How to True Your Bicycle Wheel?

If you're an avid cyclist, you know how important it is to have a well-functioning bicycle. One of the most common issues cyclists might face is anmis-aligned wheel, which can cause wobbling, uneven braking, and even accidents. So, keeping your bicycle wheel in good tune is crucial before venturing on any ride.

In this blog, I'll guide you through the steps to true your bicycle wheel with the following points included:

The Basic Concepts of Truing
Tools You Need to True a Bicycle Wheel
Steps to True Your Bicycle Wheel
How to True a Bike Wheel Without a Truing Stand
Conclusion

The Basic Concepts of Truing?

A bicycle wheel consists of a circular structure, known as the rim that is connected to a hub by spokes. These spokes extend from both sides of the wheel and apply tension to the rim. To enhance the wheel's alignment and shape, the process of wheel truing involves adjusting the spoke tension with a spoke wrench.

What is Lateral Truing?

Now before we go too much into truing, I need to say there are 2 types or truing. These are lateral and radial truing. We'll start first with lateral truing.

Lateral truing is the process of adjusting the spoke tension on a bicycle wheel to correct any side-to-side or horizontal wobbling or "out of alignment" condition.

What is Radial Truing?

Radial truing refers to adjusting spoke tension to correct issues with the wheel’s vertical hops.

What is Dish Centering?

Dish centering means both wheels are centered in the frame when installed.

What is Spoken Tension?

Spoken tension relates to the tension or tightness between the hub, spoke, and rim. The spoke is attached to the rim by the spoke nipple, which is threaded onto the end of the spoke. You can tighten them according to your needs andriding style. Adjust them until you achieve the desired tension, taking care not to make them too tight or too loose.

Tools You Need to True a Bicycle Wheel.

Truing stand or other devices that hold the wheel stationary while making it easier to track the deviations.
A spoke wrench is used to loosen or tighten the spoke to align the wheel. Be sure to select a wrench that is compatible with your wheels, as both nipples and wrenches are available in different sizes.

Steps to True Your Bicycle Wheel

1. Mount the Wheel to the Truing Stand

First, we need to remove the wheel from the bike, which makes it easier to inspect and identify the wheel deviations. Mount the Wheel to the Truing Stand

2. Identify the Deviation

In general, there are typically two main types of trueness: lateral truing and radial truing. Spin the wheel and look at the rim. Look for side-to-side wobbles or horizontal hops to spot deviations. Identify the Deviation

3. Lateral Truing

To begin, spin the wheel and bring it close to the indicator. Observe where the indicator is closest to the rim, then slowly move it until it makes minimal contact with it.

Stop where the rim and indicator touch, and reduce the speed of the rim if necessary. This area of contact is referred to as the deviation that requires correction. The next step will involve correcting the deviation, starting with turning the nipple of the nearest spoke towards the deviation. It is crucial to be careful since the result of trueness will vary as the nipples are sensitive. Starting with a 90-degree angle turn is perfect, and then moving on from there with incremental 90 degree turns.

For lateral deviation, 180 degrees is the most effective, while 45 degrees would serve for minor deviations. Feel free to test and find what works best for you and your wheel! After setting and adjusting always spin the wheel to see how the change affected the deviation. Slow and steady wins the race for wheel truing!

To verify the adjustments made, move the wheel back and spin it while locating any deviations using the indicator. If a deviation is still detected, repeat the entire process.

After you have made adequate adjustments on one side of the rim, you can carry on to the other side. Continue until all deviations have been corrected, even if it is only on one side, to ensure the best riding experience.

lateral truing

4. Radial Truing

In general, lateral truing is a more common and simpler process compared to radial truing. However, if a radial deviation needs to be corrected, it can be challenging, especially for a novice.

1. Spin the wheel and observe the rim as it passes through the brake pads. Look for any deviations from a straight line or wobbling.

2. Identify the high spot on the rim by using a spoke wrench to touch the rim as it rotates lightly. The spoke that is closest to the high place is the one that needs to be tightened.

3. Use the spoke wrench to turn the nipple on the spoke that needs to be tightened. Turning the nipple clockwise will tighten the spoke and move the rim in the opposite direction.

4. Spin the wheel again and check the trueness. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as necessary until the rim is running true.

5. Once the rim is true, check the spoke tension using a tension meter or by plucking the spokes like guitar strings. Adjust the spoke tension as necessary to ensure that it is even across the entire wheel.

6. Finally, recheck the trueness and spoke tension, and make any final adjustments as necessary.

Wheel truing requires a bit of skill and practice, so it's a good idea to seek the assistance of a professional mechanic if you're not confident in your abilities. radial truing

How to True a Bike Wheel Without a Truing Stand?

Although it is easier to use a truing stand, not all people like professional mechanisc have this tool.

Firstly, you just need to prepare a two zip ties and the spoke tool for different size sof nipples, then we can start.

1. Turn your bicycle upside down and keep balance on its handlebars and seat.

2. Make sure the wheel is well-seated in the frame or fork of the bike. That could be the reason why the tire is wobbling. Use a quick-release skewer or axle nuts to hold your wheels in place.

3. Re-spin your wheel slowly. If there is no wobbling, congratulations; your wheels are OK. If it is still wobbling, move to step 4.

4. Use the zip ties as a reference to test which parts of the wheel are out of alignment. Spin the wheel slowly and observe where the zip ties become closer to or rubs the rim.

5. Use a spoke tool to adjust the areas of the rim that are out of line. Tightening the spokes will pull the rim in that direction, while loosening them will allow the rim to move in the opposite direction.

6. Make slight adjustments to the spoke tension and spin the wheel again to check the trueness. Repeat this process until the wheel is within acceptable limits of alignment.

