Wobbling Bontrager Race Lite Wheel

Richard G
Richard G Posts: 15
edited April 2009 in Workshop
I have some Bontrager Race Lite Wheels on my Trek Madone 5.2. The rear wheel keeps developing a side to side wobble in the same place. The first time it happened I noticed just one of the spokes had become very loose. I took it back to the shop I bought it from and it was straightended easily enough. But it keeps going out of true. What's confusing me is that it's wobbling towards the loose spoke. So I can straighten the wheel but only by having the spoke on the same side to which it's wobbling much looser than its opposing spoke. I'm no wheel builder but this seems completely counter-intuitive to me. Am I being stupid or might there be something seriously wrong here?! Can anyone help?

Comments

  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Sounds as though the wheel needs to be re-trued and tensioned properly. The rims sounds as though it's permanently distorted - if it's out by more than 10mm, it might be tricky to pull it back into true.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Richard G
    Richard G Posts: 15
    Thanks. Not what I was hoping to hear but guess you might be right! Time to get the wallet out...
  • pinkbikini
    pinkbikini Posts: 876
    Check the tension of the spokes to either side of the loose one as well. Make sure they haven't been overtensioned and are pulling the rim - i.e. make sure the shop haven't simply wellied up the tension on the loose spoke and not checked the other adjacent spokes.
    Hopefully a competent mechanic can sort this out for you at minimal cost...