Somehow the chain is loose probably cause of the manufacturer rip Walmart failed me and I don’t even use he bike daily and the gear ⚙️ isn’t shifting to 2 to 1
Fun tip ... LISTEN to the spoke sound before getting started. Use pencil, chalk, a screwdriver or whatever to find the bent section. Then pluck the spokes in that area to see if there's one that's obviously different from the others. If you hear "ping, ping, ping, bong," and the bong spoke is on the correct side to fix the bend, start with that one first. I often see this after landing a jump, where one or two spokes will come loose and cause a wobble. Much quicker when you know which one is loose. Only compare sounds on the same side of the bike. The side with the shorter spokes on the drivetrain side will always sound higher pitched.
This was the clearest video I've seen on the topic. I love the fact that RJ works with regular bikes that 95% of people ride, not some fancy road bike with the latest parts.
I was able to successfully true the wheels on both of my kids' bikes thanks to your instructions. Your time, talents, and efforts are very much appreciated!
Please also note that when you true wheel, you need to release spoke tension from time to time. When i first tried it, it seemed it worked. But the wheel went back to untrue when i rode my bike again because i didn't know that there's something like ''false'' truing if you don't release spoke tension by squeezing them during the operation. I think it's worth to mention. Otherwise, you have to do it again. I have seen many wheel truing tutorials but spoke releasing is not mentioned often.
after years of thinking this was some kind of black art that only the initiates at the local bike shop could perform,thanks to your video I have trued my mountain bike's back wheel and saved myself £15 and a few days without the bike, Thank you!
Would be easier with a proper bike stand, but the vid did help me out. The joy of being broke, I can cover $20 on tools, but not 3 -5 days without my bike.
@@HdtvTh Won't it also create a wobble on the opposite side becasue the extra tension pulls on the hub which then relays the tension to the spokes on the opposite side? (or does it only affect the roundness, as you say)
I just explained this to another cyclist. I have the ring spoke tool. I have it marked so I know which notch to use on my bike. If you take two spokes, on the same side, in one area and squeeze a bit, you can see the movement of the rim. This action also frees up the spokes at their point of contact near the hub. I also do this to see if the spoke is worn at the point of contact. Great video!! :)
* When I say "clockwise" and "counter-clockwise" in the video, the reference point is looking at the nipple from the spoke side of the rim. The side where you are actually turning the wrench. Not from inside of the tire.
Yeah I was very very confused when you're talking about tightening and loosening it. It's always righty tighty lefty Lucy but the video was going in the opposite direction???
Just want to thank you for all your videos. I've only done very basic maintenance on my bikes over the years but I just converted my mountain bike to an ebike and I had to learn a lot of new adjustment techniques. My hub motor wheel wasn't true out of the box, I had to adjust my derailleur because I had to swap my freewheel with the one in the kit, and I converted my V brakes to disc. Your 3 videos on these topics gave me confidence and the end result is a perfectly tuned, safe, and fun to ride ebike. All because you do excellent, in depth, and well explained videos. Thanks RJ. You rock!
Excellent. I was given an old bike that isn't worth spending $100 on a professional tune-up, but is perfect for practicing things like this, and the rear wheel is slightly out of true. Gonna work on it tomorrow. I'm out of shape, and it's great for getting me back into shape, and learning about my own bike maintenance at the same time. Keep the vids coming.
Nice! These videos help promote bicycling. If we users understand better I think yes, may may save a few bucks here and there but at the same time we come to appreciate the shop mechanic's talents and trust spending with them rather than just selling the machine off to another victim. The goal should be to enjoy cycling, reduce vehicle dependency where we can and improve life generally. Cycling does sooo much on that order. It's all just plain fun.
THANK YOU!! Best part of the video: TIGHTEN the spokes towards the side you want to pull the rim LOOSEN the spokes on the side you want to « push away »
@@eknight101 When I was a kid, I used spokes to ruin Baseball Cards that might be valuable today. Lol! We would clothes pin them to the bike frame so they contacted the spokes. It kind of made a motor sound.
I followed your instructions and got rid of the sticking points in under one minute! I know the wheel is not completely true, but that's okay for now. Thank you so much for your clear instructions!
Watching this having flashbacks as kid doing this after laying the wheel down on tire and jumping on it to get it mostly straight. Then going through all the spokes.
This is the most useful video I've seen in a while. Always work on your bikes, shops are good for purchases but repairs and maintenance should always be done by the owner
I use a black magic marker to denote the warp. If it's a bad warp I take the wheel and rim off of the bike then I take the tire off of the rim. After I loosen the spokes where the warp is I prop the rim on something like a concrete step with the warp facing/touching the step. The I grab both sides of the rim and push down very hard against the warp. The usually gets it pretty straight. Then I put the rim on a home made rim truing jig and I tighten the spokes up. If the rim touches the pads on the left then I tighten the spokes on the right to pull it right. And if the rim touches the pads on the right then I tighten the spokes on the left pulling the rim left. This all takes time and patience. I also makes sure the rim stays round, as round as possible. In the past I have gotten a rim straight with an egg loop in the rim. And I had to redo it all over again.
