Wheel truing

I've seen it mentioned here now and again and have often thought about getting into wheel truing
(rather than building) and intend to do a course one of these days. I also have a key bought from my
local TV/video/bicycle shop (when I lived in a village) but have never much more than looked at it.

Realistically as the wheel is a few years old am I likely to find that they're seized anyway ? Do I
need to hold onto the spoke with say some mole grips to stop it twisting ?

Jon

Jon Schneider wrote:
> I've seen it mentioned here now and again and have often thought about getting into wheel truing
> (rather than building)

Well worth learning. As well as saving time and money at the bike shop, having the skill can make
the difference between having to abandon the bike after buckling a wheel or being able to fix it up
enough to ride home.

> and intend to do a course one of these days. I also have a key bought from my local
> TV/video/bicycle shop (when I lived in a village) but have never much more than looked at it.

It helps to have a good one (one that grips the nipple well to prevent rounding off) rather than the
usual cheap ones. Fortnately there is one that is both good and cheap: called the Spokey. Now
available from www.wiggle.co.uk (under tools - Buddy...) if your local bike shop doesn't have any.

> Realistically as the wheel is a few years old am I likely to find that they're seized anyway ?

Possible but not all that likely. It may help to use some penatrating oil if you suspect they are
very tight.

> Do I need to hold onto the spoke with say some mole grips to stop it twisting ?

No. The nipple will round or disintegrate first before the spoke twists if it's seized.

Never a good idea to grip spoke with anything anyway as it could get nicked which would lead to
increased risk of failure.

~PB

In article <9oUab.40$Ne.886583@newsfep2-win.server.ntli.net>, pbiggmelons2000{remove
fruit}@onetel.net.uk (Pete Biggs) wrote:

> having the skill can make the difference between having to abandon the bike after buckling a wheel
> or being able to fix it up enough to ride home.

I was thinking more of not having to have the brakes adjusted so you can drive a truck
through the gap.

Seems that mine do adjust and are not seized.

Jon

"Jon Schneider" <jon@jschneider.n.e.t.> wrote in message

Re spoke nipples:
> Seems that mine do adjust and are not seized.

If they are seized it may be easier to cut them and replace with new ones. Of course if a lot are
seized this may not be economical if the rim and hub are poor quality or nearing the end of their
life, a full set of good spokes costs circa £12.00 If you find seized spokes remedy the situation in
the comfort of your shed/garage/house rather than by the side of the road/middle of nowhere in a
downpour :-)

Pete

Jon Schneider wrote:
> I've seen it mentioned here now and again and have often thought about getting into wheel truing
> (rather than building) and intend to do a course one of these days. I also have a key bought
> from my local TV/video/bicycle shop (when I lived in a village) but have never much more than
> looked at it.
>
> Realistically as the wheel is a few years old am I likely to find that they're seized anyway ? Do
> I need to hold onto the spoke with say some mole grips to stop it twisting ?
>

Get Jobst Brandt's The Bicycle Wheel that tells you everthing you need to know about building bullet
proof wheels that don't need constant truing. If the nipple is seized try undoing it a bit, putting
some oil on it and then retightening. Alternatively put some pressure on the rim to releive the
stress on the spoke. Don't grip the spoke with a mole wrench - it will only damage the spoke and if
its that seized its maybe time to cut it out and put in a new one. When truing you should overturn
the spoke key (spoke will twist) and then turn back a tad until its no longer twisted. With time you
will get to do it by feel but to start with put little sellotape flags on the spoke near the nipple
to guide you. If you don't do that you'll get all sorts of pingings when you first ride the wheel
and the spokes untwist and often loosen in the process.

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

Jon Schneider wrote:

>> having the skill can make the difference between having to abandon the bike after buckling a
>> wheel or being able to fix it up enough to ride home.
>
> I was thinking more of not having to have the brakes adjusted so you can drive a truck through
> the gap.

A very good reason! :-) ....Although bike shop could do that for you - but of course better to save
the hassle and money by DIYing.

~PB

Jon Schneider wrote:

> I've seen it mentioned here now and again and have often thought about getting into wheel truing
> (rather than building) and intend to do a course one of these days. I also have a key bought
> from my local TV/video/bicycle shop (when I lived in a village) but have never much more than
> looked at it.
>
> Realistically as the wheel is a few years old am I likely to find that they're seized anyway ? Do
> I need to hold onto the spoke with say some mole grips to stop it twisting ?

Soak them all in WD40 overnight (obviously clean the rim well before riding on it again!). No more
than a quarter of a turn with the spoke key at a time, and remember to loosen the spokes on one side
as you tighten them on the other.

When you're done, go round the wheel squeezing pairs of spokes together hard (it builds up your
finger strength so you can fit kevlar-beaded tyres...) and you should hear them ping a bit as they
untwist. Even better, lie the wheel flat on the floor and work your way round the rim pushing down
on both sides. Go carefully as you can destroy a back wheel like this - they're rather weak unless
they happen to be dishless (rare unless they are tandem wheels).

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>
> and you should hear them ping a bit as they untwist.

No they shouldn't. You are confusing spoke windup with stress relieving. Spoke wind up is taken care
of by correct use of a spoke key to over-turn and wind back. Stress relieving is an altogether
different process related to releasing stresses in the spokes that might lead to failure. Read the
book - its all in there and what's more it works

Tony "If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain