent) deformation based on a small load applied for an extended period; it does not “flow” at room temperature. However, if you plan on keeping you garage at temperatures above 500 deg. F, you may want to occasionally rotate the wheels…and swap out your current saddle for an asbestos one.
myth: busted

13

Unless the hook is cutting into the rim, you aren’t loading it too much more (or differently) than if it was simply resting on the floor on its wheels.

14

I guess I could have answered my own question, but it was more fun to have at least one non-Contador thread today.

No one ever said I was smart, probably why I work in Marketing - those of us that grow up with no discernable skills tend to go into Marketing.

15

Thanks for the non-Contador, non-Lance is a doper thread.

16

Urban legend. Take it from a Mechanical Engineer, Aluminum will not undergo plastic (permanent) deformation based on a small load applied for an extended period; it does not “flow” at room temperature. However, if you plan on keeping you garage at temperatures above 500 deg. F, you may want to occasionally rotate the wheels…and swap out your current saddle for an asbestos one.
Asbestos is lighter and better on your giblets. It’s the new carbontanium.