How To True A Bicycle Wheel - A Step-by Step Tutorial

Learn how to true a bicycle wheel - a step by step guide to truing your bike wheel. Get the best rolling wheels for your bike.
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[@madeinuk68]

Great tutorial. The modern generation probably don't realise how lucky they are to have people like yourself on KZbin showing them the correct way to do things like this. I myself had to learn the hard way,by trial and error. Knackered a few of my wheels in the distant past trying to straighten them.Knowing how to do stuff like this can save you so much grief and money also. Thanks

[@rykytran]

thanks for the comment. really appreciate your honesty.

[@CorvusCoroneCanisLupusSawel]

Agreed 100%! You can now learn to true wheels, fix bikes, play guitar, fix your computer, read a tape measure and so, so many other things that we had to learn without a clue. Kids have it so easy these days. They are spoilt.

[@nobodycycles16]

Great video. I know this video may be a couple of years old, but you helped me understand where I'm going wrong. Now what you did is exactly is what I do when I build a rear wheel. The problem that I face is making the wheel round. So basically, for my needs, your video has helped me understand something I need to try. Not every method is the same but I'm willing to try it your way and see if I works for me. All in all thank you.

[@Stoffendous]

This is your best video Ryky. Worldclass.

[@cherylmaier7442]

hey nice --the dish tool can be used with the wheel in the stand -- the chrome end v part on the dish tool gauge fits into the v at the top of the arms that hold the axle-- good lighting helps

[@capeman10]

Thank you, great video. Just purchased a cheapy folding truing stand on Amazon, can't wait to get my wheels trued.

[@godschild7964]

i really liked this video, you explained things very well. that is a very good thing for someone like myself for i have poor vision.

[@kahoiwai1]

Excellent tutorial, I wish that I had found your tube before I started to true my wheels. Thumbs up!! Is there more on your site..

[@mishraamukesh]

Exceptional

[@Justmyopinionlol]

awesome guide man thanks a ton!

[@GunsofBrixton89]

Wheel Truing demystified! Thanks for the great tutorial. I can totally do this. Sorry LBS..

[@allan87654]

i noticed your bike in one of your videos. your into cycling nice man

[@Ibamba7]

Great video. However, I believe you should have taken the wheel off the truing stand and apply pressure on it to release any tension. You should have then put it back on the truing stand and true it again.

[@davidepollak3]

great video! thanks man, I'm from Italy.

[@tamasvarga67]

Great video very well explained and demonstrated, thanks! :)

[@rykytran]

thanks for watching and writing. hope it helped

[@explorer9006]

Very useful, thanks!

[@WanderingSword]

very helpful brother

[@G3A3]

great vid

[@rykytran]

thanks Logan!

[@BastHoen]

Nice video! Thanks!

[@rykytran]

thanks for watching

[@lkazanov]

Excellent video. Please explain which side to tension relative to the dishing tool readings. Seems a bit confusing. I know you tensioned only one side as dictated by the dishing tool, but which side?

[@rykytran]

sorry i didn't make that clear. if according to the dishing tool, i tight the OPPOSITE of the side that has a gap between the hub and dishing tool. when you place the dishing tool on to one side, and there is a gap, it means you need to "pull" the hub to close that gap, and that usually means you should tighten the spokes pulling on the opposite side, which effectively "pushes" the hub to the center, closing the gap. make sense?

[@mikeh6286]

This level of trueness could be impossible to maintain on alloy rims because with the years the alloy rim will accumulate imperfections. Trying to chase trueness with a rim that isn't round will result in failure. Some spokes will be overtightened and some loose, up to the point that the rim will break. A carbon rim can fail catastrophically but it will stay true through it's life. My suggestion is to use a spoke tension meter and be content with a level of untrue that matches the condition of the rim. It's better to have an untrue wheel with proper spoke tension than a true wheel with large variations in tension. If your rim has a flat spot that can be somewhat corrected by bending the rim. Check youtube for videos how to do that.

[@janred94]

Never knew there is so much magic behind wheels... I have been driving bicycles with 8s in it. But probably not even close to 500 miles in all my life.

[@rykytran]

thanks for feedback

[@nikolastarcevic1761]

DUDE PLZ DO IT FOR BACK WHEEL (because of freehub/freewheel)

[@31.8mm]

dont need destress?

[@JGAN96]

Can you explain why when you do the radial truing, you tighten the spokes on the right side to bring the rim to the left?

[@motoryzen]

Thumbs up number 65, done. :D

[@rykytran]

thanks a bunch!

[@owenkassab3713]

Anybody else hear the cracking of his voice at 0:00

[@andiedwards368]

I brought some brand new, Vision team35 , bladed spokes. Have done no more than 150-200km, and already they are wobbling, and rubbing the brake blocks. Is this normal for a new wheels. Also do carbon wheels suffer the same.