Got my rear wheel "true enough" from your advice. It really needs a professional touch, but at least it's usable for the time being. Thanks for the info!!👍👍👍
Thank you so much for the detailed video! I was able to fix my bike with the $7 tool, few minuets of my time And your instructions. I was in a tight schedule yesterday to go with my friends for a 2 hour biking trip. Had I not fix this bent wheel, I wouldn’t have been able to catch up with my friends who bought new bikes. I was a little confused with the direction to tightening and loosening in the beginning, but I went back and watched your video again and realized I was doing it in the wrong direction Thank you so much. You saved me money and frustration
Ive just put a rear wheel motor on me mtb n some spokes were loose when the e-bike kit arrived n the rim had a wobble. A bike tool kit is a good investment along with cool vids like this. My local bike shop charges more than my car repair garage . Ive recently upgraded forks which i cut steerer n put on,upgraded bottom bracket n crank set now youve helped me tru the back wheel saving loads. Thanks :)
I don't have wheel truing stand I simply carnt afford one. What I done in the past took a old pair of mountin bike fores clampped them in the bench vice. Put a zip tie.. cable tie either side of the cut them in length so they just touch the rim of the wheel.samplw pri tie as you rj with the screwdriver as the wheel turns you see where the wobble spot is on the cable ties. Love your content all the best😊
I was struggling with a wobbly wheel. Got the bright idea to check RUclips. Dang it's pretty easy once you have an idea of what to do. This may make me sound dumb but when I "got" how to pull the wheel over - one side of the spokes pull one way and vise versa - once I understood, the rest was relatively easy. Thanks RJ.
Thanks, I kind of had the idea of how this works before, but your tips helped a lot! First attempt ever doing this and I managed to get the wheel straighter than it was before I started. Not perfect but good enough to ride and not be worried about it. Thank you!
My wife's beach cruiser had a dry-rotted rear tire. I replaced the tire only to discover it had a very badly bent wheel. I could straighten it out to a certain degree where it could be ridable. Thanks for the bicycle repair video sir. Many thanks from Conyers, Georgia.
when EVERi want to check on how to do something on a bike ... R.J. my man there you are showing me how its done its like having a a friend on speed dial keep it coming ill keep smashing the like button
This worked great! My mountain bike had many wobbles that are now gone. I used masking tape on the top of the rim to keep track of the areas I was working on. I did a few in one side then the other to balance things out.
New one for me yesterday. It's been really crappy, the plows didn't get out until a day or 2 after our heavy, wet snow. The paths are loaded with those damned fat-tire ruts, under-size plow equipment ruts, and boot prints. Long story short, my bike wheel literally elongated on one side (valve side) so that it contacts the frame (EDIT: the little connector piece of frame that some brake systems use, not the side frames) . Took me forever to figure that out. THIS in combination with it also throwing out of true. my approach has been to loosen one side and tighten the other....it's working, but it is a royal pain, especially when you add in trying to true the wheel. you can go through an entire spring/summer/fall and keep a rear wheel true, then ruin it in one week's ice/snow crud.
I'm just getting back into riding. My Mountain bike has been in storage for some time and needs a tune up to say the least. When pulling it out the rim was caught up on something I didn't see so I wanted to check it out before riding but had no clue if I could possibly adjust the spokes. Thanks for posting. It really helped. Going to check both rims after I get some new tires...cheers.
I am new to bicycles and so far you have helped me with every single speedbump I have ran into so far ,your vids have saved me a ton of money and time! Your channel is most invaluable. I appreciate ya more than you know...cheers!
Thank you. Worked great. Since my wheel was rubbing on the brake pad in just one spot, I just let the brake pad stop the wheel in both directions and marked both sides of the area with duct tape.
RJ, wheels go out of true when either the spoke nipple loosens or the spokes stretch from being stressed. Spoke nipples never tighten themselves so always true the wheel by retensioning the spokes to pull the direction needed. Do not loosen spokes. Loosening spoke nipples will lead to a weaker overall integrity of the wheel spoke balance. My 2cnts. Thanks.
I thought I'd look up how to true my real wheel on my bike. Watched the video and did some tests on the turning one way or the other. If you turn the wrong way, the rim touches the brakes alot closer..so it definitely helped me understand which way to turn and I was going half turns as well. I used some tape to mark the section that needed to be shifted. The wheel originally bounced around while turning, along with hitting the rim. Now, it barely bounces and the rim is alot straighter. Taking it out for a ride tomorrow morning..Thanks again for an amazing video. Very helpful! 🤘🤘
I've been fixing my own bikes since I could ride one. But I never knew the real way to true up a rim. Thank you for posting this video. Great job explaining how to get a rim true. This concept has my ADHD -OCD in hyperdrive ludicrous speed! I'm an architect engineer dropout that is a tile installer. 27yrs "master mechanic". Like I am obsessed with the single swingarm on Ducati motorcycles. Or hubless rims? But even the simplest form of a kid with a stick running down the road with a barrel strap. I'm currently trying to resurrect a sweet set of Mavic rims I didn't have to pay for. I don't mind putting the time in to save em. A little reefer and Family Guy and I will be riding right. Thanks again. Great vid. Just to mention, make sure you have the band of rubber covering the inside of the tube. So you don't puncture your tube with spoke threads when you tighten them. On a similar note, I slice old tubes and cut off the valve stem and make my tubes double lined and basically puncture resistant
Nice video. I used a piece of chalk to test where the wheel is bent. This marks out the wheel to show where the deviation so I can adjust the wheel as needed. Thanks for your video
One guy at the shop almost threw one rim out of the window. It needed many new spokes and was wobbly all the possible ways. It wasn't a round circle anymore, it wobbled like an inch to the left from one part. But damned be the guy, he fixed it after bending it and truing for an hour or something. He showed it to me and said "would ride" I was like "thumbs up". It was the rear rim from a swedish bike from the 40's or 50's.
