Thanks Mate, Bike shop wanted $45 to true up my wheel. I bought the tool for $14, and have just trued it myself, using your video. Saved $30, and now I own the tool as well. Legend!
they get some pretty screwed-up wheels coming thru their front door and they have to cover their butts just like anyone else who works for a living.... good for you doing it yourself!
Cheers pal, was able to fix my kids bike wheel after watching this. All the other videos made it appear far more complex. Don’t normally comment but wanted to give props.
Dude this was the simplest explanation I've visited like 4 other videos and they made it so difficult for me to understand what you needed to do. I might just be stupid too, but thank you so much. lol
Nice! I work at a bike shop and hadn't seen this trick before. I have a wheel with a nasty wobble that I'd much rather put time in on at home but didn't want to buy a stand (or cart a shop one home for an evening). This trick is so simple that I'm embarrassed I didn't think of it myself. Bravo!
Thank you subbed and liked! Works great i did it on my bike. I would highly recommend using a marker or chalk to mark the area that needs adjustment . I use a washable marker.
Forgot to mention to losing the opposite side of the spokes as you tighten the spokes, not doing so will also pull the rim towards the hub creating a flat spot. Also try and get all the tension of the spokes as even as possible or spokes will break
i get the concentricity in the ball park before i even start to address the lateral trueness. truing a wheel for lateral straightness will barely affect the concentricity, but you have to start somewhere.
Agree with you there. This is the one element of bike mechanics that I've always left to shops as it seemed to be a 'dark art' but for general checking/adjustment this is clear and simple. Thanks.
Wow!! That was a easy one , I thought I need to spend money again to buy some stands to align that but I was wrong .. cheers pal for help . Perfect DIY.
Space between the forks minus the width of the rim, and this dividend in half. This is how much space should be between the rim and fork on each side. Correct as needed until it is so for the entire wheel. Tighten ¼ turn at a time and then check. All this work should ideally be with the tire off, so as to ensure that the inner tube is not going to be damaged by the end of a spoke protruding where it shouldn't after it has been tightened.
Every video I've watched was so complicated and hard to follow. This is so to the point and you broke down the concept very well. Thanks for the video mate, top quality.
Hardest bit of trueing a wheel is remembering which way to turn to tighten! Thanks for the vid, I just did this but used my brake pad to remove a slight bend that I could hear when freewheeling downhill
could you put another zip tie on the other side of the rim the same distance apart , would that help to see how the other side is doing or would that not make a difference ?
Thanks very much for this. I have a question: How do you know that the problem is that the opposite side needs tightening and not that the other side needs loosening? In other words, what if the opposite is properly tight but the close side is not - so couldn't you run the risk of over tightening? Thanks.
As you tighten one side you losing the opposite, to avoid creating a flat point on the rim. Check tensions, you can do it by pinging it and listen to the tone but a spoke tension tool and using park tools website is best.
Can i compare the rim to the rim brake pads instead of a zip tie? Thanks for the video it helped me fix a very small wobble in my tire i noticed it while riding a 15 mile commute
This dude is great. Straight to the point & no fancy / annoying background music! (Except semi naked , perhaps it’s really hot where he is but I can live with that as long as no background music where you can hardly hear anything.........I’ve watched quite a few videos where they use screwdriver but I like this method but only problem is for me is that I accidentally tighten quite a few or too many and now the whole wheel is tight most part so I will need a video that shows ‘How to True spokes completely or something similar down the line” moral of the story is always follow instructions
in a nutshell- wheel strength will be compromised and it will be easier to knock it out of true- always make sure your wheels are true and the spokes should show consistent deflection with a spoke-tension gauge. if you have to tighten the spokes to different tensions to achieve trueness- thats an indication of rim damage.
you don't need to know where the center is- as long as the zip tie just touches the rim when its EQUIDISTANT from the fork or stays (on each side) then your zip tie end is indicating where the rim should be. sometimes the words can get in the way....
