Itskabibbles

I just replaced my Alex-DC25 craptastic wheels with a set of Weinmann DP18's.
I had some issues getting the bead on my tires to seat correctly around the valve on my tubes, so i went to my lbs to have them assist me.
I got the wheels home, slapped them on my bike, checked the wheels for wobbles, found nothing whatsoever and took it out for a short jaunt. Inspected the wheels again and found things to be in working order.
This last saturday night i rode about 3 miles to hop the train to head to a friends house for a couple days. Did some light riding (<2) while i was there. Checked the wheels monday evening before i headed back to the train and still not a wobble in sight. I didn't run over any potholes, i didn't spill, i wasn't rough with my bike whatsoever on my trek home.
Tonight i went to grab my bike, and, with OCD force, checked my wheels again and found a slight wobble in both wheels.
I am very much a bicycle virgin, so with my limited knowledge and experience, i set out on an internet quest to try and track down the possible cause(s) of my problem.
What i was able to come up with was either that, obviously, the wheels were out of true or there was a possible seating issue with my tube or tire.

I guess it's kind of a diagnostic crapshoot over the internet, but I'd be much obliged to get some opinions before I head down to my at this point undecidedly trustworthy lbs for a diagnosis.

Scrodzilla

Take a good look at your wheel as it spins and you'll be able to tell whether it's your rim or tire. Depending on where you bought your DP18s, they're most likely machine-built wheels -which should always be properly stress relieved/tensioned/trued by a pair of human hands before riding on them.

Itskabibbles

The tires didn't seem to have any deformations when i spun the wheels to check for trueness before so my simple C.S.I. logic tells me that if the rims spun true after x amount of miles, it must be the spokes on my internet purchased rims probably lost some of their tension after i rode on them.

Scrodzilla

That's most likely what's going on. By riding on your brand new out-of-the-box wheels, you basically stress relieved them without truing & tensioning afterward.

Time to visit the lbs!

Itskabibbles

I was thinking to myself before i even rode on them that i should have them looked at before riding on them due to the machine assembly process but i got a bit impatient having them in hand wrapped in rubber. hindsight...

i found a very straightforward intarweb video about d.i.y. truing and i'm thinking about giving it a go, but i'm a bit concerned about "doing it wrong" and possibly damaging my spokes if i choose to go it alone. I am the type that dreads having to ask for help in a setting where lack of knowledge might cost me more out of pocket so i'm torn. *frustrated face*

Scrodzilla

Assuming you don't own a tensiometer, they would most likely end up going out of whack again soon thereafter without being properly tensioned as well.

Itskabibbles

well then, problem solved. lbs here i come. you sir, are ****ing awesome. i really appreciate the help.

Scrodzilla

andrizzle

scrod is awesome. mainly because rather than harassing newbs. he drops atomic bombs of knowledge on them.

Itskabibbles

+1