RJ The Bike Guy Yup. Guy was persistent and kept going at it. Eventually he got it straight, it wasn't perfect but it was round and didn't wobble. Rim and hub were so unique and old so he didn't want to waste the wheel. I said that throw it to the bin, but nah, didn't care. I don't work at the place anymore but we had some shitty cases of rust, stuck parts and wobbly wheels. Everything that was fixable, we fixed.
Ive done that too, you learn how. Its a fun challenge. Getting the "hop" out ...."the "egg" is the most challenging part but doable in many cases. You push or pull both sides of spokes on the opposite end of the wheel (across the hub).
Glad you showed this. Unfortunately some bike "purists" wont accept wheel truing done on the frame that the wheel belongs to. These "purists" often don't know diddly squat about wrenching either. So then I put it on the truing stand and ask for another $20 even though no more work was needed.
Great tips. I used them on my training bike. My only mod was using a hard grease pencil vs a screwdriver. I also used it to mark the tire above trouble spots.
I just got a bike given to me from a donation based business that built them for people and gave them away or sold them super cheap. They had to close. I asked what was going on, the guy said I could have a bike. Its Frankensteined together but has quality front shocks, Shamino shifter, a disk front brake (original hangers for caliper are there but not used) Its a very robust steel frame. The handlebars are the wrong ones, but the nice 4 hex mongoose / BMX style (not the single bolt Huffy style), it is geared 7 and micro. The saddle is wide and like new. Anyways I cleaned it up, today I oiled the chain (just have 3 in 1 on hand) and WD40'd the kickstand (kicks nice now and no noise) and some for the wheels and crank, the action is good now. Every part of the bike is quality I can see it, I saw the potential. I am still too heavy to risk it but I am losing weight. I came here to see how I can true up the wheel and then I can dial in the brake calipers. This helped a lot. My wheels are black so I may not want to score them with a screwdriver but I have some chalk laying around too. Thank you !!!
I've done this for years. I use the brake shoes to test where the wheel moves. If you over tighten them they will rub and they stay in place not like your screwdriver.
video helped so much man, my rim had side to side wobble all around rim, you would think it wouldnt be able to go straight again, but after spending some time doing what you said it is almost straight again, cant even notice. thanks man
My name is Victor ,I really been looking and getting lots of ideas from techs like you,but you have good technic that helped me a lot! So thank you very much keep those ideas coming!
Hi RJ (and all.) Thanks for the vid. Duly liked. There's one thing folks may want to try in conjuction with this method, which I also use as I don't have a truing stand. It's possible to score the rim (if you're not as skilled as RJ.) If you don't want to score the rim with a tool, apart from using a plastic tool as stated in video, and for a visual help, use a fresh new juicy marker pen instead of a screwdriver, then you can see where the wheel rim rubs as the pen will draw a nice line for ya. Non permanent should rub off as soon as the brake gets used. Wont make such a noise, but hey, just a thought.
This applies to 2024 for my mtb rims. I will give this a try as my rear has a fairly good wobble. If I don't succeed then off to a bike shop. Great DIY with simple tools.. thanks so much!
if you have a nicer wheels that you don’t want marked up, i recommend using the fine adjustment knob to tighten the brakes so that you can just spin the wheel and where it rubs against the brakes is where you need to adjust the spokes
I just stick a small piece of masking tape on the tire, at the start, and at the finish, of the problem area. As you correct the truing and the area moves, move the tape.
@@kareemalmond I just use small pieces of masking tape, and put them on the tire adjacent to the wheel. It's only on there for the few minutes of the truing session and doesn't leave anything on the tire.
Thanks. Small steps and patience. I can get trued a bike shop for about $15-20 but down time can be up to 3 days. Its patience to adjust bike cables,brakes, shifters. tks
Thank you for great video.Been 20 yrs since riding a bike and I couldn't remember which way was tighten and losen on spokes. The bike shop guy wouldn't tell me either...lol!
I also had a bike guy who refused to let me look while he was truing the wheel, which I guess is understandable, it's like asking him for a tutorial, more or less. But refusing to answer which way to tighten or losen the spokes?! Gee.. Change your bike shop, seriously.
Really nicely explained. Especially I like the part when explaining which wires to loose, which to tighten and why - because the wires are pulling the rim towards inside.
I kind of knew what to do and your video gave me the confidence to actually do it! My wheel just had one or two wobbles in it like yours and, yeah within half an hour or so it seems a lot better. Thanks! 😀👍
Thanks for the video. Your description of which spokes to tighten and loosen made my wheel spin much more true. Is it as good as if I took it to a shop....no....is it better than when I started YES!! Thank you!!!
Screwdriver is ok to find the bent part of rim. I have used rubber piece and hold it steady with frame rotating the wheel. It makes a contact and bends the rubber, so I can see it moving. Also using brakepads can be useful. tightening brakes and rotating the wheel, you can find the bend, where it touches brake to rim. Then push or pull brake to see, which side the bend is at, it frees the rim from bend and the wheel starts rotating freely. This method is quite challenging, because you have to think many times which side the bend is and true the wheel to right direction. Also the nipples need to think, which side loosen and which side tighten. The plus-side of this method is, that you instantly see, if the wheel is true enough to run without touching brake. Then when you have the rim straight enough, you can loose the brake a bit and have it ready to roll. The brake lever must never touch the handle at steering rod when you pull brake with force. Wheels must be straight enough to have rim-brakes close enough for brake and far enough to be run freely.
