In the world of bicycle mechanics, wheel truing refers to a process of adjusting the tension on the spokes until the entire wheel is uniformly balanced. A balanced wheel gives you the most comfortable ride possible, prevents spoke damage and increases the life of your bicycle's wheels. Though the truing process seems complicated to inexperienced bicycle mechanics, having the correct tools and taking your time with each of the procedures will help give you the straightest wheel possible.
Rim Alignment
The first step in creating a perfectly balanced wheel involves checking the lateral and vertical alignment of the rim. It is easiest to perform this procedure with the wheel mounted on a truing stand, but bicycle mechanic Jim Langley says you can improvise by taping a level ruler to your bicycle frame to check the vertical alignment and use your brake pads for the lateral alignment. Remember that you will be looking at the spoke nipples backward while the wheel is mounted, so turning your spoke wrench clockwise loosens the nipple. For each area that you find to be out of alignment, tighten or loosen the corresponding spokes one-quarter turn. This procedure can take a while, so be patient and make each adjustment carefully until the wheel is generally true.
Tensioning
After the wheel is true, you must check the tension of the spokes to ensure they are all at the same level. You can check the spoke tension most accurately with a tensiometer, but the average bicycle mechanic does not have this tool. Alex Ramon of Bicycle Tutor says you can also check the tension of each spoke by plucking them and listening to the sound. If the spokes are of the same pitch, they are of equal tension. If the pitch of one spoke is lower than the other, it is loose and needs to be tightened. After you adjust the spokes for tension, you need to check the rim alignment again.
Dishing
If your wheel is properly tensioned and trued, the rim should be perfectly centered around the axle nut of the wheel hub. Some bicycle mechanics use a special dishing tool to check this measurement, but you can also measure it by hand. If the wheel has an imbalance toward one side of the axle, loosen all the spokes on the opposite side by one-quarter turn to better center the rim. Continue loosening the spokes if necessary until the rim is centered.
Prestressing
Once the wheel is completely true and centered, you must stress the spokes before you ride. Bicycle mechanic and writer Sheldon Brown says stressing the spokes is a necessary part of the truing process because it allows the spokes to better fit the hub flanges. The easiest way to do this is by squeezing parallel pairs of spokes on each side of the hub together until you have squeezed all the spokes. You will need to recheck the trueness of the wheel after you have stressed all the spokes.
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