I did it!

"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove) 04/21/2020 at 20:41 • Filed to: achievement unlocked!

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My front bike wheel (the drive wheel) got so out of true that the tire was rubbing the chain stay. Yes, the chain stay ! It had been getting wobbly for a while, but it really borked itself on my Saturday ride. The bike shop wasn’t open until today, and who knows how much more gorgeous sunlight I would miss before they got to it. So I decided to true my own wheel at home for the first time ever. I’d always thought it out of reach because of all the stories I’d heard about pretzeling wheels with the wrong tension, but as they say, necessity is a mother.

Before

So, using a tip from the web, I got out my dremel and made a spoke wrench out of an old house key by grinding a 2.5 mm (kind of) notch.

Then I propped my front up on some trays, sans tire, and found the worst offending bulges . I marked it with chalk and began loosening and tightening spokes as need. It took about a half hour, but it worked! I slapped on my new Gatorskin tire, because the old one was starting to show belt, and I took it out for a ride around the lake to see how it went. A lmost no wobble was visible. Yeah, if you put it up on a proper truing stand and use a tensionometer, you’ll probably see it’s as janky as a crown put in by a blind dental student, but who cares!

after

This was a pretty good day.

shop-teacher > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 20:43

1

Outstanding!

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 20:44

3

Good work.  It sounds like you know what your next two tool purchases are.

dumpsterfire! > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 20:46

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Nice work!

PyramidHat > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 20:46

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Wheel tru ing can be a meditative experience

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 21:10

1

Cool!

What type of bike do you have? Hand crank?

facw > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 21:13

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I pretty much always just true by letting the wheel spin between the brakes. Not perfect, but seems pretty good? do have a proper spoke wrench though:

Can’t see it from that giant pic but it has a nearly closed profile to prevent stripping the spoke nipples.

In any event, it has worked for me every time except when I’m truing and find a broken spoke (though perhaps tensioning myself increases the risk of broken spokes).

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 21:38

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Spoke truing is an art, I’ve been told. Envelope on its way to you. Fever broken yet?

Chariotoflove > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 04/21/2020 at 21:41

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Yep.

Chariotoflove > facw 04/21/2020 at 21:44

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Yeah, that’s what I did. It only takes care of lateral true though.  If there’s a noticeable radial problem, I’m taking it to the shop.  I didn’t have a spoke wrench, and I didn’t want to wait, but I’ll get one now.

Chariotoflove > PyramidHat 04/21/2020 at 21:45

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Really?  I guess I never though of it that way.

Chariotoflove > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 04/21/2020 at 21:46

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T hanks! My kid was just asking about those.

Low grade fever still there.   We think the wife has a sinus infection, so we’ll try antibiotics and see if that clears it up. She’s not getting worse though.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 21:47

1

Congrats! Wheel truing is a bit of a challenge if you aren’t familiar.

About 5-6 years ago I went and interviewed at a performance bike that was opening up to be in a Part time sales job , as I was only working part time. Performance was giving preference to anyone who could assemble bikes from the partially assembled state they arrive in . I could turn a wicked wrench back then for a home mechanic but had never trued a wheel. In the interview they asked if I could true wheels and I did the only sensible thing and said “yeah, minor stuff” thinking how much would I really need to do it; they were new bikes. Well, I would say every other bike needed some kind of touching up on one wheel; I was so nervous for the first couple of wheels(some people’s representation of their skills were leading to some tensions in the first day or two of assembly) but I got pretty proficient by the 4th or 5th time and actually really started to love doing it. I have to give performance bike credit; they don’t have the best reputation compared to local shops but the standards for bike assembly were really high. The first day weeded out 3 people from assembling bikes- thankfully I got to stay on the line assembling As it was really fun and I actually held my own in terms of speed and quality except for one guy who had been a mechanic for a while- he would do 3 to everyone else’s 2 (and very often work on 2 at once) .

Ironically enough, I was in sales for not even a  month after the store opened before I got offered a full time gig in my line of work.

