Wheel wobble

milton50

Hi all, I've been cycling for a couple of years now and I've recently joined a club. But to my embarrassment I really am completely lost when it comes to bike mechanics and maintenance.

So recently I've been feeling quite unstable on the bike and I just cannot go down long descents without permanently tapping the brakes. Also when there is a crosswind I find it quite hard to stop myself toppling over. I've just looked at both front and back wheels from above while spinning them and there is a definite wobble as the wheel goes round, so much so that it touches the brake at one point.

I imagine I'll probably end up having to take it to a bike shop but could anyone give me some pointers as to what it could be or what I should look for? Are the spokes too tight/too loose?

Any help would be much appreciated.

JackPozzi

Can you wobble it by hand when the bike is stationary or is it actually warped? If it's wobbly then the bearings probably just need a nip up, whereas if it's warped, the wheel needs truing

keef66

"Are the spokes too tight/too loose?"

Probably both. Wheel truing is relatively simple, all you need is a spoke key and a lot of patience. Loads of videos on youtube or consult websites like Sheldon Brown or Park Tools

If you really don't know what you're doing then leave it to the LBS

milton50

JackPozzi wrote:

Can you wobble it by hand when the bike is stationary or is it actually warped? If it's wobbly then the bearings probably just need a nip up, whereas if it's warped, the wheel needs truing

No, it's solid when stationary. Ok, so it looks like it needs truing then. I'll take a look at youtube and have a go myself.

JackPozzi

Good luck with that, as keef says it's relatively simple in theory... Personally although I'm happy to tackle most jobs, wheel truing scares the crap out of me, so I leave it to the expert at my LBS, for the sake of a tenner a wheel I don't think it's worth the grief.