should I get my wheels trued?

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aide555
Posts: 17
Joined: 6 Nov 2009, 12:13pm

should I get my wheels trued?

Post by aide555 »

Hi folks,

I'm just about to start my first tour on my Galaxy. I've never had any problems with the wheels in 1500miles but should I get them looked at before I go? I won't be carrying much more than I do on my normal commute.

Thanks for your help!
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frank9755
Posts: 885
Joined: 11 Oct 2008, 10:38am
Location: London

Re: should I get my wheels trued?

Post by frank9755 »

Are they out of true at the moment?
If so, yes. If not, no!

NB it's not hard to do it yourself. Sheldon, as ever, explains what to do. It is worth knowing in case you hit a pothole while on tour and need to do a running repair.
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simonineaston
Posts: 8003
Joined: 9 May 2007, 1:06pm
Location: ...at a cricket ground

Re: should I get my wheels trued?

Post by simonineaston »

Yes - but only if they're out-of-true! :wink:
but seriously - are any of the spokes loose? Are the wheels still good-and-round - you can easily tell by lifting the appropriate wheel off the ground and giving it a good spin by hand - any wobble will be immediately apparent by eye. If you have any combination of 1) loose spokes, and 2) visible wheel wobble, I'd get them given the once-over by your favourite LBS.
Machine-built wheels, like you get on all but the best bikes, can sometimes be a wee-bit sloppy from new, whichmight mean the spokes have slacked off in the first few months of ownership. It's fairly easy to tell a loose spoke, by going round the wheel and pulling on them all, one-by-one. Loose ones will be, well... loose!
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
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531colin
Posts: 16083
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: should I get my wheels trued?

Post by 531colin »

aide555 wrote:I'm just about to start my first tour on my Galaxy. I've never had any problems with the wheels in 1500miles but should I get them looked at before I go?


If you're not certain of your wheels, take the bike to your favourite shop and get the wheelbuilder's opinion wether anything needs doing or not. Unless the wheels are miles out, expect to pay £25 tops for re- tensioning and truing. Not too much money for peace of mind, in my opinion. Its a very good idea to learn to maintain your own wheels, but probably not to learn on your touring wheels on the eve of a tour!
vorsprung
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Re: should I get my wheels trued?

Post by vorsprung »

1500 miles isn't far I'm sure your wheels are still fine
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Erudin
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Joined: 17 Sep 2009, 3:39am
Location: Cornwall

Re: should I get my wheels trued?

Post by Erudin »

It won't hurt getting a bike mechanic to check them over, get a couple of spare regular spokes and drivetrain side spokes while your there too.

http://www.bicycletouring101.com/BikeSpokeEmergencyRepairKit.htm
aide555
Posts: 17
Joined: 6 Nov 2009, 12:13pm

Re: should I get my wheels trued?

Post by aide555 »

thanks all
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