Great video! But I'm a little confused... For every spoke that you tighten, shouldn't the opposite spoke adjacent to the spoke on the opposite side be loosened? Im trying to replace a broken spoke that is on the freewheel side and noticed that my rim got bent. It got bent enough to where I had to unhook the brake calipers to keep the wheel from rubbing the brake calipers. Any information would be greatly appreciated!
this makes it way more complicated than it needs to be. Just use a Crayon. Inch it close to the rim until it starts to hit the bumps on the rim. Keep it there for a few cycles to get the marking more visible. Boom, you know where you need to true at. Best part is, you can rub it off with your finger.
@@tommurphy4307 Its been 2 years since I made this comment, but I still stand by the old backup method. I suppose I wasn't clear in my description. you gotta brace the crayon against the fork or seat stay and then laterally move it towards the rim. My go-to is to place the crayon on the frame near where the brake bosses are and then inch it in towards the rim. Don't be so hostile to new info my dude. Crayon method has been used for ages by us plebs who can't afford a Park tool truing stand.
What will happen in the long run if you leave the wheel like it is in the first place without truing? Generally if it needs some truing for sure, but it`s not awful
Im a bit like you, I just use common sense and get on with it. I find some times it helps when if you ant or pull the wheel to the left, tighten the left spokes and slightly loosen the right spokes.
This is a half way explanation because you need to control the other side of the wheel too and its not always about tightening one side, but sometimes its just about loosening the opposite side or combination of tightening one a loosening the other. To know should you tighten one or loosen another you need to check tensions of spokes to avoid overtightening them or loosening them to much. To simple methods can also be bad and cause damage and additional problems. Btw it looks to me like you have a bump on the tire on the opposite side.
something you should only do when you've got an extremely out-of-round wheel or an initial build. you shouldn't have to loosen anything to perform a simple lateral truing of your wheel. i'm usually too lazy to bust out my park deflection checker and just pluck the spokes like a guitar string to check for overtightening. i listen to the tone, but i've been building bikes and wheels for 45 years and i know what i'm hearing. what you say about causing damage is very true regarding super-lightweight tubular rims. knowing what kind of spokes and rim materials you are dealing with and knowing strengths of materials is golden for doing this successfully.
important to realize they are all right-hand threads. its not that some people forget that- the main culprit is some of us have horrible spatial awareness and unknowingly turn the nipple in the wrong direction. as a kid- it took me several years to program that into my feeble brain.
+skt4271 These are Vera City Wide. Good tyres with a puncture protection and massive rolling resistance, therefore I recommend Schwalbe Marathon Plus for touring.
it really is a simple thing and yet I couldn't do it,sounds stupid and it was bc i know it's easy.what really got me was that the left and right side tightens in different direction.so i made it a lot worse before I could realize I messed it up.i feel so stupid.
iv been twisting and screwing and my back wheel is woobly as feeck!! yeah bought a brand new back wheel for my mountain bike as i broke spokes in previous wheel and with broken spoke s was a darn safer ride than the new wheel , , the mor e i try this the worse the wobble gets guess im walking to work today ;-( lol
This is over simplifying. This wheel's problem might have been just some loose spokes; but there are other scenarios that by tightening spokes you can end up with damaged rim broken spokes, deforming circular shape of wheel into a oval and a bumpy ride new bents at opposite side of spokes you just tightened. All of these without exception happened to me and i still can't reverse a deformed or dented rim after wrestling with multiple wheels for days.
i won't mess with any rim that is bent- and you don't have to rip the wheel apart to determine its damaged. you can tell by holding a new rim up against the wheel- if its deflected you are wasting your time. remember cheap spokes stretch much more easily than quality ones- i don't waste my time and my clients $$ by using cheap parts. regarding the rims- alloys can be straightened enough to ride home but replace a bent or deflected rim ASAP. BTW- i always use DTSWISS spokes whenever possible. there are several other good brands, too.
Use the forks of your bicycle. Ideally this work should be done with the tire off, to make sure that a spoke that has been tightened is not going to eventually damage the inner tube.
loosen all the spokes and start over again- screw the whole thing together with your fingers and get the concentricity (height) right before attending to the lateral trueness- the spokes should be reasonably taut before you begin the final, lateral truing. the roundness and centering of the wheel needs to be 'within snot' before you do the final truing. i urge you to get a tech to re-lace the wheel while you watch- be sure to stay out of his road and ask questions if you have them. the rim may be too far out of round- it will become evident once you get past the initial assembly. alloy rims can often be saved, but if its steel just replace the danged thing. check for lateral distention too with a new rim up against it. if its out of round AND laterally bent/distended get a new part on there. good luck- hope you learn how to do it. wheelsmithing can be daunting to a neophyte, but once you get it- you'll find it to be a handy lifelong skill if youre a bicycle guy- or girl.
