How true are your wheels?

actusreus

I recently got a flat and the wheel came out of true. My mechanic got it just about perfect, but there is still some minuscule deviation. That made me wonder about what other fellow cyclist accept as true when it comes to their wheel alignment. Do you accept nothing less than absolute perfection, or do you have a tolerance within which you consider your wheels true, or true enough?

fat daddy

as long as the braking isn't compromised, its good enough for me ... that's to say if I am dragging the brake and it makes a pulsing noise .. that isn't acceptable

but any other wobble is fine

pblakeney

They've never lied to me yet.

trivial_poursuivant

I have a set of Campag Zondas that had a spoke snap on them. Replacement is fine most of the time but does occasionally loosen creating a slight wobble. I just tighten it with a spoke key from time to time and it's good for a few months. So long as your wheels are not more than 2 or 3 mm it's nothing to worry about. Try and find a carbon disc that's true! That's a different matter.

sloppyschleckonds

I wouldn't accept anything out of true.

Alex99

actusreus wrote:

I recently got a flat and the wheel came out of true. My mechanic got it just about perfect, but there is still some minuscule deviation. That made me wonder about what other fellow cyclist accept as true when it comes to their wheel alignment. Do you accept nothing less than absolute perfection, or do you have a tolerance within which you consider your wheels true, or true enough?

Not that it's happened for a long time, but if any of my wheels went one half of a mm out of lateral true from just normal use, I'd get it sorted out. But then I do my own wheels and less than one mm is really very easy. Could I feel 2 mm, or 3 mm lateral movement? Maybe under braking, but otherwise maybe not.

Radial trueness gets a lower tolerance. Something like one mm is probably normal but you can get better with a very round rim. If I built a wheel and it was 2 mm out radially, I'd be starting over.

Perhaps more importantly, unless there is a prang involved, wheels shouldn't be going out of true and spokes shouldn't be working loose. Those are signs of something wrong with the wheel build, faulty components or that the wheel is unsuited to the application. I wouldn't stand for a wheel that was constantly trying to undo itself.

trivial_poursuivant

Alex99 wrote:

actusreus wrote:

I recently got a flat and the wheel came out of true. My mechanic got it just about perfect, but there is still some minuscule deviation. That made me wonder about what other fellow cyclist accept as true when it comes to their wheel alignment. Do you accept nothing less than absolute perfection, or do you have a tolerance within which you consider your wheels true, or true enough?

I wouldn't stand for a wheel that was constantly trying to undo itself.

If they are new wheels then I completely agree but when they are a few years old and are generally ok and perfectly rideable I don't see the point of throwing money at them constantly getting them re-trued. The amount of flex in most aluminium rims as so that they deviate a few mm anyway under stress so a 1mm wobble is hardly anything to get upset over.

ugo.santalucia

Low spoke factory wheels are good out of the box, but if for some reason they go out of true, bringing them back to perfection is very difficult as you don't have enough "pulling points" to compensate for a marginally deformed rim or spoke.

Alex99

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

Alex99 wrote:

actusreus wrote:

I recently got a flat and the wheel came out of true. My mechanic got it just about perfect, but there is still some minuscule deviation. That made me wonder about what other fellow cyclist accept as true when it comes to their wheel alignment. Do you accept nothing less than absolute perfection, or do you have a tolerance within which you consider your wheels true, or true enough?

I wouldn't stand for a wheel that was constantly trying to undo itself.

If they are new wheels then I completely agree but when they are a few years old and are generally ok and perfectly rideable I don't see the point of throwing money at them constantly getting them re-trued. The amount of flex in most aluminium rims as so that they deviate a few mm anyway under stress so a 1mm wobble is hardly anything to get upset over.

Yeah, I agree, 1 mm isn't a problem, but I'd still true it myself rather than leave it. If I was paying, I'd ride on with a 1 mm buckle as long if it seems stable i.e. not worsening. I think a wheel that is often going out of true and having loose spokes is a problem.

milemuncher1

As true as a dog's devotion. I like to keep them that way too, can't lose any Powwwwerrrrr, through having wonky wheels now can we?

trivial_poursuivant

Alex99 wrote:

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

Alex99 wrote:

actusreus wrote:

I recently got a flat and the wheel came out of true. My mechanic got it just about perfect, but there is still some minuscule deviation. That made me wonder about what other fellow cyclist accept as true when it comes to their wheel alignment. Do you accept nothing less than absolute perfection, or do you have a tolerance within which you consider your wheels true, or true enough?

I wouldn't stand for a wheel that was constantly trying to undo itself.

If they are new wheels then I completely agree but when they are a few years old and are generally ok and perfectly rideable I don't see the point of throwing money at them constantly getting them re-trued. The amount of flex in most aluminium rims as so that they deviate a few mm anyway under stress so a 1mm wobble is hardly anything to get upset over.

Yeah, I agree, 1 mm isn't a problem, but I'd still true it myself rather than leave it.

