wheel truing

[DebW]

How do you know when it's time to true your wheel? I have a slight wobble that was hitting the brake (in one spot) until I squeezed it hard, now it's not rubbing anymore. Time to take it in?

You squeezed the brake? You squeezed the wheel? First, is the brake centered around the rim? Make sure the brake caliper (is it a caliper or canti or linear pull brake?) is firmly mounted to the frame and that you can't wiggle it back and forth by hand. Most modern brakes have tiny screws or allen bolts that adjust the centering. If you want to try it, turn one screw 1/4 turn and see what happens. As a rough guideline on truing, your wheel should wobble no more that 1 mm when it's new or just been trued, unless the rim is old and well-used. If it's wobbling by 3-4 mm or more or hitting a well-adjusted, centered brake, probably time to true. However, sometimes brakes can be adjusted so closely that really small rim deviations lead to rubbing, so you have to be sensible about both brake adjustment and rim trueness.

[redrhodie]

You squeezed the brake? You squeezed the wheel?

I sqeezed the brake. I think the brake is centered. It only made contact with one specific spot on rim. I don't see and buldges on the rim or anything like that, but it does wobble. I think the wobble is around 1 mm, maybe less. I'm just not sure if the that's within the range of okay. I think I'm taking it in. My issue is the lbs guys already think I'm picky, and if this is another really "Princess and the Pea" thing, that view will just be reinforced. Oh, well, I guess I can live with that assessment.

MP, I just put these wheels on my steel bike from my Dolce. They're the stock wheels that came on that bike. Alexrims da16.

Thanks!

[DebW]

I sqeezed the brake. I think the brake is centered. It only made contact with one specific spot on rim. I don't see and buldges on the rim or anything like that, but it does wobble. I think the wobble is around 1 mm, maybe less. I'm just not sure if the that's within the range of okay. I think I'm taking it in. My issue is the lbs guys already think I'm picky, and if this is another really "Princess and the Pea" thing, that view will just be reinforced. Oh, well, I guess I can live with that assessment.

If a 1 mm wobble is causing your brakes to rub, then the brakes are adjusted tighter than necessary. How far do you depress the brake lever to activate the brake? Often your hand will be more comfortable applying braking force to the lever at the 1/2 way point rather than at only 1/8 to 1/4 of the lever travel. But if the cables are new, the shop will adjust tighter than that because the cables tend to stretch/seat in the first month or so.

[redrhodie]

Thanks guys. I had it trued today. I guess it was more than 1mm. Took just a few minutes, and the guys at the lbs didn't even give me a hard time!

And yes, the brake cables are new, so maybe that was that issue. All is well now.