Safety Issue: Collapsed Wheel Pops Right Back In Shape

Not being to procure parts for the MTB due to CV-19 forced me to press a low end vintage road bike back into service yesterday.

Only one big problem: a bale of chicken wire had fallen onto the rear wheel warping it into a hyper convoluted trig function or something. This usually means the rim is beyond retrueing.

Still I had to give it a try or get absolutely zero exercise for the next 2 weeks.

I hadn't loosened 6 spokes when the wheel suddenly popped right back into shape like those memory metal eyeglass frames. Except for retightening the 6 spokes there was very little it seemed I needed to do with the wheel. I oiled the rusty chain, added pedals and pumped up the tires and was soon riding it on heat buckled asphalt roads.

Is this wheel safe?

They just closed the parks again so I really need to get out of town where cell service is spotty at best and, of course, get back before the water runs out.

I'll take a spoke wrench just in case.


Bret Cahill