THANK YOU, RJ! Prolly saved me a decent amount sorting out the front wheel myself-way less complicated that I thought it was gonna be. Much appreciated, man! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
thank you...it took me less that five minutes to true my front tire post watching the video, the only thing different I flipped the bike and rested on the saddle and handlebar so get good control on spinning the wheel since I don't have bike stand...WOW save trip to bike shop and$ 30
And also i have noticed that more tightening than releasing spokes has been helpful than equally tightening and releasing. When i followed this specific tutorial by RJ on few wheels, it went actually worst. Then i went to LBS and he said i should more tighten than releasing which have been working in my wheels since then. If wheel is not too much untrue, i would only tighten. And it has been working. In most tutorials, they say that wheel would be no longer round if i only tighten. But magically, only tightening or at least more tightening than releasing spoke have been giving me good results. Weird!
Thank you also for your time and patientience to explain all this helpful information. 👍 Im going to fix mine also as there is no mechanic in this area. Cheers budy!!
1969atam Good question. For minor truing, I don't bother. But if the truing is more extensive, then I do remove the tire to relieve pressure from the wheel.
Good job and good advice. I prefer paying someone a few bucks to do it, but with the quarantine BS I might have to do it on my own since everything's closed
jinneemagic302, due to the complexity, I doubt I will make a video on wheel building. That would be better coming from someone who is an expert on that subject. Here is a great video that show how to do it: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004H1UA9Y/ref=nosim/youtube25-20
Great video as always . Can you please tell if the video you recommend is suitable for 3 speed hubs and front hubs with spokes of different lengths. People in europe may find this region 0 video cheaper on ebay if they want it delivered quickly
Doesn't matter what it is that I need to do on my bike or try and understand how it works and how it needs to be fixed RJ is always "THE GUY" that has a video to sort it 👍👍👍👍 thanks RJ 😎
Good video. I would use a felt tip pen or sharpie to make a line instead of screwdriver so i have a reference point on my wheel then just wipe it off when i'm finished. I have also used zip-lock ties on the stays to get my reference. Happy Bikin
For more bike repair videos hit the subscribe button 🛑 and click the notification bell ► bit.ly/SubRJTheBikeGuy
Great video
Somehow the chain is loose probably cause of the manufacturer rip Walmart failed me and I don’t even use he bike daily and the gear ⚙️ isn’t shifting to 2 to 1
@@TB-zn2xt p9n
@@TB-zn2xta
Instead of a screw driver use a pieces of chalk or soap stone. It will mark the wheel leaving a visual reference.
Brilliant
Just a wash away marker would do
Very good idea. Thank you.
I expect this comment. (y)
Good idea tho
Fun tip ... LISTEN to the spoke sound before getting started. Use pencil, chalk, a screwdriver or whatever to find the bent section. Then pluck the spokes in that area to see if there's one that's obviously different from the others. If you hear "ping, ping, ping, bong," and the bong spoke is on the correct side to fix the bend, start with that one first. I often see this after landing a jump, where one or two spokes will come loose and cause a wobble. Much quicker when you know which one is loose.
Only compare sounds on the same side of the bike. The side with the shorter spokes on the drivetrain side will always sound higher pitched.
That can help finding a loose or broken spoke.
N
This was the clearest video I've seen on the topic. I love the fact that RJ works with regular bikes that 95% of people ride, not some fancy road bike with the latest parts.
I was able to successfully true the wheels on both of my kids' bikes thanks to your instructions. Your time, talents, and efforts are very much appreciated!
Please also note that when you true wheel, you need to release spoke tension from time to time. When i first tried it, it seemed it worked. But the wheel went back to untrue when i rode my bike again because i didn't know that there's something like ''false'' truing if you don't release spoke tension by squeezing them during the operation. I think it's worth to mention. Otherwise, you have to do it again. I have seen many wheel truing tutorials but spoke releasing is not mentioned often.
after years of thinking this was some kind of black art that only the initiates at the local bike shop could perform,thanks to your video I have trued my mountain bike's back wheel and saved myself £15 and a few days without the bike, Thank you!
Would be easier with a proper bike stand, but the vid did help me out. The joy of being broke, I can cover $20 on tools, but not 3 -5 days without my bike.
It's not that easy, if you have it pretty badly out of true, you can't just tighten and loosen the same amount because it will go out of round.
15 sounds cheap..at my lbs its like 40 at least..and them wonder why DIY xD
@@HdtvTh Won't it also create a wobble on the opposite side becasue the extra tension pulls on the hub which then relays the tension to the spokes on the opposite side? (or does it only affect the roundness, as you say)
@@HdtvThI would try adjusting all the spokes then if possible if there is a Will there’s a way
I just explained this to another cyclist. I have the ring spoke tool. I have it marked so I know which notch to use on my bike. If you take two spokes, on the same side, in one area and squeeze a bit, you can see the movement of the rim. This action also frees up the spokes at their point of contact near the hub. I also do this to see if the spoke is worn at the point of contact. Great video!! :)
* When I say "clockwise" and "counter-clockwise" in the video, the reference point is looking at the nipple from the spoke side of the rim. The side where you are actually turning the wrench. Not from inside of the tire.
Yeah I was very very confused when you're talking about tightening and loosening it. It's always righty tighty lefty Lucy but the video was going in the opposite direction???
Ahhh the good old lefty-tightie rightly-loosie. I'm sure there's some fantastic history for how this got backwards on bikes.
Nipple
@@TheHarpsist other way round :) ... like Viem D said
Thanks. I was as confused as my students (I teach math) about clockwise and counterclockwise. They don't use clocks with dials!
