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

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.

Get some spare spokes before you start in case you stuff up and damage
some

"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.

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).

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.

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.

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/

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.

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.