Safe to use a bit untrued wheel?
#1
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Safe to use a bit untrued wheel?
My front wheel is a bit untrued if you would take a close look at it, but doesn’t hit the brake pads on either side. Is it ok to use it for a ride? Not gonna ride fast though. I’ll have it trued next week.
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Assuming you keep the speed down, it should be okay. Pay particular attention to the downhills where it is easy to gain excessive speed that results in wheel shimmy and loss of control. Headers and road rash are no fun and can be serious injuries.
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Safe? Yes as described.
#4
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Thanks. It’ll just be a commute, i’ll just pay my mama a visit at the memorial park coz i haven’t in a while. I’ll be avoiding the downhill and just pass by where it’s mostly flat.
#5
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Bicycle wheels do not rotate fast enough for minor imbalances to matter. As long as your spokes have some tension in them, you will be fine.
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#8
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I cancelled my ride coz there was a chance of rain in the afternoon. Just took it to a bike shop and had it trued. All good now.
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Great you are still in one piece. I once destroyed a front wheel that had uneven tension, it was one of the first wheels I ever built, and the rim arrived bent, so spoke tension was not very uniform. Was riding it up a hill and swerved at low speed to miss a small pothole, and the wheel folded, leaving me stranded. Wasn't hurt, but had to thumb a ride home.
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#11
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Great you are still in one piece. I once destroyed a front wheel that had uneven tension, it was one of the first wheels I ever built, and the rim arrived bent, so spoke tension was not very uniform. Was riding it up a hill and swerved at low speed to miss a small pothole, and the wheel folded, leaving me stranded. Wasn't hurt, but had to thumb a ride home.
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I would manually check the spoke tension to make sure that one hasn't loosened too much. Plucking them like a guitar string is sufficient for a quick field test. On a truing stand though, I use a tensionometer.
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I agree, but fortunately it's hard to swerve as sharply at high speeds, as you can when you are climbing a hill at 8-10 mph. I was only able to turn the bars that much because I was going so slow.
When I'm going 40 mph down a hill, no part of the bike is under much mechanical stress fortunately. At that speed I'm more concerned with obstacles in the road and having enough time to brake, than I am with the bike failing, though that would certainly be catastrophic.
#14
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I don't think any of my bikes throughout childhood and adolescence ever had a completely true wheel. Never had a problem with that.
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I've improved wheels on my kids bikes & my own, but it's so nice to have a pro do it
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Are you sure it's the right size? There are 2 sizes that are currently common and using the wrong one is going to create new problems.
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If tension is good, and nothing's rubbing, you can ride them forever.
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#19
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#20
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Yes, the tip i give is higher than what they charge, hehe. I’m from the Philippines and we have bike shops here that offer cheap service, fine tuning’s about a buck too, even cheaper in some shops. Then i just give the mechanic 2 bucks tip. Higher end bike shops do charge higher. How much does it cost in your area?
#21
Member
If it only costs a buck, pay to get it trued?
Anyway, the price reflects how easy it is to learn the skill. Grab an old wheel that isn't true and look at some tutorials online.
Anyway, the price reflects how easy it is to learn the skill. Grab an old wheel that isn't true and look at some tutorials online.
#22
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Mostly wear and tear (if it rubs), but you're also losing a lot of efficiency.