Wheel Maintenance

[Jean-Jay]

How often should one true a wheel?

 

If ur wheel is slightly buckled, almost undetectable to the nake eye (meaning u need to run the brake blocks right next to the rim to detect it) should u have it trued?

 

Does it matter if ur running deep section, carbon or normal box rims.

 

Just a question cos it seems that u have to wait until a wheel is very "out" before u should send it in to have it trued because the level of service in our shops is of such a nature that a sligh buckle cannot be corrected, only a really bad one.

 

But my main question is, if it's not bad can u ride on the wheel for a while yet and only have it trued at a later stage?

 

[BikeMax]

 

How often should one true a wheel?

 

If ur wheel is slightly buckled' date=' almost undetectable to the nake eye (meaning u need to run the brake blocks right next to the rim to detect it) should u have it trued?

 

Does it matter if ur running deep section, carbon or normal box rims.

 

Just a question cos it seems that u have to wait until a wheel is very "out" before u should send it in to have it trued because the level of service in our shops is of such a nature that a sligh buckle cannot be corrected, only a really bad one.

 

But my main question is, if it's not bad can u ride on the wheel for a while yet and only have it trued at a later stage?

 

[/quote']

 

I reckon that it might depend upon how well the wheel is built in the first place - I recently took my front Zipp in for a check (it was still true) and found that not one spoke even registered on the tensiometer...

 

I had been hammering this wheel trying to keep up with TooHot and all the while it could have bloody collapsed.

 

I would check spoke tension by hand and as long as that is pretty even and that the wheel is not rubbing the blocks (nothing like a bit fo brake rub to help up OKW in the Summer) then maybe you can leave it but if there is any doubt then why not get it trued and tensioned ?

 

[Jean-Jay]

 

 

How often should one true a wheel?

 

If ur wheel is slightly buckled' date=' almost undetectable to the nake eye (meaning u need to run the brake blocks right next to the rim to detect it) should u have it trued?

 

Does it matter if ur running deep section, carbon or normal box rims.

 

Just a question cos it seems that u have to wait until a wheel is very "out" before u should send it in to have it trued because the level of service in our shops is of such a nature that a sligh buckle cannot be corrected, only a really bad one.

 

But my main question is, if it's not bad can u ride on the wheel for a while yet and only have it trued at a later stage?

 

[/quote']

 

I reckon that it might depend upon how well the wheel is built in the first place - I recently took my front Zipp in for a check (it was still true) and found that not one spoke even registered on the tensiometer...

 

I had been hammering this wheel trying to keep up with TooHot and all the while it could have bloody collapsed.

 

I would check spoke tension by hand and as long as that is pretty even and that the wheel is not rubbing the blocks (nothing like a bit fo brake rub to help up OKW in the Summer) then maybe you can leave it but if there is any doubt then why not get it trued and tensioned ?

 

Thanks Bikemax

 

Will check my spoke tension by hand before i send it in.

 

A little confused about this sentence though

"I had been hammering this wheel trying to keep up with TooHot and all the while it could have bloody collapsed."

 

Seems a little far fetched though

More like i sabotaged it trying to slow u down

 

Thanks for cheering me up!

 

Ciao for now

 

[pbp2007]

How about "every day"?

About 25 km into our ride on Saturday we stopped to fix a puncture. Somebody said, "Your wheel looks buckled." So I checked and, would you believe, it was rubbing the brakes in one spot. One spoke with virtually zero tension. Great, I thought: only another day and a half of this. A bit of spoke spannerism brought it back to more or less not too pretzelish, so I opened up the rear brakes all the way and rode like that for the rest of the weekend.

Funny thing is, the wheel was retrued and redished at the bike shop the day before ...

I suppose it's at least partly my fault for not taking it on a shakedown cruise first.

 

 

[Guest Big H]

Wheel building or maintenance is NOT a dark art!!!!! Anybody that can change a electrical plug or fit a tap washer can do it. The important issue is that ALL wheels on one side MUST be of the same tension. If not the wheel WILL run out of true with spokes detensioning and working themselves loose. Buckled wheels WILL also affect the handling of your bike. When you receive the wheel back from your wheel fundi ..... yes, find a fundi and love him dearly .... they are a valuable commodity, spin the wheel and hold a old spoke or small srewdriver to the wheel. Listen to the "music" the wheel makes. If a spoke is loose or too tight you will hear it. If you are not musical like me buy a PARK spoke tensiometer. They cost less than R500-00 and you can check your wheel tension very accurately. I retensioned a set of 32 spoke MTB wheels after the ARGUS in March and have not touched the wheel since. Also go to www.sheldonbrown.co.za and browse to learn more about wheels and wheelbuilding.

 

As amtter of rule check yoyr wheels every day RIGHT AFTER your training ride. Check for loose spokes, cracks on the rim and trueness of the wheel. ALso listen for gritty sounds made by the wheelbearings. By checking after the ride gives you time to attend to the problem BEFORE your next ride, which may be an important race!!!!!!!

[scotty]

That's the beauty of having a good relationship with your LBS. I just take mine in and they true it for me no charge.