LBS just quoted £30 to true 2 wheels

[vernon]

you can buy a complete new set of wheels for £40.00 why would you charge £30 for truing ?

Really?

And how long do you suppose they will last?

My Decathlon £23 rear wheel didn't last a year.

 

[Oddjob62]

my wheels arnt all that bad at all really...just not bang on...the thing is I dont know another LBS who actually has a decent mechanic in there locally.

Then definately buy a spoke key and do the job yourself. Have a google around for a guide... i've done it before, it's not hard. Just need a bit of patience, lots of little adjustments, not a couple of big ones.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

..erm...you are right...but the reason these are out is because I tried to do it myself...I did a reasonable job I feel for a first attempt but they are still not bang on...totally ridable but not perfect...I used the brake pads as a guide. The L/R wobble is ok it's just a slight up/down issue...I have egg shaped wheels it seems!

 

[Steve Austin]

egg shapes means you have tightened too much!

Straightening wheels is a mixture of loosening and tightening. As much as 1/4 turn can make a difference.
Have you got an old wheel to play with? Loosen all the spokes off, and then tighten them all equally. the wheel will be buckled. Practice on it. learn what tightening and more importantly loosening does.
I taught myself twenty yeas ago, takes minutes to straighten wheels for me now.

If i'd known BOAB I could have shown you!!!!

 

[dodgy]

egg shapes means you have tightened too much!

Straightening wheels is a mixture of loosening and tightening. As much as 1/4 turn can make a difference.
Have you got an old wheel to play with? Loosen all the spokes off, and then tighten them all equally. the wheel will be buckled. Practice on it. learn what tightening and more importantly loosening does.
I taught myself twenty yeas ago, takes minutes to straighten wheels for me now.

If i'd known BOAB I could have shown you!!!!

All good advice I reckon. But a good rule to abide with is that wheels that have become untrue over time (as opposed to a gert big crash) don't usually require loosening of any spokes, as spokes naturally loosen and very rarely tighten with age ( I read that in Musson's Wheelpro book and it makes sense really)

 

[John the Monkey]

Supreme in Crewe charged me £5 plus 40p per spoke (sometimes the spokes snap during truing and need to be replaced). My LBS near work charge £7 plus 20p per spoke.

 

[Danny]

There's a lot of mystique around the truing of wheels, but it's not that difficult. I did mine for years using the brake blocks as guides, until I finally bought a truing stand. Even now I don't always use the stand.

Possibly.

However my one attempt to true a wheel that was just a bit out, resulted in it becoming so wonky that I had to take it into my LBS to be done properly

 

[dubman]

invest your money in something like this http://www.bikemagic.com/review/reviewproduct/mps/RPN/23449/RER/7/v/2

then teach yourself it really isnt hard.

 

[rob_mcp]

Sometimes I can't believe what cyclists expect of their LBS - they are after all a business. Nothing was said about whether the wheels were being delivered with tyres etc. ok - so lets's assume that each wheel takes 10 minutes to true - then 30 quid seems a bit steep - but if it includes stripping down then maybe you're up to 20 minutes per wheel - so it is looking better. Presumably these are quality wheels if it is a concern that they are slightly out of tune - so we are hoping for some expertise in truing them.
Personally I'd do it my self on most of my wheel sets - but my best low spoke count set - I' pay £30 to get them right if i decided they needed it.

 

[dodgy]

Evans charge £15 per wheel for truing.

 

[peanut]

Evans charge £15 per wheel for truing.

that sounds more reasonable. I think you're right about the lbs overheads. The cost of running the business has to be costed into your labour rate or sub-contract rate + oncost and profit.
Trouble is I suspect a lot of lbs are not making much profit due to poor business acumen so use heavy labour mark ups to claw some profit back.

Its very telling how two cycle shops in the same town within 100yds of each other can be so different. One making huge profits and a sucessful business and the another dark and dingy with no stock and rubbish bikes

 

[dodgy]

that sounds more reasonable.

It's the same price as the OP was being asked to pay.

 

[Smokin Joe]

We complain when our LBS goes bust and blame the internet, but we expect them to do an expert repair for pocket money. No wonder they mostly employ spotty teenagers in the workshop.

 

[spandex]

We complain when our LBS goes bust and blame the internet, but we expect them to do an expert repair for pocket money. No wonder they mostly employ spotty teenagers in the workshop.

Well put I could not of said it better my self

 

[Ivan Ardon]

I trued a few wheels up for a mate today. Two were on a 1990's Raleigh hybrid with Rigida wheels. These took five minutes each.

The other one was on a £75 BSO MTB. From new it had a 5mm buckle AND a 10mm "hump". Some of that was down to the badly fitted rim tape and the excess moulding on the tyre, but a lot was down to poor assembly of the wheel. What with poor nipple material, mis-sized spokes, and a badly formed rim, it took me over an hour to make an acceptable job of the back wheel.

I'd have been over the moon if I could have got that one done for £15!