Learning wheel trueing

Anybody here tried their hand at wheel trueing?

I got to thinking about it after a ride last week. Riding hard against a headwind in the humid heat, I guess I zoned a bit and my rear wheel went into a large long pavement crack that really woke me up. I stopped to check the wheel; there was a U shaped shallow gouge in the braking surface and a slight wobble in the wheel. So it's at the LBS now (with my bike, getting the headtube cut down). But I'm thinking I could buy a wheel trueing stand, how hard is it really to true a wheel? It looks more like an art than science to me, and I don't want to make things worse. Not that I'm afraid to wrench; I had built my previous bike myself, but I have only done 'field expedient' wheel work before. Should I leave it to the LBS or try my hand...

Truing a wheel isn't really hard, it just takes patience and a basic understanding of how the things work.


Park Tool's website has a good primer:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=81

Actually it's both an art AND a science. And it does take some skill. I've had more than a few "Home trued" disasters come into the shop.

Our manager has anyone that will be touching a wheel in the shop read this book first

http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Wheel-.../dp/0960723668

It's a very interesting book, and worth the read IMO. Even if you never plan to build your own wheels. Knowledge is always a good thing.

The science is knowing how they work. The art is knowing when to quit.

I love that book. I bought a copy and read it 3 or 4 times before I built SGTigers's wheels and kept referring to it during the lacing process. Once I get the lacing right, the rest is pretty easy.

I think you have to be a bit nerdy to appreciate that book. I'm more than qualified for that.

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Originally Posted by boy in a kilt

The science is knowing how they work. The art is knowing when to quit.
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SOOO True!! So many folks don't seem to know when to quit. Mostly I find it's the fathers of the bmx racing kids??? :rolleyes:

I've learned that lesson the hard way. The corollary to that rule is never true wheels when you are in a hurry.

But once you get the hang of it, it's good meditation. Or just relaxing.

I'm reviving this thread to confirm that it's maybe not a good idea for me to true my wheels at home by myself without a truing stand?

I did true a wheel once in my bike repair class, but it's been a while, and I had a truing stand and an instructor more or less guiding what I did.

I do have the option of going to the DIY bike workshop, using their truing stand and consulting the mechanic about any problems.

ETA: if I go to the DIY bike workshop and all I'm going to do is wheel truing, is there any reason to take my entire bike? With the weather so cold, I'd rather take the wheels off and travel by subway.

Pam

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Originally Posted by boy in a kilt

But once you get the hang of it, it's good meditation. Or just relaxing.

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One woman's meditation is another woman's immense frustration! :o I do NOT have patience for wheel truing. I tried on an old bike I bought, but found it so maddening that I had to just take it to the experts at the LBS to have them do it. I'd get it better then worse then better then worse... it was maddening. ;)

Just like people who have patience to take things apart and put them back together- I have the utmost respect for anyone who can do it. It's why I bow down to my favorite wrenches.

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Originally Posted by PamNY

ETA: if I go to the DIY bike workshop and all I'm going to do is wheel truing, is there any reason to take my entire bike?
Pam

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None at all.

I've built two wheels. I did the lacing at home following Sheldon Brown, and took it to the bike shop where my bike mechanic told me which ones to turn and how much and so on. I agree it's not something you do in a hurry. On the other hand it doesn't seem difficult at all and I think I could build a wheel on my own if I had a truing stand.

I had an old roomate show me how it works, he had a sweet truing stand and we totes had a collection of old steel rims for me to practice on.

Everyone I know hates doing it, except for me, I actually kind of like doing it. k, fine, I find it straight up fun. But one thing he did made it super easy to understand: He made little labels with a clockwise arrow and a counter clockwise arrow saying "tighter" and "looser" and stuck them right there where you couldn't miss 'em while workin on it. It made everything make sense really quickly. None of those "wait....ummmm...uhhh..." moments! :)