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Thanks Mate,
Bike shop wanted $45 to true up my wheel.
I bought the tool for $14, and have just trued it myself, using your video.
Saved $30, and now I own the tool as well.
Legend!
they get some pretty screwed-up wheels coming thru their front door and they have to cover their butts just like anyone else who works for a living.... good for you doing it yourself!
Cheers pal, was able to fix my kids bike wheel after watching this. All the other videos made it appear far more complex. Don’t normally comment but wanted to give props.
This was the most clearest and simple explanation (without complication) on how to adjust bicycle wheel spokes. Thank you!
Dude...You just saved me from spending a bunch of money for a truing stand. The zip tie trick worked like a charm. Thanks.
I was about to comment the same thing!
Dude this was the simplest explanation I've visited like 4 other videos and they made it so difficult for me to understand what you needed to do. I might just be stupid too, but thank you so much.
lol
Must admit I was skeptical about this but...just fixed my front wheel using a zip cable ties as you showed. Thanks for showing this...
Nice! I work at a bike shop and hadn't seen this trick before. I have a wheel with a nasty wobble that I'd much rather put time in on at home but didn't want to buy a stand (or cart a shop one home for an evening). This trick is so simple that I'm embarrassed I didn't think of it myself. Bravo!
where did you get those sandals?
Thank you subbed and liked!
Works great i did it on my bike. I would highly recommend using a marker or chalk to mark the area that needs adjustment . I use a washable marker.
Forgot to mention to losing the opposite side of the spokes as you tighten the spokes, not doing so will also pull the rim towards the hub creating a flat spot.
Also try and get all the tension of the spokes as even as possible or spokes will break
i get the concentricity in the ball park before i even start to address the lateral trueness. truing a wheel for lateral straightness will barely affect the concentricity, but you have to start somewhere.
Now it makes sense. Everyone who has ever taught me how to do this has made it way more complicated than it needed to be.
EXACTLY!!
yes
Agree with you there. This is the one element of bike mechanics that I've always left to shops as it seemed to be a 'dark art' but for general checking/adjustment this is clear and simple. Thanks.
Wow!! That was a easy one , I thought I need to spend money again to buy some stands to align that but I was wrong .. cheers pal for help . Perfect DIY.
Space between the forks minus the width of the rim, and this dividend in half. This is how much space should be between the rim and fork on each side. Correct as needed until it is so for the entire wheel.
Tighten ¼ turn at a time and then check.
All this work should ideally be with the tire off, so as to ensure that the inner tube is not going to be damaged by the end of a spoke protruding where it shouldn't after it has been tightened.
Finally someone explains how to do this quickly and concisely. Thx.
Man that was more simple than I thought. A zip tie and a spoke tool :) thanks for the informative quick video
Every video I've watched was so complicated and hard to follow. This is so to the point and you broke down the concept very well. Thanks for the video mate, top quality.
Thank you for this!! Had an accident and tire was really out of round, takes patience, and counter clockwise TIGHTENS...!
good point though in the video it seems clockwise
So, he appears to give very good advice (i liked the zip tie) but he’s in fact loosening those spokes instead of tightening them
@@raresmircea he was tightening the spoke. Review the truing wheel book again. He is doing it Correctly.
just remember they are right-hand threads
Hardest bit of trueing a wheel is remembering which way to turn to tighten! Thanks for the vid, I just did this but used my brake pad to remove a slight bend that I could hear when freewheeling downhill
Cool! I've watched a few other videos... and only this one really helped me understand how to tighten the right spokes! Thank you!
True legend just used your method and fixed my bike thank you so much domas u saved me £80 today
Awesome! 👌
could you put another zip tie on the other side of the rim the same distance apart , would that help to see how the other side is doing or would that not make a difference ?
you could!
you could if you have some extra time on your hands
This is the best way to true a wheel without buying expensive instruments. Thank you very much.
