Is it worth fixing the buckled wheel?

[Tony Sutton]

I have a mountain bike which I got off from a friend. He said there is no problem with the bike apart from a buckled front wheel but it doesn't seems to have affected the ride. It has a disc brake system.

My question: Should I get a new front wheel or can it be repaired cheaply?

Thanks.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Depends how bad it is, if it's rideable it should only need tweaking to get it straight'ish.

 

[Tony Sutton]

Thanks for the reply. When I spin the wheel, I can see it "weaving" from left to right.

I also read on the interweb saying that tweaking the spokes 'should be left to the experts' - is this right?

 

[Davidc]

Do it a few times and you'll soon become "an expert".

 

[Dave Davenport]

Do it a few times and you'll soon become "an expert".

Yep, just take your time and only give the spokes a quarter turn each time. Take the tyre off and tape a bit of bent coat hanger wire or similar to the forks to act as a guide (assuming you haven't got a wheel truing stand).

 

[Tony Sutton]

Thanks. I have never done this before... is there a guide out there that can advise me the best way to do this?

Cheers.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Thanks. I have never done this before... is there a guide out there that can advise me the best way to do this?

Cheers.

Have a look at http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

 

[smutchin]

The Roger Musson wheelbuilding book is an excellent guide. It'll cost you about a tenner, but that's cheaper than a new wheel.

The most important thing to remember when truing a wheel is not to worry about what it looks like, but what it sounds like - concentrate on getting the tension the same across all spokes, which you test by pinging them. If you get the same note across all spokes, tension is even. Straightness should follow.

As a teenager, I ruined a slightly buckled but otherwise perfectly good wheel by attempting to true it without knowing what I was doing...

d.

 

[Tony Sutton]

LOL, I think it won't work for me as I am deaf.

I will give it a go... but if it didn't work for me, I'll take it to the local cycle shop who can do it for a tenner.

Cheers.

 

[smutchin]

LOL, I think it won't work for me as I am deaf.

Ah. I can see how that might be a problem. You could use a tensiometer to "listen" to the spoke tension on your behalf, but they cost rather more than a tenner.

d.

 

[Tony Sutton]

No worries, am happy to give it a go myself anyway. I'm waiting for the spoke wheel spanner wrench to arrive from ebay and see what I can do. If no luck, then it's off to the local bike shop.

 

[Tony Sutton]

Have a look at http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

That's actually a very useful website - thanks!

 

[Tony Sutton]

After reading the guides & videos, I chickened out and left it to a local bike shop to do it for me at the same time as my bike being serviced which is due this Tuesday.

 

[Tony Sutton]

Bike service done. Wheel now trued... and 4 new spokes! I was advsied that if it happeend again, I would be better off with a new wheel. So will see how I get on with it!

Thanks all.