That's what I said. I do it to my Zonda rear wheel about once every other month. The G3 pattern is difficult to true properly and keep the bladed spokes pointing the right way. Not worth spending a tenner to get some guy in a shop to do exactly the same As I do.

Frank Wilson

Do you get the wheels / tracking checked every time you go over a pot hole in your car?

964cup

0.5mm.

But then I'm a perfectionist and a wheelbuilder, so it would be bad form to trundle about on Pringles.

Silly Old Hector

Spandau Ballet True

MiddleRinger

Your wheels may be true, but are they balanced?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcgiUcbS64c

redvee

Built my front and it's been good for over a year now and as I notice it when riding along any untrueness will bug me. The rear wheel has been spot on since April with a pannier bag and a 14 stone lump on the saddle.

ugo.santalucia

appropriately

https://whosatthewheel.com/2015/01/13/w ... t-of-true/

cycleclinic

If a wheel needs tduing every month then the wheel cant handle the load it is under.

trivial_poursuivant

thecycleclinic wrote:

If a wheel needs tduing every month then the wheel cant handle the load it is under.

In my case I weigh 69kg bike weighs abou 7kg so not under to much load. I know it's the spoke has the issue but it's not worth pi$$ing money away over getting fixed by a shop every time it goes out.

Alex99

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

Alex99 wrote:

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

Alex99 wrote:

actusreus wrote:

I recently got a flat and the wheel came out of true. My mechanic got it just about perfect, but there is still some minuscule deviation. That made me wonder about what other fellow cyclist accept as true when it comes to their wheel alignment. Do you accept nothing less than absolute perfection, or do you have a tolerance within which you consider your wheels true, or true enough?

I wouldn't stand for a wheel that was constantly trying to undo itself.

If they are new wheels then I completely agree but when they are a few years old and are generally ok and perfectly rideable I don't see the point of throwing money at them constantly getting them re-trued. The amount of flex in most aluminium rims as so that they deviate a few mm anyway under stress so a 1mm wobble is hardly anything to get upset over.

Yeah, I agree, 1 mm isn't a problem, but I'd still true it myself rather than leave it.

That's what I said. I do it to my Zonda rear wheel about once every other month. The G3 pattern is difficult to true properly and keep the bladed spokes pointing the right way. Not worth spending a tenner to get some guy in a shop to do exactly the same As I do.

The original question has forked into two: 1) how true do you have your wheels, and 2) should a wheel frequently be going out of true. For the first, I don't accept anything more than say, 0.5 mm, because I can achieve that myself just fine (not that I think 1 or 2 mm is a big problem as I've said). I think we're on the same page there. The second question, I think is where we differ. In the real world, it's just exceptionally rare that I need to touch my wheels. FWIW, I have a pair of Zonda's too, and apart from a couple of spokes turning a bit to a 'non aero' position, they have stayed true since purchase two years ago. Although, they don't do big miles as they're mostly my race wheels.

trivial_poursuivant

Alex99 wrote:

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

Alex99 wrote:

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

Alex99 wrote:

actusreus wrote:

I recently got a flat and the wheel came out of true. My mechanic got it just about perfect, but there is still some minuscule deviation. That made me wonder about what other fellow cyclist accept as true when it comes to their wheel alignment. Do you accept nothing less than absolute perfection, or do you have a tolerance within which you consider your wheels true, or true enough?

I wouldn't stand for a wheel that was constantly trying to undo itself.

If they are new wheels then I completely agree but when they are a few years old and are generally ok and perfectly rideable I don't see the point of throwing money at them constantly getting them re-trued. The amount of flex in most aluminium rims as so that they deviate a few mm anyway under stress so a 1mm wobble is hardly anything to get upset over.

Yeah, I agree, 1 mm isn't a problem, but I'd still true it myself rather than leave it.

That's what I said. I do it to my Zonda rear wheel about once every other month. The G3 pattern is difficult to true properly and keep the bladed spokes pointing the right way. Not worth spending a tenner to get some guy in a shop to do exactly the same As I do.

The original question has forked into two: 1) how true do you have your wheels, and 2) should a wheel frequently be going out of true. For the first, I don't accept anything more than say, 0.5 mm, because I can achieve that myself just fine (not that I think 1 or 2 mm is a big problem as I've said). I think we're on the same page there. The second question, I think is where we differ. In the real world, it's just exceptionally rare that I need to touch my wheels. FWIW, I have a pair of Zonda's too, and apart from a couple of spokes turning a bit to a 'non aero' position, they have stayed true since purchase two years ago. Although, they don't do big miles as they're mostly my race wheels.

I agree that having to tweak a spoke ever other month is not normal, but I know the issue is with the spoke or nipple and it could be fixed and be fine. I just don't see the point of throwing money at it unnecessary. It's an easy fix and when it goes out again I'll fix it again. It cost me 35 euros to get the wheel repaired when the dpoke snapped originally so am I prepared to fork out another similar amount for the sake of a qtr spoke key turn every so often? Not really. They are not premium wheels, they are quite worn with plenty of life left but they are my alternate set for crappy weather riding.