[@fellow026]

When you use the dishing tool, shouldn't you be checking the outside of the lock nut, and not the axle?

[@rykytran]

you can check any where, but just make sure it's the same on both sides.

[@Cinnabuns2009]

The inner face of the hub that contacts the fork/frame is the proper place to check dish. This is the place that registers with the bicycle frame. The nub centers that stick out from this face can be variable lengths depending on how they were manufactured, how they were assembled, etc. Removing them from the equation and checking to the actual frame registration face is correct, David 666.

[@ericpmoss]

I'd say the general answer is 'yes' as Cinnabuns2009 says. Some hubs, like DT Swiss 240s, use end caps that are identical on both sides, so measuring from the ends is the same as from the OLN (over lock nut) face. Old cup and cone designs where bearing load is set by tightening one nut against another cannot be counted on to have this symmetry.

[@asbjrnkristiansen429]

Also, David, using the lock nut is no use because they are very likely not to be in the same position on each side. That's why Cinnabuns is on point in his comment.

[@artofcyclingcyclingsavedmy4386]

that wheel is rounder'er 😄

[@rykytran]

thanks for watching

[@eagleeye8916]

The wheel God

[@rykytran]

that's to high a complement

[@eagleeye8916]

Your very thorough with your work ,it's exactly how I would want to do my wheels .but jeez those true stands are almost $400 ,guess I gotta bring mine to the lbs for now

[@jordsfjords885]

At 11:11 you say it wrong, because you need to tighten the opposite side to get the hub to that side. This part of your video confused me in the process of truing my wheel, but thank you, because I learned how it's right.

[@fmc6338]

thank you very much!!!

[@rahleigh5829]

How about dishing wheel

[@MrLanternland]

Many years ago i used to build wheels using the old 19th century wire and solder method. Those wheels have been incredibly durable and stay true with no attention. I'll have to look and see if anyone is demonsrrating that antique method on youtube.

[@rykytran]

i have done the method you talked about. only works if you can get a wheelset built near perfect, and all of the spoke tension is pretty much equal. but yeah, the wheels end up very stiff, and can stay true for a good while.

[@MrLanternland]

ryky tran You've done wiring and soldering!? I am impressed! I didn't know anyone was doing that anymore. Yeah i built good wheels too. Many years ago i rode my bike into the east harlem bike shop owned by the now legendary Thomas Avenia and showed him a wheel i tried to build which then looked like a noodle. I remember he told me wheel building is an art and he let me watch him and he also recruited me into the Century Road Club where i raced bikes in central park in nyc.

[@rykytran]

right on, you must have left quite an impression on him for him to allow you to watch. i don't really know any wheel builders who will let people watch them work. anyways, stay in touch.

[@jaqkar]

Thanks man, this was super. I just got my Unior truing stand and tension meter and always wanted to build and true my own wheels. I did not get a dishing tool so will need to get that. What lube do you use on nipples?

[@rykytran]

favorite ceramic chain lube yelo velo racing ceramic lube amzn.to/2cDYMIq

[@bowsershark]

jaqkar Be gentle, don't strip the nipples. So, use the right tool. If you only give a quarter turn you need patience but you get more turns.

[@robertorolfo]

Well

[@jrnamida5470]

You lubed the spoke and how did you clean the braking surface?

[@liljnnaps1]

How to true an almost trued wheel

[@glennschemitsch8341]

OK, this will not help your OCD with your rims. I used to use a dial indicator to check roundness and true running side to side. my current bike was taken out if the trash and put back on the road. good luck nice video .

[@larrydaniels6532]

This video is an amalgam of incoherence.From the decision to film from the least informative angle;disabling one of the truing arms;misusing the dishing tool;there are too many problems to list with this attempt to "explain" wheel truing.One needs only to see the clutter in the background to know this is not someone I want to get information about an aspect of cycle repair and maintenance requiring the highest level of attention to detail.The narrative was at best wordy and confused at times.I am sorry to be so critical,but these were your choices.Why not film against a blank wall or throw a sheet over the visual clutter.Have a script so you are not using the wrong term (high spot when laterally truing).Show the best vantage point of the stand,from behind,then people can really see why a truing stand is an item they might want to purchase.Seeing the praise in some of the comments I have to think:In the land of the blind,the one-eyed man is king.I know you can do better.

[@johnwucherer6086]

I agree that the filming angles were not that good. Should show how rim is contacting caliper when radical truing. That is the rounding step. Park tool has best videos in my opinion. Good tip about lub on nipples though.

[@lloydgeemail80]

Video is too long for a basic tutorial. Thumbs down.