So I recently acquired a secondhand 2010 or 2011 Cannondale Bad Boy hybrid MTB, which I love to bits. Sadly on a recent early outing in the dark I hit a nasty pothole pretty hard and fast and *wham wham* had instant pinch flats front and back. To my great dismay when I examined the front wheel I think I found a neat crack the whole way around the outer part of the rim, exactly opposite the valve stem. Unlike all the pics I've found of cracked rims, the damage is parallel to the spokes; hope the pic helps. It is also between the spokes, not near where they attach. It's almost more of a split than a crack, but you've got to look real hard to see it. Just checked the back and found the same thing in the same spot - do these rims just look this way?? Can't imagine having both wheels in exactly the same point of rotation... When I took the front tyre off to see if I could patch the tube, the tube pinches were in the same location, haven't taken the back tyre off yet. I'm a bit of a noob with this kind of thing, but the general consensus does seem to be not to ride with a damaged rim, which I'll abide by. Questions - Are those cracks? Do I replace the wheel or get a new hub and have the wheel rebuilt? Can the rim be welded? I think this ride is the same as mine - rims listed as Cannondale C2, but decals on mine say Maddux C3. I'd like to keep it stock standard, but can't find many references for sourcing identical rims. I'm currently purely a recreational rider trying to get fit, so don't need anything hardcore, just robust. I plan to mainly ride on the road and light gravel (like dirt roads and smooth paths, not up/down mountain trails), hoping to be ready for cycle commuting when Spring rolls in. If it helps any, the tyres are Schwalbe Kojac 559x35's - I don't think the wheel geometry is bog standard. I'm in the Cape Town area. Thanks in advance for any advice and happy riding! We all like pics so I took the liberty of attaching one of my pride and joy, complete with curious Dino.
