Balancing wheels

[Andrew]

Hi,

I have an OCR3 road bike which I use to commute to work. I have just replaced the front tyrefor the
first time. I notice at about 35kph or higher (Thats downhill with the wind for me) there is a
wobble. The bike has just been for a service at the lbs and rims straightened but wobble still
there. Moving the wheel reflector around to a different position has improved the wobble to an
acceptable level.

Would anyone have any handy hints on wheel balancing as I think this is the problem

Thanks in advance Andrew

 

[Cipher]

Originally posted by Andrew
Hi,

I have an OCR3 road bike which I use to commute to work. I have just replaced the front tyrefor the
first time. I notice at about 35kph or higher (Thats downhill with the wind for me) there is a
wobble. The bike has just been for a service at the lbs and rims straightened but wobble still
there. Moving the wheel reflector around to a different position has improved the wobble to an
acceptable level.

Would anyone have any handy hints on wheel balancing as I think this is the problem

Thanks in advance Andrew

This is a new one on me... I curious if you tried riding with the reflector removed if the wobble lessened or even went away?

 

[Hitchy]

Originally posted by Andrew
Hi,

I have an OCR3 road bike which I use to commute to work. I have just replaced the front tyrefor the
first time. I notice at about 35kph or higher (Thats downhill with the wind for me) there is a
wobble. The bike has just been for a service at the lbs and rims straightened but wobble still
there. Moving the wheel reflector around to a different position has improved the wobble to an
acceptable level.

Would anyone have any handy hints on wheel balancing as I think this is the problem

Thanks in advance Andrew

G'day Andrew,

Firstly...take the damn reflector off!......now at least I feel better!....If that doesn't solve your problem, have a gander at the headset......make sure everything is ok there. The most likely source of your issue is wheels, tyres, or headset...check 'em all & see..BTW...those reflectors make great frisbee's,

cheers,

Hitchy

 

[Terry Collins]

andrew wrote:

> Would anyone have any handy hints on wheel balancing as I think this is the problem

As someone suggests, remove the reflector and see what happens.

If it is the reflector You might need to make sure the reflector is mounted inside the spokes. You
might need a pair on opposing sides. You might need to change to a different design. I prefer the
circular reflector that is a complete ring, but I use two set off-centre as lapping ring (seen
from side)

Still there without the reflector?

Flip the bike upside down and spin the wheel look for wobble and buckles.

I find that once I buckle an aluminium rim, the buckle remains. Steel rims can usually be
straightened a bit more.

 

[John Doe]

"andrew" <andrew [email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
>
> I have an OCR3 road bike which I use to commute to work. I have just replaced the front tyrefor
> the first time. I notice at about 35kph or higher (Thats downhill with the wind for me) there is a
> wobble. The bike has just been for a service at the lbs and rims straightened but wobble still
> there. Moving the wheel reflector around to a different position has improved the wobble to an
> acceptable level.
>
> Would anyone have any handy hints on wheel balancing as I think this is
the
> problem
>
> Thanks in advance Andrew
>
>

Is it only since you replaced the tyre? I found that this happened to me and took it into the LBS I
bought the tyre from. They didnt do anything. Anyway I replaced the tube and the problem went away.
There must have been a kink or something.

Peter

 

[Mike]

Hitchy wrote:

> Firstly...take the damn reflector off!.....

Oh Hitchy, you look so cool with no reflectors, that deep tan and the cigarette hanging out of your
mouth. What a rebel! Nice to know that if the lung cancer doesnt get you first, there is always a
change of the truck hitting you at night.

but seriously folks, do any cyclists go so far as to balance their wheels? I'd assume the OP has an
untrue rim, or bulging or badly seated tyre.

If you do want to balance it, remove reflector, let wheel rotate so heaviest part down, then replace
reflector at top.

Of course, thats just static balance, for dynamic ... don't be so silly.

 

[Zebee Johnstone]

In aus.bicycle on Thu, 26 Feb 2004 13:40:21 +0800
Mike <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hitchy wrote:
>
>> Firstly...take the damn reflector off!.....
>
> Oh Hitchy, you look so cool with no reflectors, that deep tan and the cigarette hanging out of
> your mouth. What a rebel! Nice to know that if the lung cancer doesnt get you first, there is
> always a change of the truck hitting you at night.

Heh.. if he's close enough for the reflector on the side of a wheel to make a difference, he's
already hit you.

Zebee

 

[Hitchy]

Originally posted by Mike
Hitchy wrote:

> Firstly...take the damn reflector off!.....

Oh Hitchy, you look so cool with no reflectors, that deep tan and the cigarette hanging out of your
mouth. What a rebel! Nice to know that if the lung cancer doesnt get you first, there is always a
change of the truck hitting you at night.


G'day,

You've obviously missed the point Mike......the poster said that the 'wobble' improved when the reflector was 'moved'......you've obviously never tried to 'true' a wheel?. you wouldn't do it with a reflector on (or maybe YOU would!)......As for smoking...I don't....but I'll take it up if I can have some of whatever you're on!,

cheers,

Hitchy

 

[amirm]

Hi you guys,

Firstly, lets keep thing cool and casual.

IMO, it's alright to use humour as long as there is real help in replies. Otherwise, it would be just mocking around (which some people are OK with anyway).