It's worth noting that truing a wheel without a stand can be more challenging and time-consuming than using a truing stand, but it's still possible to achieve good results with patience and practice. Again for best outcomes head to your local bike shop if you don't have the tools or experience.

if we don't have truing stand.

Conclusion

If you look after your bicycle, your bicycle will look after you. Truing your bicycle wheel is an essential maintenance task that ensures a smooth and safe ride. By following the steps outlined above, you'll be able to true your wheel effectively, even if you're a beginner.

Don't forget to regularly inspect your bicycle for any signs of damage and address any issues promptly. With proper care and maintenance, you'll be able to enjoy your cycling adventures without any worries. So, get your tools ready and start truing your bicycle wheel for an improved riding experience. Happy cycling!

← Older post Newer post →

Excellent service on time delivery

Would definitely by from Corki cycles again

If you value your bike, you need this.

I travel far on an overloaded cargo bicycle, and for the first ~50,000 miles, its stem cap was an electronic analog clock, which is to say, I’m old enough to still be an analog guy. But that clock quit working about 15,000 miles ago, because I travel in all four seasons through all varieties of weather, and — who knew? — electronic analog bike-stem clocks don’t like getting wet.

I’d been meaning to replace it, but I’d gotten used to having a stem cap that wasn’t just a stem cap, you know. So I was searching for another sacrificial electronic analog stem clock — the old one lasted years, after all — when I noticed this option, and it too is more than a stem cap. But this one serves a function I need a lot more than an analog clock. After all, there’s a bike computer on the handlebars, and it shows the current time in digits, plus much more, and I’ve also got a watch on my wrist.

But an AirTag secured in a weather-proof housing to the stem of my bike? Yeah, that I need.

Installation was as easy as the old analog clock, which I had to remove annually to replace its button battery. The AirTag even uses the same ubiquitous 2032 battery, and I always have a few of those in my backpack. Apple says the battery can last up to the same full year in the AirTag, so all that will have changed for me is that I’ll no longer be staring at an analog clock that’s only right twice a day.

This AirTag stem mount is deceptively simple — just three parts: (1) The base that accepts the included (2) countersink bolt and is capped by a threaded, well, (3) cap. I could have machined the two housing halves from Delrin using a lathe, but that would have taken a full day of trial and error, would cost me almost as much in material, and I’d end up with something not nearly as refined as this inexpensive, off-the-shelf, purpose-designed solution.

Is it indeed weather proof? I haven’t tested that aspect, but I suspect, yes, it is. The threads that join the two halves are exquisitely fine and mate perfectly. The male threads are on the base so are covered, thus shielded, by the female threads when in place, which forms an effective drip ledge. Sure, water would eventually get in if it was submerged, but if the bike and I go under, I’ve got bigger problems than a dead AirTag. But rain? Yeah, that’s not getting in.

How does it look on the bike? Kind of great, actually, as stem caps go. But I doubt you’d notice it, because its color matches the black spacers underneath. And that’s the point. If I need that AirTag, it won’t be because I forgot where I parked the bike. Okay, someday that might be the case, but today, it’ll be because some rat-so-and-so stole my bike, and if that happens, I’d prefer they not notice the stem cap sporting an AirTag. At least until the police and I get there and show them how we found them.

If you value your bike and its stem accepts this style of cap — and you do, and it does — you need this. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I’ve hidden a second AirTag on the bike, but I’m not going to share where.

Hope this helps. Clear skies!

Rock solid and lighter than expected

My wife's MTB really needed a bottle cage, but her bike's frame has a design where all of the other cages we had wouldn't work: we needed a side-entry cage. A lot of modern mountain bikes have smaller frame triangles, so I suspect we weren't alone with this issue.

Enter this side-entry cage. It's been great so far! Right hand entry works great with all of our standard bottles. I thought the aluminum construction would be great for durability, but I was worried it would be heavier... a relatively unfounded concern in the end, as the cage felt hardly heavier than plastic cages, and is still lighter than some other old-school cages we have on other bikes.

Replace her cheap plastic holders with these nice metal blue frame holders

We had some cheaper plastic bottle holders that worked just fine but we wanted something better and matched the paint job on our e-Bikes.

These holders are very lightweight and look fantastic. Don't fret at first if they seem too tight on your bottles. All we had to do was bend them open a little bit to the tightness that was perfect on the bottle, allowing us to pull the bottle and reinsert it with no problem yet keeping it from grip on the bottle.

Definitely happy with these bottle holders.

Very sturdy, and very secure

These water bottle cages are a big step up from the standard wire cages, or even the step up plastic cages you see on lots of bikes nowadays. First off, they are VERY well crafted. The punched and molded aluminum feels extremely sturdy, with just enough flex to allow adding or removing a bottle. They are more than stiff enough to hold the water bottle in VERY securely, and I have no concerns of the bottle popping out on hard riding. The anodized (or is it powder coated?) finish is not only beautiful to look at, but bonded very strong as well. This will retain its luster forever. At about $8.50 each (with $4 coupon at time of writing), these are a fantastic value compared to anything you would get at a store. Very happy with these bottle holders!

How to True Your Bicycle Wheel?

How to True Your Bicycle Wheel?

The Basic Concepts of Truing?

What is Lateral Truing?

What is Radial Truing?

What is Dish Centering?

What is Spoken Tension?

Tools You Need to True a Bicycle Wheel.

Steps to True Your Bicycle Wheel

1. Mount the Wheel to the Truing Stand

2. Identify the Deviation

3. Lateral Truing

4. Radial Truing

How to True a Bike Wheel Without a Truing Stand?

Conclusion

THE HUCK IT NEWSLETTER

Get 11% Off Your First Order & Join The Corki Cycles Community

Get 11% Off Your First Order & Join The Corki Cycles Community

Let customers speak for us