Just want to thank you for all your videos. I've only done very basic maintenance on my bikes over the years but I just converted my mountain bike to an ebike and I had to learn a lot of new adjustment techniques. My hub motor wheel wasn't true out of the box, I had to adjust my derailleur because I had to swap my freewheel with the one in the kit, and I converted my V brakes to disc. Your 3 videos on these topics gave me confidence and the end result is a perfectly tuned, safe, and fun to ride ebike. All because you do excellent, in depth, and well explained videos. Thanks RJ. You rock!
"just a little bit..."
"I'll do this real quick..."
Nothing sounds more American than this..
Very helpful vid btw, as usual. Thank you..
This is probably one of the clearest and best diy on RUclips... f
Excellent. I was given an old bike that isn't worth spending $100 on a professional tune-up, but is perfect for practicing things like this, and the rear wheel is slightly out of true. Gonna work on it tomorrow. I'm out of shape, and it's great for getting me back into shape, and learning about my own bike maintenance at the same time. Keep the vids coming.
How'd it go?
In shape now?
are you ripped now bro its been 8 years fam
@@hotdoghokagecovid got him
We need to know bro, did you fix your bike ?
You're a great spokesperson.
Good one! LOOOL
haha, i laughed out loud :D
StopLossLOL yes
Sounds like a comment I would do, nice.
Lol I was gonna post that he's a great man, but this is way better.
Nice! These videos help promote bicycling. If we users understand better I think yes, may may save a few bucks here and there but at the same time we come to appreciate the shop mechanic's talents and trust spending with them rather than just selling the machine off to another victim. The goal should be to enjoy cycling, reduce vehicle dependency where we can and improve life generally. Cycling does sooo much on that order. It's all just plain fun.
THANK YOU!!
Best part of the video:
TIGHTEN the spokes towards the side you want to pull the rim
LOOSEN the spokes on the side you want to « push away »
I bought a new bicycle and saved 100% on car insurance. Love your vids, keep'em coming.
Just need helmet insurance :) ...
I love this comment!
David Branscome 👍😆🤣😁👍
Roger Pack for what
I truly learned something, Never knew that about spokes.
Me too! I use to think that spokes were just for appearance.
Haha, "truly"...I see what you did there.
@@eknight101 When I was a kid, I used spokes to ruin Baseball Cards that might be valuable today. Lol! We would clothes pin them to the bike frame so they contacted the spokes. It kind of made a motor sound.
@@kevinmontgomery1383 I think we all did that as kids, sounds like a dirt bike going really fast and it’s surprisingly loud
I followed your instructions and got rid of the sticking points in under one minute! I know the wheel is not completely true, but that's okay for now. Thank you so much for your clear instructions!
Watching this having flashbacks as kid doing this after laying the wheel down on tire and jumping on it to get it mostly straight. Then going through all the spokes.
what
bahahaha
This is the most useful video I've seen in a while. Always work on your bikes, shops are good for purchases but repairs and maintenance should always be done by the owner
"shops are good for purchases" no shit, how else would buy something?
I use a black magic marker to denote the warp. If it's a bad warp I take the wheel and rim off of the bike then I take the tire off of the rim. After I loosen the spokes where the warp is I prop the rim on something like a concrete step with the warp facing/touching the step. The I grab both sides of the rim and push down very hard against the warp. The usually gets it pretty straight. Then I put the rim on a home made rim truing jig and I tighten the spokes up. If the rim touches the pads on the left then I tighten the spokes on the right to pull it right. And if the rim touches the pads on the right then I tighten the spokes on the left pulling the rim left. This all takes time and patience. I also makes sure the rim stays round, as round as possible. In the past I have gotten a rim straight with an egg loop in the rim. And I had to redo it all over again.
Got my rear wheel "true enough" from your advice. It really needs a professional touch, but at least it's usable for the time being. Thanks for the info!!👍👍👍
Thank you so much for the detailed video! I was able to fix my bike with the $7 tool, few minuets of my time And your instructions. I was in a tight schedule yesterday to go with my friends for a 2 hour biking trip. Had I not fix this bent wheel, I wouldn’t have been able to catch up with my friends who bought new bikes. I was a little confused with the direction to tightening and loosening in the beginning, but I went back and watched your video again and realized I was doing it in the wrong direction Thank you so much. You saved me money and frustration
Thank you. This video helped me true my wheel. It only took me around 10-15 minutes and got me 99% of where I wanted it to be.
Ive just put a rear wheel motor on me mtb n some spokes were loose when the e-bike kit arrived n the rim had a wobble. A bike tool kit is a good investment along with cool vids like this. My local bike shop charges more than my car repair garage . Ive recently upgraded forks which i cut steerer n put on,upgraded bottom bracket n crank set now youve helped me tru the back wheel saving loads. Thanks :)
Judging by the way my bike mechanic smiles 🤑he loves me every time I try this.🥴 Thanks, I’ll get it true by myself one day.♾🔜
I don't have wheel truing stand I simply carnt afford one. What I done in the past took a old pair of mountin bike fores clampped them in the bench vice. Put a zip tie.. cable tie either side of the cut them in length so they just touch the rim of the wheel.samplw pri tie as you rj with the screwdriver as the wheel turns you see where the wobble spot is on the cable ties. Love your content all the best😊
I was struggling with a wobbly wheel. Got the bright idea to check RUclips. Dang it's pretty easy once you have an idea of what to do. This may make me sound dumb but when I "got" how to pull the wheel over - one side of the spokes pull one way and vise versa - once I understood, the rest was relatively easy. Thanks RJ.
thanks for the awesome video. just finished a hub rebuild and trued my rim. saved a bunch of cash too!
Thanks, I kind of had the idea of how this works before, but your tips helped a lot! First attempt ever doing this and I managed to get the wheel straighter than it was before I started. Not perfect but good enough to ride and not be worried about it. Thank you!