I have the same "Problem" now :D, really the best video.Sometimes the simple video/exaplain is much better :)
clear instructions- to move everything left, need to tighten the spokes on the left, will give it a try
Thanks very much for this. I have a question: How do you know that the problem is that the opposite side needs tightening and not that the other side needs loosening? In other words, what if the opposite is properly tight but the close side is not - so couldn't you run the risk of over tightening? Thanks.
I recommend to check spoke tension on both sides too. it may be obvious.
As you tighten one side you losing the opposite, to avoid creating a flat point on the rim.
Check tensions, you can do it by pinging it and listen to the tone but a spoke tension tool and using park tools website is best.
keep in mind that spokes can stretch and become distended, but its nearly impossible to make them shrink- and go from there.
"How to true a wheel?"..."you come to me,...on the day of my daughyers wedding?"...."and ask, can I true a wheel?"
stevie wonder exposed!!! he can type!
@@orenji13 i'm sure he has people for that....
Is the same procedure I used for to check the clearance of a paramotor cage to propeller.They tend to flex a bit...
Can i compare the rim to the rim brake pads instead of a zip tie? Thanks for the video it helped me fix a very small wobble in my tire i noticed it while riding a 15 mile commute
great as long as the pads are where they should be.
Thanks man! I ordered this tool, and got my back tire nice and tuned up.
This dude is great. Straight to the point & no fancy / annoying background music! (Except semi naked , perhaps it’s really hot where he is but I can live with that as long as no background music where you can hardly hear anything.........I’ve watched quite a few videos where they use screwdriver but I like this method but only problem is for me is that I accidentally tighten quite a few or too many and now the whole wheel is tight most part so I will need a video that shows ‘How to True spokes completely or something similar down the line” moral of the story is always follow instructions
in a nutshell- wheel strength will be compromised and it will be easier to knock it out of true- always make sure your wheels are true and the spokes should show consistent deflection with a spoke-tension gauge. if you have to tighten the spokes to different tensions to achieve trueness- thats an indication of rim damage.
It has ocurred to me that you are truing the wheel to the zip cable, not to its center. Does it make any sense to you?
you don't need to know where the center is- as long as the zip tie just touches the rim when its EQUIDISTANT from the fork or stays (on each side) then your zip tie end is indicating where the rim should be. sometimes the words can get in the way....
Great video, easy to understand! I think you would make a great replacement for Mr. Rogers here in the US (that's a compliment by the way)
Great video!
But I'm a little confused...
For every spoke that you tighten, shouldn't the opposite spoke adjacent to the spoke on the opposite side be loosened?
Im trying to replace a broken spoke that is on the freewheel side and noticed that my rim got bent.
It got bent enough to where I had to unhook the brake calipers to keep the wheel from rubbing the brake calipers. Any information would be greatly appreciated!
The one video that made most sense to me! Thanks you!
this makes it way more complicated than it needs to be. Just use a Crayon. Inch it close to the rim until it starts to hit the bumps on the rim. Keep it there for a few cycles to get the marking more visible. Boom, you know where you need to true at. Best part is, you can rub it off with your finger.
great- whatever works for you. how do you know the crayon is properly placed??
@@tommurphy4307 Its been 2 years since I made this comment, but I still stand by the old backup method.
I suppose I wasn't clear in my description. you gotta brace the crayon against the fork or seat stay and then laterally move it towards the rim.
My go-to is to place the crayon on the frame near where the brake bosses are and then inch it in towards the rim.
Don't be so hostile to new info my dude. Crayon method has been used for ages by us plebs who can't afford a Park tool truing stand.
Do you have to take your to off for this to work?
What will happen in the long run if you leave the wheel like it is in the first place without truing? Generally if it needs some truing for sure, but it`s not awful
My question is how do you decide which side of the wheel you should put the zip tie on if you are using just a single zip tie? Does it matter?
Good idea, I was just thinking about what to use as a guide, I’ll definitely try this.
This video goes straight to the point 👌 and it works. Good
Thank u so much! I just fixed my wheel tuning.
Im a bit like you, I just use common sense and get on with it. I find some times it helps when if you ant or pull the wheel to the left, tighten the left spokes and slightly loosen the right spokes.