Chariotoflove > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/21/2020 at 21:47

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Yep, specifically this:

Nothing > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 21:52

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That looks like the same bike as my brother in law. I’ve given it a go a few times, it’s a heck of a workout.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 21:52

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Good. Sending positive thoughts. Envelope went out yesterday.

Chariotoflove > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle 04/21/2020 at 21:54

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I was a little nervous. I had heard horror stories. Honestly though, I now see the main ingredient is patience. I still absolutely wouldn’t build a wheel without a proper stand, but I feel a lot more confident now that I can handle emergency repairs.

We had a Performance Bike in town for a while. They closed, and I don’t think they’re in business anymore. Bike Nashbar and Performance seem to have merged or been bought out together, but the look of the websites. It’s kind of sad, really. For clothes and sim ple stuff, they are the way to go. For serious stuff though, I’ve always believed in supporting the local bike shop, even if it costs a little more.

facw > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 21:55

1

Well I can recommend the Park Tool four sided spoke wrenches. I’m sure they are at least a little overpriced, but compared to the cost of having the shop do it, they’re quite cheap.

Chariotoflove > Nothing 04/21/2020 at 21:58

1

It really is!  There is another guy around here who rides one just like mine in the same color.  I sometimes run into him in the park, and we ride a ways and chat.  He’s not paralyzed; he just does it because it’s a very different work out from his normal bike.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 21:58

2

You did fine. As you’ve learnt , it’s not half as scary as it looks. That said though...all of my MTB and road wheels have been custom built by a professional wheelbuilder . And they’ve been so solid that they have very rarely required more than the o dd wonk tune.

There is an ebook out there called the Art of Wheelbuilding that is a fine introduction to the process and includes plans for a wheelbuilding jig in MDF....though I have made a truing jig before from a fork. A mate made one from the rear end of a dead bike too

Chariotoflove > facw 04/21/2020 at 22:00

1

A four sided tool is probably a good way to cover all bases.

The Park premium is probably worth it for the durability and   peace of mind. I’ve never heard of anyone regret their purchase.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 22:00

3

Great job! A lot of the guys who build wheels talk about it being a “zen” experience. I’ve never built a wheel from scratch, but I do enjoy tweaking a wheel until it’s straight. I’ve always used a cheapo spoke wrench like this one.

Don’t forget to even out th e spoke tension. If you pluck the spokes, they will make a tone. The spokes on one side should emit the same tone if they are equally tensioned. If this were a front wheel without dish, the tones would be the same on both sides. Since your front wheel is a drive wheel, it should have some dish to accommodate the cassette. That means that the spokes on the drive side should have more tension and a higher tone than the spokes on the non-drive side.

If there isn’t proper tension, you’re at risk of an out-of-round wheel.

Happy tensioning!

Chariotoflove > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 04/21/2020 at 22:03

1

Thanks! I am both inordinately proud and profoundly grateful I didn’t strip all my nipples or break a spoke.

I doubt I’ll ever get to actually wheel building, but if I do, I like the DIY rig idea.

Chariotoflove > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/21/2020 at 22:08

1

Thanks! I don’t know about “zen”, but the laser focus does tend to calm the mind a bit, at least until you slip and gouge your finger and stop to swear for a sec.

I had a flat out loose spoke that I could turn the nipple with my fingers, for crying out loud. I was extremely targeted and didn’t trust myself to go around tensioning all spokes to equal sound. I just wanted to get up and running. I’m pretty sure I didn’t mess up my dish though. And my ride didn’t produce any bump I could noticed, so I didn’t mess up the radial that much if at all.

Fingers crossed it stays that way for a while.

Nom De Plume > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 23:20

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Truing something bad enough to rub a stay is rarely very challenging. Quite easy to tell what got very loose and extrapolate that to neighboring spokes. Making your own key was a nice touch.

