Balancing your Wheels

Has anyone ever bothered to balance their wheels and if so did it make any noticeable difference?

Comments

  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    What is wrong with your wheels that makes you think balancing would be the answer?

    I might be wrong but I don't think that it's a thing on bike wheels. Still, live and learn.
  • Sutton_Rider
    Sutton_Rider Posts: 493
    edited May 2020
    You might like to look at this bondurant:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcgiUcbS64c
    there are others as well, so I take you back to my original question, its easy enough to do, but does it make any difference?
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    Never would have thought...!

    Hope someone can answer.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    14 mins of video?

    No never balanced my wheels. Never felt the need.
  • Charlie_Croker
    Charlie_Croker Posts: 1,727
    If it cuts out a source of vibration it hast to be worth it, it takes hardly any time to do both wheels on a bicycle.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    What vibration though ? I've never noticed any.
  • diplodicus
    diplodicus Posts: 722
    I've had great success balancing my front wheel. The magnet attached to the spokes was causing an imbalance, so I added one opposite. Since then my speed has doubled :)
  • lesfirth
    lesfirth Posts: 1,382
    If you run tubeless with sealant floating about static balancing will be impossible.
  • Sutton_Rider
    Sutton_Rider Posts: 493
    You're quite right Les. I've been playing about with a spread sheet today (I know I need to get out more) Looking at approximate weights required based on the oscillation of the wheel, just to get a better picture of whats required and if its worth the effort.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Lockdown has a lot to answer for...
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,292
    Side to side balancing may be worthwhile.
  • Sutton_Rider
    Sutton_Rider Posts: 493

    Side to side balancing may be worthwhile.

    What is side to side balancing? What I'm talking about is the same as when you change your car tires, you have the wheels balanced.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,153

    I've had great success balancing my front wheel. The magnet attached to the spokes was causing an imbalance, so I added one opposite. Since then my speed has doubled :)

    I just tried that and went out for a ride. He's bloody right you know!
  • lesfirth
    lesfirth Posts: 1,382

    Side to side balancing may be worthwhile.

    When a car wheel is balanced weights are added to both sides of the wheel to rectify imbalance in a radial and an axial direction . Car wheels are very wide when compared to a bike wheel and imbalance in an axial direction is what causes your steering to shake side to side when a resonant frequency is reached.
    Axial ( side to side ) imbalance in a bike wheel will be negligible. So IMHO, as I only go fast downhill, the best thing is to do is just go and ride your bike,which is what I am going to do now. :)
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,292
    lesfirth said:

    Side to side balancing may be worthwhile.

    When a car wheel is balanced weights are added to both sides of the wheel to rectify imbalance in a radial and an axial direction . Car wheels are very wide when compared to a bike wheel and imbalance in an axial direction is what causes your steering to shake side to side when a resonant frequency is reached.
    Axial ( side to side ) imbalance in a bike wheel will be negligible. So IMHO, as I only go fast downhill, the best thing is to do is just go and ride your bike,which is what I am going to do now. :)
    Oh god. They all took me seriously.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Humans are doomed as a species...

  • lesfirth
    lesfirth Posts: 1,382
    Yes. Life is too complicated for simple soles like me.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,847
    edited May 2020

    lesfirth said:

    Side to side balancing may be worthwhile.

    When a car wheel is balanced weights are added to both sides of the wheel to rectify imbalance in a radial and an axial direction . Car wheels are very wide when compared to a bike wheel and imbalance in an axial direction is what causes your steering to shake side to side when a resonant frequency is reached.
    Axial ( side to side ) imbalance in a bike wheel will be negligible. So IMHO, as I only go fast downhill, the best thing is to do is just go and ride your bike,which is what I am going to do now. :)
    Oh god. They all took me seriously.
    I was going to make a comment about side to side balance and not falling off but apathy got the better of me. I did hope the whole thing was a wind up to be honest.