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Truing wheels
Dear all
I'm planning to make some minor adjustments to my wheels, in order to straighten out a couple of little wobbles. At present, I own neither spoke key nor truing stand, and I would appreciate some advice. Preliminary reading indicates that the spoke key need not be hugely expensive (no more than £10). Are there any particular models that are either excellent or dire, such that I can seek/avoid as appropriate? My initial searching has found truing stands from £50 to £500; I'm not expecting to do this very often given I'm not heavy and I ride on- road, but is there a significant quality difference as price increases? Alternatively, can I rely on my rim brakes as a gauge? Cheers HenryL |
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Truing wheels
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:41:10 -0700 (PDT), Henry Lockwood wrote:
Dear all I'm planning to make some minor adjustments to my wheels, in order to straighten out a couple of little wobbles. At present, I own neither spoke key nor truing stand, and I would appreciate some advice. Preliminary reading indicates that the spoke key need not be hugely expensive (no more than £10). Are there any particular models that are either excellent or dire, such that I can seek/avoid as appropriate? My initial searching has found truing stands from £50 to £500; I'm not expecting to do this very often given I'm not heavy and I ride on- road, but is there a significant quality difference as price increases? Alternatively, can I rely on my rim brakes as a gauge? Get a GOOD spoke key; good meaning one that a) fits the nipple flats as closely as possible; and b) is easy to grip and turn when on the spoke. Don't bother with a stand. For truing and minor building use the frame and a pair of clothespins. Use oil on at the rim hole and spoke threads. |
#3
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Truing wheels
Get some spare spokes before you start in case you stuff up and damage
some |
#4
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Truing wheels
"Henry Lockwood" wrote in message
... Preliminary reading indicates that the spoke key need not be hugely expensive (no more than £10). Are there any particular models that are either excellent or dire, such that I can seek/avoid as appropriate? Spokey. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=19098 You almost certainly want the red one. My initial searching has found truing stands from £50 to £500; I'm not expecting to do this very often given I'm not heavy and I ride on- road, but is there a significant quality difference as price increases? Alternatively, can I rely on my rim brakes as a gauge? Rim brakes or a pencil or finger will do fine for occasional use - I've built several wheels with no special stands. |
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Truing wheels
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:41:10 -0700 (PDT)
Henry Lockwood wrote: I'm planning to make some minor adjustments to my wheels, in order to straighten out a couple of little wobbles. At present, I own neither spoke key nor truing stand, and I would appreciate some advice. Preliminary reading indicates that the spoke key need not be hugely expensive (no more than £10). Are there any particular models that are either excellent or dire, such that I can seek/avoid as appropriate? I reckon there's only one sort of spoke key worth getting, and that's the Buddy Spokey (or a good quality clone) http://www.cyclebasket.com/products....2s280p87&rs=gb Others are uncomfortable or awkward to use and don't grip the nipples as well. My initial searching has found truing stands from £50 to £500; I'm not expecting to do this very often given I'm not heavy and I ride on- road, but is there a significant quality difference as price increases? Alternatively, can I rely on my rim brakes as a gauge? Brake blocks can be used as a visual indicator but they're not brilliant - however it's easy to replace a brake block with an appropriately sized screw which I think works better. To indicate hop (out-of-round) I find something like a plastic pen held on with a rubber band works well. You generally need to sort out hop before you start on wobble (out-of-true). |
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Truing wheels
On 2009-08-24, Henry Lockwood wrote:
Dear all I'm planning to make some minor adjustments to my wheels, in order to straighten out a couple of little wobbles. At present, I own neither spoke key nor truing stand, and I would appreciate some advice. Preliminary reading indicates that the spoke key need not be hugely expensive (no more than £10). Are there any particular models that are either excellent or dire, such that I can seek/avoid as appropriate? I like this sort: http://chainreactioncycles.com/Model...?ModelID=19098 Don't think mine is that exact brand, but it looks fine. Clive from United Kingdom also says it's good. |
