8 speed campagnolo athena wheel ..help!!
 

I picked up a bike last Saturday and the rear wheel had 3 loose spokes.
ok...still rode good.
i tightened the 3 spokes....now it is way out of true.

Ok I loosen back up and sent to the bike shop.

Bike shop stated they could NOT true the wheel.

They just tightened the 3 spokes and gave it back.
No charge of course.

If I was to get a new wheel, how do I know what to buy ?
I know there are widths to consider but have NO experience in how to measure.
As you can see...I need a lot of help.

I hope these pics can be of assistance
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0be1607906.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...25694b0ae8.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...66da99257f.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...49b2c2ca6d.jpg

I don’t see obvious corrosion on the spoke nipples that might indicate some have seized up. If it were my wheel, I’d loosen all of the spokes until there was very little tension, and then true it back up. If your rim has been bent in the past because of an accident or a poor initial build, you might never get the wheel true.

Unless the rim is wildly out of true, I don’t see why it can’t be trued up.

Is there another bike shop you can get a second opinion? Preferably one that has been in business since dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Truing wheels is a fairly easy and low cost job, just requires a bit of patience and a nice Hefeweizen. Plenty of instructional guides online.

Thank you for the responses !!!

I too believe the wheel can be trued.

And I think that loosening all the spokes is the correct procedure

I told them that was probably needed.

They are crazy busy so maybe they did not want to really take the time.

My friend who owned the bike shop before has trued a wheel so out of whack, even he surprised himself!!
I watched him do it. Took about a half an hour or so.
I will bring it to him to do.

I would still like to get s wheel set with an 8 speed set up.

What would you recommend??

I want a nice set, but not too expensive.

I am not a racer 😁😁😁🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲

Thank you again for all you help

Greatly appreciated

Best source for wheels is velomine.com.

8S with a freewheel is a broken axle waiting to happen IME.

The Campagnolo 8S cassette hubs are really nice and reliable, even if a bit heavy and an evolutionary dead end so I'd keep an eye out for a set of those :)

Thanks again for all the help/

Very much appreciated !!

If it's a matching wheel to the front (both hub and rim), then it's very much worth correcting. And if three spokes currently need to be loose for it to be basically true, then the rim is probably bent. I would disassemble the wheel, correct the bent rim (if possible), and then rebuild it.

@bikemike73 -Are the spokes next to each other or spread out? DS or NDS? Haven't tried to bend aero rims back into shape but non aero rims are not that hard to straighten out unless severe taco. Need a glass oi granite table that is flat

I am a competent but not expert bike wheel builder and maintainer and the only wheels I have't been able to get acceptably trued have had dented rims. Don't give up on that wheel!

We need pics of the bike also. For shame! Basso? That internally routed chain stay is pretty spicy.

UPDATE !!!!!!

Brought the wheel to my friend, dropped off Wednesday. morning.

He texted Thursday afternoon.....wheel ALL SET !!!!.

He took the tire , tube, and rim strip off of course to do it correctly !!!

Picked it up today a 9.9 out of 10 !!!!!!!!!

WAHOOOOOOOOO !!!

I am still going to " run" a 7 speed. I have a wheel set , and I am getting a Campy wheel set from my friend in near mint condition !!!!

I'll save the 8s wheel for something else. The front did not match anyway :) :)

Thank you again for all your GREAT help.

It is VERY MUCH appreciated !!!!

TRUE and SMOOTH !!!!!!!