how to tell a wheel buckled?

[bad boy]

That is the downside of not buying locally, so I hope you got plenty off.

My wheels - handbuilt by my LBS - run true within about 1mm and generally wear out before they go out of true.

If it's only for your turbo, Cruiser, it doesn't matter whether it is out of true - just slacken the brakes off. If you want to true it up for the road, get yourself a spoke key and have a look at this. http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
It isn't that difficult to get it close enough, although I find that even with a jig I can't get 100% straight + true + round. I can get straight + true, though.

+1 I have had documented problems with my rear wheel and had enough paying evens £15 to true each time so purchased a spoke key and learnt how to do it myself.

I wont pretend I'm an expert but I can true my wheels now although I find it very difficult to get lateral trueness to below 0.5mm by just using my frame with a tyre lever blue tacked to the frame !.

 

[NorthernSky]

1 mm is nothing but I would if it were my bike, take that out.

yes, out of true is what it sounds like.

google for how to true a wheel or do it yourself.

quickie:
mark the rim for all the spokes that are out, say touching the pen, so
you need to pull the rim away from the pen

undo by 1/4 turn all spokes on same side in between the marks and do up by 1/4 turn the spokes on the other side - will pull rim other.

repeat the marking and continue.

note that this should be done on regular spokes wheel i.e. with 32 spokes - on special wheel say 10 or so spokes, they are done up to much higher tension and it is easy to mess up.

so if i was to have a go myself, hold the pen so its rubbing the whole time, and mark at those points where it moves away from the pen. these spokes are then to be tightened?

 

[bad boy]

so if i was to have a go myself, hold the pen so its rubbing the whole time, and mark at those points where it moves away from the pen. these spokes are then to be tightened?

Hi Cruiser

Its a bit tricky but you need to fix the pen to the frame with blue tack or tape etc and gently move it in very close to the rim. The idea is that when you spin the wheel the rim will hit the pen at those parts where it is out of true, so you may need to adjust the position of the pen to allow this.

I tend now to do it by eye in that I will fix something to the frame like the flat side of trye lever or alen key etc and use that to asses the gap from rim to object which I very slowly spin the wheel and notice where the gap decreases but obviously these are all methods which are not as accurate as a proper truing jig. In saying that though I do get mine to below 1mm, I do agree that 1mm is not allot but I would expect better but thats just me, as you will also find some people that say if its not rubbing the brakes why bother but I think the general acceptance is to within 1mm.

 

[NorthernSky]

Hi Cruiser

Its a bit tricky but you need to fix the pen to the frame with blue tack or tape etc and gently move it in very close to the rim. The idea is that when you spin the wheel the rim will hit the pen at those parts where it is out of true, so you may need to adjust the position of the pen to allow this.

I tend now to do it by eye in that I will fix something to the frame like the flat side of trye lever or alen key etc and use that to asses the gap from rim to object which I very slowly spin the wheel and notice where the gap decreases but obviously these are all methods which are not as accurate as a proper truing jig. In saying that though I do get mine to below 1mm, I do agree that 1mm is not allot but I would expect better but thats just me, as you will also find some people that say if its not rubbing the brakes why bother but I think the general acceptance is to within 1mm.

ok ta

is that what the bike shops would use then, a truing jig?

 

[PpPete]

It's been said elsewhere, but bears repeating, you can easily make your own truing jig from scrap bits of timber. May not be quite as rigid as a pukka Park Tools one, but certainly as good as a cheap one, and a lot easier to use than trying to do it in the frame.

 

[bad boy]

It's been said elsewhere, but bears repeating, you can easily make your own truing jig from scrap bits of timber. May not be quite as rigid as a pukka Park Tools one, but certainly as good as a cheap one, and a lot easier to use than trying to do it in the frame.

It must be said Cruiser that it was in fact Mr porkypete who both gave me the idea of a truing jig and helped me via posts on here in being able to true me wheels.

 

[NorthernSky]

sounds interesting. my brother could probably help me make something, hes into all that kind of thing.

care to post some pics of your inventions?

 

[PpPete]

Not my invention.... it's a design from Roger Musson's book - which I strongly recommend anyone to buy (worth £9 IMO for truing & general wheel advice, even if you are not planning to build/rebuild their own wheels - and should you want to try that it is by far & away the easiest to follow step-by-step guide)

 

[PpPete]

It must be said Cruiser that it was in fact Mr porkypete who both gave me the idea of a truing jig and helped me via posts on here in being able to true me wheels.

Fame at last ..... <takes bow> thanks bb

 

[NorthernSky]

a few bits of scrap, thats a master piece, lol

very nice job, you dont fancy fixing my wheel then?

actually i've just had an email from the online store saying they will pay to have the wheel trued at my LBS if i like.

i was playing around last night trying to gauge just how out it was. there is definitely something there but just how much i cant say because i've never had brand new wheels!

i need an opinion from someone who has seen lots of new wheels so they can say for sure, 'are you mad those wheels are fine!' or 'are you mad those wheels need truing right this instant!'

 

[bad boy]

a few bits of scrap, thats a master piece, lol

very nice job, you dont fancy fixing my wheel then?

actually i've just had an email from the online store saying they will pay to have the wheel trued at my LBS if i like.

i was playing around last night trying to gauge just how out it was. there is definitely something there but just how much i cant say because i've never had brand new wheels!

i need an opinion from someone who has seen lots of new wheels so they can say for sure, 'are you mad those wheels are fine!' or 'are you mad those wheels need truing right this instant!'

can you not fix someting to the frame and gauge a rough estimation of how much its out by turning the wheel and noticing the distance from the rim and fixed object when the wheel is at a position that is not buckled. You should atleast be able to say with some certainty whether its more than 1mm out !?.

 

[PpPete]

a few bits of scrap, thats a master piece, lol

very nice job, you dont fancy fixing my wheel then?

actually i've just had an email from the online store saying they will pay to have the wheel trued at my LBS if i like.

i was playing around last night trying to gauge just how out it was. there is definitely something there but just how much i cant say because i've never had brand new wheels!

i need an opinion from someone who has seen lots of new wheels so they can say for sure, 'are you mad those wheels are fine!' or 'are you mad those wheels need truing right this instant!'

Whereabouts are you Cruiser? I'm happy to have a look at your wheels if I'm anywhere close by. Wouldn't be a professional opinion of course....

 

[NorthernSky]

Whereabouts are you Cruiser? I'm happy to have a look at your wheels if I'm anywhere close by. Wouldn't be a professional opinion of course....

haha no probs. many thanks but i've left it into my LBS (i'd be just outside Belfast btw, you close? or over the water?)


they put it in their rig and said , yes at one point it was out a little (between about 3/4 spokes), and at one other point but this was very minor. overall i think they thought the wheel was well within their tolerances (i know what they mean, using your eye its very difficult to see anything wrong) but if i wanted to get it done they would do it.

well since i'm not paying for it i'm getting it done

at the end of the day i'm just a picky so and so

plus i've spent nearly £1K buying bike so i want everything to be spot on