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Truing wheels
Henry Lockwood wrote:
Dear all I'm planning to make some minor adjustments to my wheels, in order to straighten out a couple of little wobbles. At present, I own neither spoke key nor truing stand, and I would appreciate some advice. I like the park ones. http://www.parker-international.co.u...ke-Wrench.html Do not assume one key fits all. My bikes require different sizes. I have the red and green. Preliminary reading indicates that the spoke key need not be hugely expensive (no more than £10). Are there any particular models that are either excellent or dire, such that I can seek/avoid as appropriate? My initial searching has found truing stands from £50 to £500; I'm not expecting to do this very often given I'm not heavy and I ride on- road, but is there a significant quality difference as price increases? Alternatively, can I rely on my rim brakes as a gauge? You don't need a stand. If you can hang the bike by the saddle from something you can judge by the brake blocks. It seems to me that most modern rims want to be true as compared to the steel jobbies of forty years ago that went all over the place. I always carry a spoke key in my tool kit on a ride so that if I break a spoke I can retrue the wheel. I suspect that as I seem to break a spoke once a month I should get new wheels. |
#8
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Truing wheels
Henry Lockwood wrote:
Dear all I'm planning to make some minor adjustments to my wheels, in order to straighten out a couple of little wobbles. At present, I own neither spoke key nor truing stand, and I would appreciate some advice. Preliminary reading indicates that the spoke key need not be hugely expensive (no more than £10). Are there any particular models that are either excellent or dire, such that I can seek/avoid as appropriate? I have a triangular one with the brand "BBB" on the front. Its been excellent, small, fairly light, sufficient area to grip and engages with the spoke nipple properly. Its done roadside and shed truing, including bringing the wheel back to line after a broken spoke on a foreign tour. I'm sure the one mentioned by several other posters is also fine. My initial searching has found truing stands from £50 to £500; I'm not expecting to do this very often given I'm not heavy and I ride on- road, but is there a significant quality difference as price increases? Alternatively, can I rely on my rim brakes as a gauge? You don't need one to just true up a wheel. For rough on the road emergencies use the brake blocks as a guide. For something a bit more precise in the shed, tie a pencil or similar item to the frame to act as a guide, that will give you both wobble and eccentricity to the accuracy required for all but the most pedantic of wheel adjusters. - Nigel -- Nigel Cliffe, Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/ |
#9
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Truing wheels
Henry Lockwood wrote:
Dear all I'm planning to make some minor adjustments to my wheels, in order to straighten out a couple of little wobbles. At present, I own neither spoke key nor truing stand, and I would appreciate some advice. Preliminary reading indicates that the spoke key need not be hugely expensive (no more than £10). Are there any particular models that are either excellent or dire, such that I can seek/avoid as appropriate? I use a Park tool SW for most of my truing/building. I would recommend taking your wheel/bike into the LBS to get the correct size. Tools to avoid are any that have slots for different sizes in the same tool (e.g. keys from tool kits) as these are often poorly made, and when they are well made you can easily use the wrong size slot by accident, which could round the nipple. My initial searching has found truing stands from £50 to £500; I'm not expecting to do this very often given I'm not heavy and I ride on- road, but is there a significant quality difference as price increases? Alternatively, can I rely on my rim brakes as a gauge? I built my first wheel using the rim brakes (which ironically was a hub braked wheel). Martin. |
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On Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:02:13 +0100, Martin wrote:
Tools to avoid are any that have slots for different sizes in the same tool (e.g. keys from tool kits) as these are often poorly made, and when they are well made you can easily use the wrong size slot by accident, which could round the nipple. Not all are poorly made; and a few dollops of paint of various colurs makes the sizes easy to distinguish. If the edge is knurled the paint stays visible a long time; mine has several decades of use and rattling around in the various seat-pouches/toolkits/drawers of bit and bobs. |
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