True your own wheels ?

bamba

Just wondered if there's many folk out there who do this ,
I understand the principle of it all, but had a go a while ago but ended up leaving as a bad job.but after watching a mate sort my back wheel out last time im tempted to have another go next time .

The Rookie

Its easy enough, but you do need to be slow, methodical and patient, I do it by removing the tyre, putting the wheel back in the frame and bluetacking a ruler across the frame so I can centre and remove buckles.....much cheaper than a truing stand and I don't have to store one either!

Simon

bails87

It's doable, I got a properly mangled back wheel (it wouldn't even turn in the frame) down to a buckle of 1-2mm. You need to have an idea of what you're doing, and take your time though.

desweller

I love doing it. I bought Roger Musson's book at the beginning of the year to build a couple of new wheels for the commuter/tourer and haven't looked back. Brilliant.

jimexbox

I trued a badly buckled rear wheel with having zero experience. It wasn't very scientific, but it worked. I fixed a piece of flat metal to the frame close to the rim so I could judge the buckle, then spun the wheel and marked on the tyre where the buckle was with a piece of chalk. Slowly tighten each side in turn, spinning the wheel each time till the wheel was true.

dot1

I do it, but make sure you concentrate when you do it as you easily make a buckle worse than it was before if you're not paying attention! I get a good sense of satisfaction after I've trued a wheel though!

cee

yip...

again, tyre off, then in the frame....tied a couple of cable ties to the frame as guides....

patience....very small turns....

there a decent video on pinkbike in the tech tuesdays showing how to do it...

basically...if you tighten 1 on one side....loosen one either side on the other side by half the amount.

supersonic

Remember that a perfectly trued rim is not always an evenly tesnioned one... depends on the state of the rim.

allthegearnoidea

i generally use a pair of cable ties on the seat/chainstays, cut in the middle and then rim width removed (1/2 from each cable tie) and slowly set about it,

quite easy to make it true and Egg shaped though!!!

stubs

Its a very satisfying job to build up or fix a mangled wheel. Put some good sounds on have a mug of your favourite drink and a packet of your favourite biccies close at hand lock the door to keep annoying people out and just take your time.

The wheel in this very boring video was so far out of line it barely fitted through the forks and meant a 3 mile walk pushing the bike. Loosened all the spokes and after a good bit of tweaking got it nice and round and tight. Still going strong.

http://vimeo.com/11205618

The Rookie

supersonic wrote:

Remember that a perfectly trued rim is not always an evenly tesnioned one... depends on the state of the rim.

Your not kidding, the younger daughters bike came with a very mangled Spesh/alex rim from a rockhopper, its been trued three times as to get it round the spoke tension was obviously uneven, it then settled a bit so redone and then settled again, this time the spoke tensions are pretty close as it got to round so hopefully it won't need doing again!

Simon