Back wheel wobble

[dbark98]

Hi I'm new to road biking I don't know a whole lot about mechanics. After my ride the other day, I noticed my back wheel was wobbling when I spin it. I checked to see if it was loose but there is not motion if I try to move it back and forth. Only when it's spinning does it wobble. I also noticed that the wheel is closer the right side of the frame and is almost rubbing it. They are mavic askium wheels. Anyone know how to fix this? Thanks!

 

[oldbobcat]

Originally Posted by dbark98

Anyone know how to fix this?
Thanks!

Fix what?

It could be that the rim is out of true, that the tire isn't set on the rim correctly, that the hub is out of adjustment, or that the wheel was simply set in the dropouts crooked. Doctor can't make a diagnosis without seeing the patient.

Why not just take the wheel to a bike shop and have them look at it? There's no charge for looking, and then you could decide whether it's something you want to have fixed or something you can try to live with.

 

[maydog]

I have a couple pair of Aksium wheels. Check the obvious things oldbobcat mentioned.

After that, a busted or loose non drive side spoke could cause a wobble. I had issues with the NDS coming loose on one of the wheels. After a few thousand miles both started busting non-drive side spokes. Spoke loosening can be fixed with a spoke wrench and a drop of locktite on the nipples/spoke threads. Loose spokes can be identified by plucking the spokes and listening to the tone. A higher tone = higher tension. Ideally each spoke on one side of the wheel should be a similar tension.

If you do need to tighten spokes, cut a slot in a small block of wood to use as a tool to hold the bladed spokes in position so that they dont twist.

I respoked the non drive side of both wheels and they are still going strong.

 

[Damien Lee]

Without a photo of your back wheel, it's difficult to discern what the problem may be. It sounds like a bad alignment and that can easily be fixed with minimal technical skills. As maydog above has mentioned, it could also be the spokes and that's worth checking out to get to the bottom of the problem.

 

[ZXD22]

It could be anything from a loose screw to a misalignment. As Damien has said we need more evidence and a picture in order to correctly trouble shoot your problem.