One spoke loose on brand new wheel

Have a full speed ahead rear wheel, brand new. However - one spoke is loose, and the wheel is thus slightly off.

Can this be fixed by me? No experience - it will take quite a while to get it fixed at the shop as they have a 2 week waiting period.

It's a new wheel you should have to!

This has happened to me before and after returning the wheel to the bike shop several times for them to re-tention the spokes they eventually ended up giving me a new wheel.

Did you buy it from the shop? if so, I would see if they can do it while you wait. It's a quick job, but i would have them do it if you aren't sure yourself.

Geeee...(editorial about wheels outta boxes snipped)...If you have a spoke wrench and a truing stand of some kind, yes, you can tighten that spoke nipple. BUT if the thing is brand new and so poorly built, I would suspect something else is wrong with it. Riding an under tensioned wheel will kill it. Can't take it back where ya got it?(MO?). Go into the shop towards the end of the day and politely ask if somebody can true, round, dish and TENSION said wheel. Don't get upset when they charge you fairly for their time, and give them a tip, like a 6-er of their favorite if they fix your BRAND new wheel.

This time - get your LBS to check spoke tensions and either true the wheel or retension the wheel. Get a spoke tensiometer, and a jig if you want, and practice trueing and retensioning old wheels. Then next time you'll be able to manage things yourself.

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"All that we see and seem is but a dream, within a dream..."

I find that wheel truing and wheel building is a great way to kill some time in front of the TV during football season when the conditions outdoors are not conducive to enjoyable riding. Of course our football team is the Bengals so there is not much time lost from cheering and celebrating. I do get some interesting looking wheels if I decide to have many beers during the game, but this usually only happens in a blowout, which means it happens almost weekly.

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One life, one chance. Don't waste it!

Of the 'stuff' I do in the shop, wheelbuilding remains at the top of my enjoyment list. Designing and then building a wheel or wheelset for an individual is about the last 'artisian' type thing left in bicycles, except for frame building. Very satisfying to get the wheel done and then see the rider abuse it w/o it having problems. After the frame and fork, wheels are the next thing of importance on the bike. Most else are consumables.