WHEEL TRUING

Wheel truing is one of those tasks that, for some reason is surrounded by an air of mystery. Whilst it is a bit more art than science it's actually quick and easy to do, and the only tool you'll need is a spoke key. But beware, spokes do come in different sizes so before you go rushing off to the bike shop make sure that you get the right size key for your spokes, if you're unsure you can get multi-headed spoke keys that cover most spoke sizes in one tool.

Although your local bike shop will use a truing stand most people don't have these at home, and they're not that cheap either. The best alternative is to use the brake blocks as a truing guide and for basic wheel truing it's just as effective anyway.

Before you start it's worth checking that your wobbly rim is not due to loose hub bearings so just grab the wheel and flex it side to side, if you do feel any play at the hub then you will need to fix this before doing any truing. Once you've made sure your hub bearings are okay give the wheel a spin, and what you are checking for is side to side wobble of the rim. It's also sometimes called 'lateral trueness', 'side to side trueness', or 'wheel run out' but these terms all mean the same thing so don't let them confuse you.

As the wheel is spinning bring you brake blocks closer to the rim by turning the adjuster barrel on the caliper anticlockwise - as soon as a brake block starts to scrape then you have found the most pronounced part of the wobble. Now carefully find the centre of the wobble (which is where it scrapes the hardest), then locate the nearest spoke on the opposite side to where it's scraping. Just to clarify (because this is important), when i say 'opposite side' I mean the spoke which connects to the side of the hub which is on the opposite side to the scrape. Tighten this spoke by a quarter turn using your spoke key, and tightening is always anticlockwise as you look down on the spoke key..

Now do the same thing with the two spokes either side of the spoke you have just tightened - but only tighten them an 1/8 of a turn, again making sure you are tightening the spokes which connect to the side of the hub which is opposite to where it scrapes. Now give the wheel a spin to see if the wobble has gone. If the wobble is less pronounced but still there then you can repeat the procedure. BUT! don't spend hours striving for perfection, an acceptable level of wobble is between 1/16th and 1/8th of an inch.

So the rule of thumb is you always tighten the spokes on the opposite side to where it scrapes making less of an adjustment as you move away from the centre of the wobble.

Modern bicycle wheels are now laced in a number of different ways but exactly the same principals apply. If you're unsure about what you are doing then it's a good idea to keep a track of which spokes you have adjusted and by how much - this way you can always put them back to the original position and start again. Knowing you can do this should also give you the confidence to experiment a little (as i said at the start wheel truing is art as well as science!)

Finally, one word of warning. Only use wheel truing to cure a mild wobble, don't use it to try to fix a heavily buckled wheel as this can cause spokes to become too loose which can result in broken spokes or worse still broken bones.

This step-by-step instructional DVD is nothing short of a puncture repair master class with clear, close-up shots showing you exactly how to properly fix a puncture from start to finish. Full of useful hints and tips this DVD will show you once and for all the best way to fix - guaranteeing you a fast and professional repair. This DVD also takes away the mystery of wheel truing by taking you through the basics so you can safely get rid of those annoying buckles quickly and easily.

This comprehensive 20 minute DVD includes:

• Wheel, tyre and tube removal
• Different puncture types and how to repair them
• How to prepare the area so the patch sticks properly
• How to refit the tube to avoid pinching and sticking
• Inspecting the rim and fitting new rim tape
• How to eliminate high and low spots on the tyre
• Truing your rim without using a truing stand

We pride ourselves on our clear and simple to follow DVD guides - but don't just take our word for it, here's what some of our customers had to say:

• Excellent video...very professionally done! 5-stars!!!
• Excellent Transaction. Just as Described. Highly Recommended
• Excellent! Just what I needed! A perfect compliment to my books! A+

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