Man I thank you for this. You have learned me a new thing. Lots of videos on YT but this one really helped. Wish you all the best.
Nice one!
A cool good teacher with patience, thanks for posting. Your 👌 in my book. 👍's up!
Woow so easy, tnx alot.. But do I need to flatten the tyre before truing it.. I mean do I I need to take the air out of the tube ?
No
thats the easy part- blowing it up again is the hard part
Cool! Saved me $30 a wheel at the bike shop! Thanks
Very informative, easy to follow instructions. Thank you.
Cycling Habit.
I noticed that you are not wearing a shirt, is this essential for tightening up the spokes?
Only when it's 35 degrees Celsius in Lisbon, Portugal
@@CyclingHabit
Let's hope it does not get any hotter then, otherwise you will be known as the 'naked bicycle repairman'.
Nice tutorial easy way of guiding not much explanation compared to other tutorials direct on the point. Thank u man your awesome
Glad it helped!
Is truing a wheel is the same as aligning?
sounds good to me
TH-cam is my GOTO place to know things, thanks pal, that was great
This is a half way explanation because you need to control the other side of the wheel too and its not always about tightening one side, but sometimes its just about loosening the opposite side or combination of tightening one a loosening the other. To know should you tighten one or loosen another you need to check tensions of spokes to avoid overtightening them or loosening them to much. To simple methods can also be bad and cause damage and additional problems. Btw it looks to me like you have a bump on the tire on the opposite side.
something you should only do when you've got an extremely out-of-round wheel or an initial build. you shouldn't have to loosen anything to perform a simple lateral truing of your wheel. i'm usually too lazy to bust out my park deflection checker and just pluck the spokes like a guitar string to check for overtightening. i listen to the tone, but i've been building bikes and wheels for 45 years and i know what i'm hearing. what you say about causing damage is very true regarding super-lightweight tubular rims. knowing what kind of spokes and rim materials you are dealing with and knowing strengths of materials is golden for doing this successfully.
You made it simple! Everyone else talks about crap they normally use!!
Great 👍 video you helped me to fix my ebike rear wheel was bent I used a pencil and rubberband
solved a problem for me that I would have had to pay for, thanks for the great advice and video! I am calm again...
Nice one!
thanks for the video, i had the same problem, problem is solved because of this video
This is one of the best Bike Diy! Good job! Thanks!
great will have a go tomorrow, doing a pair of old Raleigh stainless rims, thankyou
those were made by dunlop for raleigh (sport model?)
Nice and simple. Good idea using a ziptie. Thank you.
Hi Mate, always go back to this video, thanks. I miss your videos,watched all of them and enjoyed your touring . Hopefully your well 👍
Thank you!!! I laid TH-cam off for a bit, but I will be back next year when I will be cycling around the world!
@@CyclingHabit Thanks for your reply, Brilliant I am already looking forward to your videos. Glad you are well. Good luck with your tour.
I like your spoke inspired sandals!
i came close- my pants clip is made from a stainless spoke. does that count?
Didn't realize the spokes are left turning when 180⁰ from top. [ON the road]. Thank you
important to realize they are all right-hand threads. its not that some people forget that- the main culprit is some of us have horrible spatial awareness and unknowingly turn the nipple in the wrong direction. as a kid- it took me several years to program that into my feeble brain.
I get it now, my spoke is broken so I gotta fix that or get a new wheel, thanks
good luck- theyre getting hard to find
I much more preferred to use my rim V brake to measure the offset tire.
Excellent video over-all.Thank you!
Amazing thanks for the video. Just ordered my spoke tool
i made mine by grinding a notch into my yogurt spoon handle- a two-fer tool.
Thanks for your video...Well done!
Where I can get this thing? 4:32
what tires are these, I like the pattern
+skt4271 These are Vera City Wide. Good tyres with a puncture protection and massive rolling resistance, therefore I recommend Schwalbe Marathon Plus for touring.
are they tubeless?
+skt4271 Clincher
Good job brother thank you very much you are the best in the world God bless you...👍
twisted bladed spoke is pretty nice :)
extremely easy to understand ,thanks
Thanks mate you saved me some money you earned a sub for it Cheers.