My wife's beach cruiser had a dry-rotted rear tire. I replaced the tire only to discover it had a very badly bent wheel. I could straighten it out to a certain degree where it could be ridable. Thanks for the bicycle repair video sir. Many thanks from Conyers, Georgia.
when EVERi want to check on how to do something on a bike ... R.J. my man there you are showing me how its done its like having a a friend on speed dial keep it coming ill keep smashing the like button
Good stuff, thanks. That's my job for tomorrow sorted, only a very small wobble, but I hate any squeak, or noise, or wobble.
Every time I need to do a job, there you are with a great how to. Thanks, RJ!
Watched this many times from many people but this guy explained it so down to earth it mightve actually sunk in!! Time to find out! *puts kettle on..*
This worked great! My mountain bike had many wobbles that are now gone. I used masking tape on the top of the rim to keep track of the areas I was working on. I did a few in one side then the other to balance things out.
New one for me yesterday. It's been really crappy, the plows didn't get out until a day or 2 after our heavy, wet snow. The paths are loaded with those damned fat-tire ruts, under-size plow equipment ruts, and boot prints. Long story short, my bike wheel literally elongated on one side (valve side) so that it contacts the frame (EDIT: the little connector piece of frame that some brake systems use, not the side frames) . Took me forever to figure that out. THIS in combination with it also throwing out of true.
my approach has been to loosen one side and tighten the other....it's working, but it is a royal pain, especially when you add in trying to true the wheel.
you can go through an entire spring/summer/fall and keep a rear wheel true, then ruin it in one week's ice/snow crud.
Thank you for helping me straighten my rim. And thank you for your effort to help people
I'm just getting back into riding. My Mountain bike has been in storage for some time and needs a tune up to say the least. When pulling it out the rim was caught up on something I didn't see so I wanted to check it out before riding but had no clue if I could possibly adjust the spokes. Thanks for posting. It really helped. Going to check both rims after I get some new tires...cheers.
I am new to bicycles and so far you have helped me with every single speedbump I have ran into so far ,your vids have saved me a ton of money and time! Your channel is most invaluable. I appreciate ya more than you know...cheers!
Thank you. Worked great. Since my wheel was rubbing on the brake pad in just one spot, I just let the brake pad stop the wheel in both directions and marked both sides of the area with duct tape.
This was great. I fix up older bikes and having this simple repair helps a lot. Thanks!
RJ, wheels go out of true when either the spoke nipple loosens or the spokes stretch from being stressed. Spoke nipples never tighten themselves so always true the wheel by retensioning the spokes to pull the direction needed. Do not loosen spokes. Loosening spoke nipples will lead to a weaker overall integrity of the wheel spoke balance. My 2cnts. Thanks.
I thought I'd look up how to true my real wheel on my bike. Watched the video and did some tests on the turning one way or the other. If you turn the wrong way, the rim touches the brakes alot closer..so it definitely helped me understand which way to turn and I was going half turns as well. I used some tape to mark the section that needed to be shifted. The wheel originally bounced around while turning, along with hitting the rim. Now, it barely bounces and the rim is alot straighter. Taking it out for a ride tomorrow morning..Thanks again for an amazing video. Very helpful! 🤘🤘
I've been fixing my own bikes since I could ride one. But I never knew the real way to true up a rim. Thank you for posting this video. Great job explaining how to get a rim true. This concept has my ADHD -OCD in hyperdrive ludicrous speed! I'm an architect engineer dropout that is a tile installer. 27yrs "master mechanic".
Like I am obsessed with the single swingarm on Ducati motorcycles. Or hubless rims? But even the simplest form of a kid with a stick running down the road with a barrel strap. I'm currently trying to resurrect a sweet set of Mavic rims I didn't have to pay for. I don't mind putting the time in to save em.
A little reefer and Family Guy and I will be riding right. Thanks again. Great vid. Just to mention, make sure you have the band of rubber covering the inside of the tube. So you don't puncture your tube with spoke threads when you tighten them. On a similar note, I slice old tubes and cut off the valve stem and make my tubes double lined and basically puncture resistant
How does it feel to have a covid variant named after you?
Your simple but effective method of explaining helped me to understand what needs to be done. Thanks a lot !
Nice video. I used a piece of chalk to test where the wheel is bent. This marks out the wheel to show where the deviation so I can adjust the wheel as needed.
Thanks for your video
One guy at the shop almost threw one rim out of the window. It needed many new spokes and was wobbly all the possible ways. It wasn't a round circle anymore, it wobbled like an inch to the left from one part. But damned be the guy, he fixed it after bending it and truing for an hour or something. He showed it to me and said "would ride" I was like "thumbs up". It was the rear rim from a swedish bike from the 40's or 50's.
lol 2/10 believable story, a wheel like that would be egged and dangerous to ride
BamFang Not really. Old steel rims could be fixed like this.
RJ The Bike Guy Yup. Guy was persistent and kept going at it. Eventually he got it straight, it wasn't perfect but it was round and didn't wobble. Rim and hub were so unique and old so he didn't want to waste the wheel. I said that throw it to the bin, but nah, didn't care. I don't work at the place anymore but we had some shitty cases of rust, stuck parts and wobbly wheels. Everything that was fixable, we fixed.
a number of times my wheels have been run over by a car, and it was fixed again... just with patience, time, skill, technique and practice.
Ive done that too, you learn how. Its a fun challenge. Getting the "hop" out ...."the "egg" is the most challenging part but doable in many cases. You push or pull both sides of spokes on the opposite end of the wheel (across the hub).