As long as the refelectors go, I personally don't use any on my bikes, but I don't want to be liable to anyone else. So I don't recommend anyone remove them. I appreciate the safety side of the reflectors. LBSs are required by law to provide refelctors with new bikes. If someone is inclined to remove them, it'd be absolutely wise to use alternative gear such as reflective material on clothing, active devices such as flashing lights, etc.

As long as the problem with the front wheel goes, the road tyres are generally so thin that any inconsistency in manufacturing would not generate such a big imbalance. As stated by others, the problem is most likely to be (if with the wheel) from the installation of tyre. Just undo and do it again, and remember if you want to look cool, try to align the sticker on the tyre with your valve!

Cheers,
Amir.

Originally posted by Andrew
Hi,

I have an OCR3 road bike which I use to commute to work. I have just replaced the front tyrefor the
first time. I notice at about 35kph or higher (Thats downhill with the wind for me) there is a
wobble. The bike has just been for a service at the lbs and rims straightened but wobble still
there. Moving the wheel reflector around to a different position has improved the wobble to an
acceptable level.

Would anyone have any handy hints on wheel balancing as I think this is the problem

Thanks in advance Andrew

 

[Jose Rizal]

amirm:

> I appreciate the safety side of the reflectors. LBSs are required by law to provide refelctors
> with new bikes. If someone is inclined to remove them, it'd be absolutely wise to use alternative
> gear such as reflective material on clothing, active devices such as flashing lights, etc.

Use strips of reflective tape on the rims, in the areas between the nipples and the brake tracks.
Fill up half circumference on one side, the other half on the other side. Use red for the rear
wheel, white or yellow for the front.

Very funky when you're rolling along!

 

[amirm]

Ah, I was reading the text too fast, so I missed the "rim". Jose's sentence looked like: "...put the tape in the areas between nipples...", and I think: Oh My Gawd! How about the back? I hope he's not going to say: ...put the tape vertically on both chics alongside of the c***... Then I thought, this is too good to be true, let's read it slowly, and not hyperventilate!

But seriously, the set up should look pretty nice. But not sure how would it look during day!

Originally posted by Jose Rizal

(snip)

Use strips of reflective tape on the rims, in the areas between the nipples and the brake tracks.
Fill up half circumference on one side, the other half on the other side. Use red for the rear
wheel, white or yellow for the front.

Very funky when you're rolling along! [/B]

 

[flyingdutch]

Originally posted by Jose Rizal
amirm:

> I appreciate the safety side of the reflectors. LBSs are required by law to provide refelctors
> with new bikes. If someone is inclined to remove them, it'd be absolutely wise to use alternative
> gear such as reflective material on clothing, active devices such as flashing lights, etc.

Use strips of reflective tape on the rims, in the areas between the nipples and the brake tracks.
Fill up half circumference on one side, the other half on the other side. Use red for the rear
wheel, white or yellow for the front.

Very funky when you're rolling along!

got that on my commuter. a driver once whined my wheels were too bright!!!

The whell wobble thang, hmm

when you say, wobble. are we talking a physical "I can feel it thru my hands wobble at higher speeds" OR a
"I can see the wheel wobbling" ???

If its the latter, are you sure its not a visual trick caused by some modern tyres which have stripes on the upper wall or even on the running surface which has simply just had the stripe put on crooked?
Very common complaint apprently according to my LBS

The most common cause of a downhill wobble is your forks
(assuming your wheels are 'true' )

 

[Mike]

Hitchy wrote:

> You've obviously missed the point Mike......the poster said that the

Sorry, I may have misunderstood the emphatic command to remove reflectors. So many cyclists remove
them, which is OK I guess if replaced with reflective tape, or tyres. Personally, I use both
cateyes, and tape as they have very different reflective properties.

> 'wobble' improved when the reflector was 'moved'......you've obviously never tried to 'true' a
> wheel?. you wouldn't do it with a reflector on (or maybe YOU would!)

Actually, I would. Is that bad? Isn't truing about the shape of the wheel, not the balance? And
unlike cars, bike tyres are too light to throw the balance off.

> ......As for smoking...I don't....but I'll take it up if I can have some of whatever you're on!,

Just an ounce of self-righteous indignation at cyclists who ride without reflectors because they're
not cool. (or lights often!) Maybe its because I hit one once. No serious injury, luckily.

BTW, a bump in the tyre could be an urgent warning to replace it before it fails, rather than just
re-seating it.

 

[Andrew]

What I did after all your suggestions

>Flip the bike upside down and spin the wheel, look for wobble and buckles.

No buckles or sideways wobbles, only up and down motion when holding handlebars off ground.

>replaced the tube and the problem went away. has an untrue rim, or bulging or badly seated tyre

No bulges or bad fitting tyre

> remove reflector, let wheel rotate so heaviest part down, then replace
reflector at top.

Did this but when replace reflector, it rotates wheel so reflector is at bottom, maybe I need a
reflector that is half the weight.

After rotating tyre around rim and adjusting reflector the balance wobble has gone away almost,
I think rim, tube, tyre, reflector all had their 'heavy points' at the same location therefore
creating the wobble. I didn't notice any wobble this morning after the changes so i think
problem is fixed.