Thanks!
it really is a simple thing and yet I couldn't do it,sounds stupid and it was bc i know it's easy.what really got me was that the left and right side tightens in different direction.so i made it a lot worse before I could realize I messed it up.i feel so stupid.
i've handled thousands of bicycle spokes and have yet to see one with left-hand threads
Thank you. Brilliant explanations saved 25$.
Thanks for simple tips
Just so clear and simpel, great hack as well
its really more common sense than hack- but after a few years most good techs can practically do it in their sleep.
@@tommurphy4307 fair enough dude
Great video, extremely interested, informative, appreciate it, keep it up.
Thanks!
Very good idea to use wraptiers.
that sounds french- interesting noun...
But how to get exact centre like reference from where I needed to start
Space between the forks minus width of the rim divided by two. There should be this much space between the forks and the rim on each side of the rim.
i was told there would be no math- chevy chase
This is gold! Cheers for sharing 👍
Good job dude ! Gonna try this
iv been twisting and screwing and my back wheel is woobly as feeck!! yeah bought a brand new back wheel for my mountain bike as i broke spokes in previous wheel and with broken spoke s was a darn safer ride than the new wheel , , the mor e i try this the worse the wobble gets guess im walking to work today ;-( lol
the screwing part can get real expensive!
This is over simplifying. This wheel's problem might have been just some loose spokes; but there are other scenarios that by tightening spokes you can end up with damaged rim broken spokes, deforming circular shape of wheel into a oval and a bumpy ride new bents at opposite side of spokes you just tightened.
All of these without exception happened to me and i still can't reverse a deformed or dented rim after wrestling with multiple wheels for days.
i won't mess with any rim that is bent- and you don't have to rip the wheel apart to determine its damaged. you can tell by holding a new rim up against the wheel- if its deflected you are wasting your time. remember cheap spokes stretch much more easily than quality ones- i don't waste my time and my clients $$ by using cheap parts. regarding the rims- alloys can be straightened enough to ride home but replace a bent or deflected rim ASAP. BTW- i always use DTSWISS spokes whenever possible. there are several other good brands, too.
Thank u brother . U made it so much easier
You got a sub from me, can't find a cycle shop that has a big enough jig for my fat tyre ebike, thanks again. 👍
Use the forks of your bicycle.
Ideally this work should be done with the tire off, to make sure that a spoke that has been tightened is not going to eventually damage the inner tube.
Thx man Im going to try this. .
don't you have to take off the tire?
How to align a rim that going "up" and "down" but the side's are good ?
tighten spokes on both sides equally
loosen all the spokes and start over again- screw the whole thing together with your fingers and get the concentricity (height) right before attending to the lateral trueness- the spokes should be reasonably taut before you begin the final, lateral truing. the roundness and centering of the wheel needs to be 'within snot' before you do the final truing. i urge you to get a tech to re-lace the wheel while you watch- be sure to stay out of his road and ask questions if you have them. the rim may be too far out of round- it will become evident once you get past the initial assembly. alloy rims can often be saved, but if its steel just replace the danged thing. check for lateral distention too with a new rim up against it. if its out of round AND laterally bent/distended get a new part on there. good luck- hope you learn how to do it. wheelsmithing can be daunting to a neophyte, but once you get it- you'll find it to be a handy lifelong skill if youre a bicycle guy- or girl.
Thanks for posting this!
It helped me a lot!
Thumbs up!
How do you get the zip tie off?
david_bueno2 scissors ✂️ works wonders on a lot of things 😂😂😂😂
IF ITS A HARBOR FREIGHT TIE YOU COULD JUST BITE THE DAMN THING OFF
Thanks Bro
Love from India
Thank you so much best vid to true my wheels, twist tie works perfect!
You're welcome!
very hepfull, thanks! Can you make a video how to clean a very dirty bike?
maybe he can find a car wash that will let him ride thru it?
Thanks a lot for the tip, I found it very helpful.
Glad you found it helpful 😊
next video; 'how to make sandals out of yellow rope'
great job sir!!
Thank you for simple describe how to fit bike tire bettwen to true angle
Tire ( wheel)
Awesome videos, going to try it
Love it. Its not that complicated. Thankw
Excellent I can do it myself now
Thanks you saved my time❤.