Glad you showed this. Unfortunately some bike "purists" wont accept wheel truing done on the frame that the wheel belongs to. These "purists" often don't know diddly squat about wrenching either. So then I put it on the truing stand and ask for another $20 even though no more work was needed.
I have a Park Tool TS-2 shop grade truing stand. Not everyone does.
Great tips. I used them on my training bike. My only mod was using a hard grease pencil vs a screwdriver. I also used it to mark the tire above trouble spots.
I just got a bike given to me from a donation based business that built them for people and gave them away or sold them super cheap. They had to close. I asked what was going on, the guy said I could have a bike. Its Frankensteined together but has quality front shocks, Shamino shifter, a disk front brake (original hangers for caliper are there but not used) Its a very robust steel frame. The handlebars are the wrong ones, but the nice 4 hex mongoose / BMX style (not the single bolt Huffy style), it is geared 7 and micro. The saddle is wide and like new. Anyways I cleaned it up, today I oiled the chain (just have 3 in 1 on hand) and WD40'd the kickstand (kicks nice now and no noise) and some for the wheels and crank, the action is good now. Every part of the bike is quality I can see it, I saw the potential. I am still too heavy to risk it but I am losing weight. I came here to see how I can true up the wheel and then I can dial in the brake calipers. This helped a lot. My wheels are black so I may not want to score them with a screwdriver but I have some chalk laying around too. Thank you !!!
I've done this for years. I use the brake shoes to test where the wheel moves. If you over tighten them they will rub and they stay in place not like your screwdriver.
what if i have no brakes on the rear wheel
Maybe you should get some. You need to stop
jack002tuber stopping with a brake is sketchy, last time I did that I snapped the brake cable and almost died so I can't say I entirely trust brakes.
Disc brakes are becoming more common, and so wouldn't help.
I guess you have never heard of pedal brakes? Hmmm
This is the only one of these that’s actually easy to understand. I tried fixing my buckles and just made me worse. This will help thank you
video helped so much man, my rim had side to side wobble all around rim, you would think it wouldnt be able to go straight again, but after spending some time doing what you said it is almost straight again, cant even notice. thanks man
This was the easiest simple truing I could find and do. Bought the red wrench and almost done. Thanks a lot for the vid!
Thank you RJ for the easy-to-follow and detailed instructions that you shared. Truly appreciated!
I always check out tones of videos but you are the only guy on RUclips I understand and learn from. Cheers RJ
Thanks a lot! I have a front wheel that is slightly out of true in one spot. I am going to try this!
My name is Victor ,I really been looking and getting lots of ideas from techs like you,but you have good technic that helped me a lot! So thank you very much keep those ideas coming!
Hi RJ (and all.) Thanks for the vid. Duly liked. There's one thing folks may want to try in conjuction with this method, which I also use as I don't have a truing stand. It's possible to score the rim (if you're not as skilled as RJ.) If you don't want to score the rim with a tool, apart from using a plastic tool as stated in video, and for a visual help, use a fresh new juicy marker pen instead of a screwdriver, then you can see where the wheel rim rubs as the pen will draw a nice line for ya. Non permanent should rub off as soon as the brake gets used. Wont make such a noise, but hey, just a thought.
dry erase would work perfect, tap the brakes to start over
This applies to 2024 for my mtb rims. I will give this a try as my rear has a fairly good wobble. If I don't succeed then off to a bike shop. Great DIY with simple tools.. thanks so much!
This helped me so much. I can do this myself now and save money.
if you have a nicer wheels that you don’t want marked up, i recommend using the fine adjustment knob to tighten the brakes so that you can just spin the wheel and where it rubs against the brakes is where you need to adjust the spokes
I just stick a small piece of masking tape on the tire, at the start, and at the finish, of the problem area. As you correct the truing and the area moves, move the tape.
@@reecenewton3097 sounds like a lot of work, also idk what kind of tape u use but doesn’t that sometimes leave sticky residue on the braking surface
@@kareemalmond I just use small pieces of masking tape, and put them on the tire adjacent to the wheel. It's only on there for the few minutes of the truing session and doesn't leave anything on the tire.
really well done, well explained video explaining the 'why' behind the adjustments
After 3 six packs of beer,,, I finally fiqured out how to True the back rim,,, next the front one,,,,,, Thank You Buddy!!!!
Just what I needed to know to fix my granddaughters bike. Thanks.
Thanks. Small steps and patience. I can get trued a bike shop for about $15-20 but down time can be up to 3 days. Its patience to adjust bike cables,brakes, shifters. tks
Thank you for great video.Been 20 yrs since riding a bike and I couldn't remember which way was tighten and losen on spokes. The bike shop guy wouldn't tell me either...lol!
Bike shop guy wouldn't tell you? Find a new bike shop guy.
He wanted you to pay him to do it. It's all about the $$$$$.
I also had a bike guy who refused to let me look while he was truing the wheel, which I guess is understandable, it's like asking him for a tutorial, more or less. But refusing to answer which way to tighten or losen the spokes?! Gee.. Change your bike shop, seriously.
Massive help my tyre was rubbing the frame and after watching this the rim is nearly fully straight again! 👍🏼
RJ The Bike Guy, saving my pennies again. Thanks a lot for posting!
Really nicely explained. Especially I like the part when explaining which wires to loose, which to tighten and why - because the wires are pulling the rim towards inside.
Never thought this was something I could do myself. GREAT video, you're the man!
