Wheel balance
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 401
Bikes: 2016 Masi strada vita due, 2019 Kona Dew Plus
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 268 Post(s)
Liked 80 Times
in
55 Posts
Wheel balance
How important is it? I would think 'fat' bikes would be hard to balance; I never see wheels w/weights of any kind used for balance. Am I the only one who does this?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,096 Times
in
742 Posts
The rotational speeds of bicycle wheels are low enough that the imbalance would have to be rather large to be noticeable. I've heard of some riders carefully balancing their wheels using thin lead strips wrapped around the nipples next to the rims but it's pretty rare.
Out-of-round or unevenly molded tires are the most likely the source of any significant imbalance.
Out-of-round or unevenly molded tires are the most likely the source of any significant imbalance.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,084
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4205 Post(s)
Liked 3,863 Times
in
2,311 Posts
The only times I've read of rotational balance being an issue has been of land speed record bikes. I assume there are no spoke reflectors or other items attached to the wheels in question. The heavier the wheel/tire combo the less important balancing becomes at the level of adding wraps of lead solder to a spoke. Andy
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
#4
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,397
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,698 Times
in
2,518 Posts
there are videos about balancing bike wheels on youtube. So there are other obsessives out there too.
#6
Sophomore Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 2,531
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 1,057 Times
in
631 Posts
Your valve stem serves as one. You can always tell your hubs are in good shape when a spinning wheel settles gradually, with the valve stem winding up in the lowest possible spot on the wheel.
#9
Senior member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Oakville Ontario
Posts: 8,117
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 943 Post(s)
Liked 658 Times
in
371 Posts
Yeah, and the weight of the valve stem is partially offset by the material removed to permit it's passage through the rim, and the pins at the seam if it has them.A wheel in the truing stand with no tire mounted will settle with the valve hole up,but in the real world it matters not.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Northern Shenandoah Valley
Posts: 4,141
Bikes: More bikes than riders
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1446 Post(s)
Liked 762 Times
in
570 Posts
I know this is only partially related to the original topic, but I would say that you can tell if your hubs are in good shape when a spinning wheel settles to about the same position each time it's spun.
Last edited by hokiefyd; 02-20-19 at 10:58 AM.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nor Cal
Posts: 6,016
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1814 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 923 Times
in
569 Posts
Strips of lead flashing sheet shaped & glued w/ contact cement, covered w/ tape.
Tennis shops sell adhesive lead strips for adjusting the swing weight of racquets.
Deep section wheels w/ valve extenders can benefit more.
Subtle, but when contemplating speed wobble on a 50 mph descent,
doesn't hurt.
Tennis shops sell adhesive lead strips for adjusting the swing weight of racquets.
Deep section wheels w/ valve extenders can benefit more.
Subtle, but when contemplating speed wobble on a 50 mph descent,
doesn't hurt.
#15
Sophomore Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 2,531
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 1,057 Times
in
631 Posts
Reminds me of a tech support guy I knew who, when he wrote with a felt tip pen on a burnable CD or DVD, would make extra marks below and label them "balance marks" so there was the same amount of ink on the top and bottom of the disc, and it supposedly wouldn't wobble in the disc drive while spinning at high rpms.
#16
don't try this at home.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: N. KY
Posts: 5,940
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 974 Post(s)
Liked 512 Times
in
352 Posts
Spinning the crank with the bike on a repair stand will have the bike bouncing up and down, from the out of balance rear wheel. It looks bad, so this worries some riders.
I think I've felt the out of balance vibration when coasting down an extremely smooth, newly paved road. Never felt it on any normal road. It's very subtle, and has no practical effect.
I think I've felt the out of balance vibration when coasting down an extremely smooth, newly paved road. Never felt it on any normal road. It's very subtle, and has no practical effect.
#17
FLIR Kitten to 0.05C
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Posts: 5,331
Bikes: Roadie: Seven Axiom Race Ti w/Chorus 11s. CX/Adventure: Carver Gravel Grinder w/ Di2
Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2349 Post(s)
Liked 406 Times
in
254 Posts
Spinning the crank with the bike on a repair stand will have the bike bouncing up and down, from the out of balance rear wheel. It looks bad, so this worries some riders.
I think I've felt the out of balance vibration when coasting down an extremely smooth, newly paved road. Never felt it on any normal road. It's very subtle, and has no practical effect.
I think I've felt the out of balance vibration when coasting down an extremely smooth, newly paved road. Never felt it on any normal road. It's very subtle, and has no practical effect.
#18
Senior Member
Older Zipps, or at least mine, were really out of balance. I suspect because they were shooting for the lowest possible weight. The bike would bounce like crazy on a repair stand when the wheel was spun. I started to look into fixing it, but in the end didn't bother to address it; it rode fine. There were times though that I could feel that imbalance pulse when riding. It didn't affect handling or induce speed wobble or other issues. It was just noticeable as a sensation.
When I was futzing around with it, it surprised me how much weight it would actually take to get it in balance -- significantly more than a chunky wheel magnet. It would have involved putting a few of the big big fishing sinkers in a spoke hole or something, and a tubular was already glued on. Everyone said, no, doesn't matter, bike wheels rotate so much slower than car wheels.
But I feel your frustration. It was a big relief when the next set of wheels, which were similarly light, were balanced. It just makes it all feel better, especially when some big hill is sending you at 50 mph.
When I was futzing around with it, it surprised me how much weight it would actually take to get it in balance -- significantly more than a chunky wheel magnet. It would have involved putting a few of the big big fishing sinkers in a spoke hole or something, and a tubular was already glued on. Everyone said, no, doesn't matter, bike wheels rotate so much slower than car wheels.
But I feel your frustration. It was a big relief when the next set of wheels, which were similarly light, were balanced. It just makes it all feel better, especially when some big hill is sending you at 50 mph.
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nor Cal
Posts: 6,016
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1814 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 923 Times
in
569 Posts
I'm guessing that you have not actually done this.
If you had, you would have noticed that an out of balance wheel jumps around, while a balanced wheel does not,
with the same input from the cranks.
#22
Senior Member
#23
FLIR Kitten to 0.05C
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Posts: 5,331
Bikes: Roadie: Seven Axiom Race Ti w/Chorus 11s. CX/Adventure: Carver Gravel Grinder w/ Di2
Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2349 Post(s)
Liked 406 Times
in
254 Posts
Like I said. Pendulums. They are a thing. In a stand driving a wheel hard you excite one.
#24
Senior Member
Have you noticed that if you have a friend hold your rear wheel up, you spin the cranks and get the wheel going as fast as the highest gear will allow....the bike doesn't "jump" around in his hand?
Like I said. Pendulums. They are a thing. In a stand driving a wheel hard you excite one.
Like I said. Pendulums. They are a thing. In a stand driving a wheel hard you excite one.
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
When I worked as a shop mechanic I installed a lot of bike computer wheel magnets. I assumed the bast place on the wheel to install the magnet would be the lightest point so I'd let the front wheel find it's balance point. Most often the lightest point was near the valve stem. If you think about it, when they make a rim, they remove material to make a hole for the valve stem and they add material where the extrusion is joined together.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.