Bicycle wheels are surprisingly resilient to everyday wear, but they still get beat up from time to time. Potholes, rocks and roots are notorious for denting wheel rims, leaving you with an unstable ride, rubbing brake pads or constant pinch flats. Most of these bends can be taken out with truing—adjusting the wheel spokes to bring the rim back into alignment. Learning this skill can save you time, frustration and frequent bike shop bills.
Step 1
Remove the tire and tube from your bike wheel and mount it on your truing stand.
Step 2
Spin the wheel and look for wobbles in the rim. Tighten the guide calipers on the stand until they are as close to the rim as possible without actually touching it. Any lateral bends should become obvious as the rim passes through the calipers.
Step 3
Locate the largest bend in the rim. Keep in mind that what looks like a large deformation might actually be several small wobbles.
Step 4
Find the two or three spokes closest to the bend in the wheel. Tighten the spoke pulling toward the opposite side of the hub as the apex of the bend. Make adjustments of no more than a quarter-turn at a time.
Step 5
Loosen the opposite spoke to allow the rim to be pulled back into alignment. Again, adjust only by a quarter-turn and alternate adjustment between the opposite spokes to ensure equal tension.
Step 6
Spin the wheel on the stand again and watch the rim as it passes through the calipers. Make further adjustments to the spokes until the bend has been pulled out.
Tips and Warnings
- You can check your wheels away from home by using your brake pads in place of the guide calipers on your truing stand. If the nipple sticks or the whole spoke twists as you adjust it, apply some light lubricant to the nipple and work it in with a few small twists of the spoke wrench.
Things You'll Need
- Truing stand
- Spoke wrench
References
- "Bicycle Maintenance and Repair"; Jim Langley; 1999
- Park Tool: Wheel Truing
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