I kind of knew what to do and your video gave me the confidence to actually do it! My wheel just had one or two wobbles in it like yours and, yeah within half an hour or so it seems a lot better. Thanks! 😀👍
Cable tie fastened to frame tube is good gauge to see where to true the rim.
Thanks for the video. Your description of which spokes to tighten and loosen made my wheel spin much more true. Is it as good as if I took it to a shop....no....is it better than when I started YES!! Thank you!!!
In a shop, they have professional truing stands, and tools, and experience.
Thanks for the great explanation! My wheel's not perfect, but it is so much better than it was!
Nice! Thanks my son and I have a bike project and I'm definitely a novice but i will take advantage of any potential bonding time I can.
Worked perfectly, even using a small shifter. Thank you :)
Screwdriver is ok to find the bent part of rim. I have used rubber piece and hold it steady with frame rotating the wheel. It makes a contact and bends the rubber, so I can see it moving.
Also using brakepads can be useful. tightening brakes and rotating the wheel, you can find the bend, where it touches brake to rim. Then push or pull brake to see, which side the bend is at, it frees the rim from bend and the wheel starts rotating freely. This method is quite challenging, because you have to think many times which side the bend is and true the wheel to right direction. Also the nipples need to think, which side loosen and which side tighten. The plus-side of this method is, that you instantly see, if the wheel is true enough to run without touching brake. Then when you have the rim straight enough, you can loose the brake a bit and have it ready to roll. The brake lever must never touch the handle at steering rod when you pull brake with force. Wheels must be straight enough to have rim-brakes close enough for brake and far enough to be run freely.
THANK YOU, RJ! Prolly saved me a decent amount sorting out the front wheel myself-way less complicated that I thought it was gonna be. Much appreciated, man! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Beautiful bike. Came packaged well. Had a neighborhood bike shop install for me.
Thanks, best tutorial on how to do this without a truing stand I've found...my wheel is much better now!
Thanks RJ this is very simple and helpful video. Watched it and right after, I retrued my wheel. thanks!
thank you so much. this video is such a clear visual. exactly what i needed. you're a life saver!
thank you...it took me less that five minutes to true my front tire post watching the video, the only thing different I flipped the bike and rested on the saddle and handlebar so get good control on spinning the wheel since I don't have bike stand...WOW save trip to bike shop and$ 30
4:12 You can buy a single spoke tool that fits 8 sizes of spoke nuts. A circular device. Good price.
Yeah, but they tend to be lower quality and more likely to round off the spoke nipple.
Also determining spoke tension will also help identify which spokes not to loosen after tightening the first one...
First time doing it worked like a charm, thank you.
And also i have noticed that more tightening than releasing spokes has been helpful than equally tightening and releasing. When i followed this specific tutorial by RJ on few wheels, it went actually worst. Then i went to LBS and he said i should more tighten than releasing which have been working in my wheels since then. If wheel is not too much untrue, i would only tighten. And it has been working. In most tutorials, they say that wheel would be no longer round if i only tighten. But magically, only tightening or at least more tightening than releasing spoke have been giving me good results. Weird!
What happens if you say Meh and just leave it ?
Your bike may not ride smoothly as it could. The rim can rub the brakes. Your bike may wobble dangerously at higher speeds.
Yikes, not optional then.
KENKENNIFF Ken you know that's a possibility too...lol
Bikes don't really wobble from wobbly wheels imo. The wheel Will simply contact the ground at different places. Up/down is of course noticable...
wobble wobble...wobble
Thank you also for your time and patientience to explain all this helpful information. 👍 Im going to fix mine also as there is no mechanic in this area. Cheers budy!!
It's best to deflate the tube and remove the tyre and tube when working on spokes?
1969atam Good question. For minor truing, I don't bother. But if the truing is more extensive, then I do remove the tire to relieve pressure from the wheel.
Was thinking that
Good job and good advice. I prefer paying someone a few bucks to do it, but with the quarantine BS I might have to do it on my own since everything's closed
I use a plastic cable clamp (Cable Cuff) to hold the brake lever, and then use the brake pads to find the bumps.
Whatever works for you.
jinneemagic302, due to the complexity, I doubt I will make a video on wheel building. That would be better coming from someone who is an expert on that subject. Here is a great video that show how to do it:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004H1UA9Y/ref=nosim/youtube25-20
RJ The Bike Guy
Great video as always .
Can you please tell if the video you recommend is suitable for 3 speed hubs and front hubs with spokes of different lengths.
People in europe may find this region 0 video cheaper on ebay if they want it delivered quickly
Sure is.
RJ The Bike Guy
Thank you
Thanks RJ! I've learned a ton about bike maintenance watching your videos! Ever grateful!
A zip tie would work as a guide for truing.
Really? how to do that, Second question your profile pic is kim so you maybe pinoy?
Average Joe Yeah I am. You just wrap the ziptie on the forks and that's it.
Sixx Salamat sir :) I will try it
Sixx that's exactly what I do! It works better than a screwdriver and it dosent hurt the rim like a screwdriver might
Love that pinoy engineering! Thanks for the tip!
Doesn't matter what it is that I need to do on my bike or try and understand how it works and how it needs to be fixed RJ is always "THE GUY" that has a video to sort it 👍👍👍👍 thanks RJ 😎
could you replace the screwdriver with a pencil
Yes.
Good video. I would use a felt tip pen or sharpie to make a line instead of screwdriver so i have a reference point on my wheel then just wipe it off when i'm finished. I have also used zip-lock ties on the stays to get my reference. Happy Bikin
I think a china/grease pencil might actually be better than felt or sharpie pen
dennis blackmon it just comes off easily with alcohol pads