Long story short, if a wheel that will be heavily abused is true but has spokes that feel too loose when you pull them together. It’s probably perfect for long term use and won’t go far out of true without a serious impact.  

lone_liberal > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 23:35

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Nice! Way back in the day one of my uncles had an MG Midget with wire wheels and he had a hell of a time finding someone to true them. He ended up at a motorcycle shop where a guy was able to whip them in to shape in no time. Since then I always thought of that as something better left to a true  guru.

marvthegrate > Chariotoflove 04/21/2020 at 23:50

3

apropos of nothing, I hope you no longer use any lock that that key works in.  I can reproduce that key easily and 3d print one that will work in that lock for pennies.  Pro tip from a security dude, don’t ever show a key that you actually use on the intarwebs. 

Chariotoflove > lone_liberal 04/22/2020 at 00:15

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Real wire wheels?  Wow.  All the wire wheels I’ve every seen in person were just decoration.

Chariotoflove > marvthegrate 04/22/2020 at 00:17

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Good point.  It doesn’t go to anything I own anymore.  It’s a spare key to a lockset that I changed years ago but was still hanging around in the spare key bowl.

lone_liberal > Chariotoflove 04/22/2020 at 00:27

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Oh yeah, old school wire wheels for cars needed truing just like a bike or motorcycle. I think I remember on old Wheeler Dealers where they found one of their small shops to do wire wheels for them and they showed the guy tuning them by ear.

Chariotoflove > lone_liberal 04/22/2020 at 00:45

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That’s cool.  I didn’t know that.

Chariotoflove > shop-teacher 04/22/2020 at 00:48

1

Thanks!

Chariotoflove > dumpsterfire! 04/22/2020 at 00:48

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Thanks!

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Chariotoflove 04/22/2020 at 06:34

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Oh, interesting. I wouldn’t have expected the seat to have a lay down recumbent style backrest on it.

ClassicDatsunDebate > Chariotoflove 04/22/2020 at 10:48

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Feels good, eh?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Chariotoflove 04/22/2020 at 11:09

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You should probably order the right spoke wrench, I’m guessing it’s a green or black per Park tool (15 or 14 gauge). Sometimes you also have to loosen spokes as well as tighten them, it’s a thing of balance, you don’t want the spoke to be too tight, and you don’t want it to be loose either. It should be possible to true it within  a mm of true.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/22/2020 at 11:10

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I hate those spoke wrenches, I have ruined nipples using that kind. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/22/2020 at 11:21

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You do have to be careful with them. It’s easy to select the wrong slot and round off a nipple. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/22/2020 at 11:33

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T hey are also like cheap harbor freight tools, work in a pinch but the tolerances are so bad that when you really need it to work it doesn’t.

Chariotoflove > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/22/2020 at 12:05

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It’s actually adjustable to a certain extent.  Recumbent is better for racing, but I prefer to sit more upright on normal rides for better visibility.  Some racing machines have you almost flat.

Chariotoflove > ClassicDatsunDebate 04/22/2020 at 12:08

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Absolutely!

Chariotoflove > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/22/2020 at 12:11

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Oh yeah, I’m getting the proper tool. This was just an immediacy thing.

I worked in pairs with opposing spokes, tightening and loosening in equal increments as I went.  I didn’t want vast differences in tension that could mess up my dish.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Chariotoflove 04/22/2020 at 12:22

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The only hand cranked bikes I have experience with were for my senior design project when we made a voice activated bike shifter for an amputee. His seat was much more upright and had a very low back.

I sat in it and tried to use it. Very uncomfortable for me, but I had to kneel in it.

Chariotoflove > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/22/2020 at 12:26

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Racing wheelchairs are set up for kneeling, but I never understood that. It seems horribly hard on the knee joints.

That pic you show makes me wonder where to brace for the push.  I get mine from the positioning of my legs and against the back.  This looks like it would be difficult for me to get a good thrust, but then I don’t have the lower back strength this person probably does.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Chariotoflove 04/22/2020 at 12:43

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Not having legs certainly makes it easier. When we were riding with him (we were on conventional bikes) we couldn’t keep up with him. It seems like a pretty well-designed system.

Chariotoflove > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/22/2020 at 15:26

1

Losing dead weight helps.