help! I'm not sure what's going on with my wheel!

Bicycle Commuter

mauicyclist's Avatar


Join Date: Nov 2006
Hey guys...

So this is my first thread and I am a new (but highly entheausiastic) cyclist so please bear with me.

A couple of days ago I was riding on my usual morning commute down a 15 mile highway going 42 mph when my tire went flat. I had an extra tube but was EXTREMELY irritated with myself when I realized it was the one day I had picked to leave my pump at home. So I began to walk it (I was about halfway there) realized I was going nowhere fast, and figured maybe I could ride it the rest of the 6 or so miles I had left, just very slowly so as not to mess up my rims.

About 5 minutes of doing that and I realized that wouldn't work either...(the tire was REALLY flat)

So I phoned for a ride and proceeded to change the tubing so all I had to do when I was given a ride to the gas station was to pump it up with their compressor.

All was ok, I got a ride, and that was that.

But now within the past 2 days I have been hearing a squeaking, and just today I was slowly walking my bike to figure out what was squeaking and I realized that each time I was hearing the squeaking, the wheel was also rubbing against something. Every time I move it forward I can feel the back wheel rubbing up against what I can only assume is the break, thus giving it momentary resistance. I've been riding it...and its been ok once I get up to a certain speed, you just hear squeaking and you can't really feel the resistance.

I am wondering 1. If anybody knows what the issue might be and 2. If anybody has any ideas how to fix it.

They are hybrid size clincher tires and its 27 inch tubing.

Any ideas?

Thanks a bunch for helping me out!

 

You've deformed your rim/wheel. Time to try to true the wheel assuming there weren't damages done to the rim/spokes (likely). Take it to a LBS with decent mechanic for a check and repair.

Tyres are there for a reason to buffer the wheels from road damage. So don't try that again.

 

Ah...ok thank you very much.

Thats kind nof what I expected...I was going to take it to the repair shop but I figured it would end up costing alot so I decided to do a background check here first. So how much roughly should it be to re-true it? I don't trust the bike shop owner very much near me...thats why I'm asking.

 

Twenty bucks.

Pick the bike up and spin the squeaking wheel, and you will see what you did.

 

I agree, lift the bike, spin the wheel and see if it still runs true by looking directly down on it...if it is still running true then maybe it's rubbing against the brake? If so, pull the brake caliper to the left or right to stop if from rubbing, in other words, center the brake caliper....

It should cost around $20 to true a wheel...