truing

[NRSracer]

how and why would you true a wheel on the trail?

[Toshi]

How: with a spoke wrench. As you're looking up towards the rim from the hub, turn the nipples counter-clockwise to tighten spokes.

Why: if you tweak your rim far enough that it rubs the brakes (if you're not running discs) or, worse, the frame. Breaking spokes can cause rims to jump out of line very quickly, and having a spoke wrench handy might just let you ride home instead of walking.

[dmvprof]

Where is the best and easiest way to learn the basic principles of wheel truing? How tough is it?

Book/Link?

[stringcheese]

It's very simple, I learned to do it in about 30 mins. All I did to learn was just watched another guy do it.

[200xRyder]

All you really need is a truing stand and a spoke tool and you ready to "tru". My local bike shop does it for $15 but I consider that a damn rip off. It can save alot of money doing it yourself!

[bomberz1qr20]

Originally posted by 200xRyder
All you really need is a truing stand and a spoke tool and you ready to "tru". My local bike shop does it for $15 but I consider that a damn rip off. It can save alot of money doing it yourself!

With enough practice all you need is the spoke wrench and the bike. I've trued wheels with only my index finger as a gauge. (takes longer, of course)

We used to joke in the LBS I worked at that giving a kid a spoke wrench was like handing him a weapon. You can jack up a wheel to the point of near collapse pretty quick if you aren't careful. Practice at home on an old wheel if possible, learning on the trail is a little risky.

Good book: The Bicycle Wheel, by Jobst Brandt. Get's to the heart of the wheel, why it works, and how to build and true a practical wheel that lasts.

[brock]

Remember this.

A little goes a long way. Don't go crazy with spoke wrench. It's best if you can have someone show you how to do it.

[KonaDude]

Originally posted by 200xRyder
All you really need is a truing stand and a spoke tool and you ready to "tru". My local bike shop does it for $15 but I consider that a damn rip off. It can save alot of money doing it yourself!

Well, here's a story. A lady walks in to a car mechanic shop and tells the guys there that she's having a problem. She explains the problem and the guys tell her they'll do it right away. She sits down, waits about 15 minutes, and then one of the guys tells her the car's done, and all they had to do was tighten a bolt. He charges her $85. The lady speaks up, wondering why it costs $85 just to tighten a bolt. The mechanic replies "Well, it's only like $5 to tighten the bolt, but $80 for me to know WHICH bolt to tighten!"

The moral of the story: With a lot of things, you're paying not only for the actual labour, but the knowledge and training that was required to do the work properly.

$15 for a full true (which involves removing tire/tube, using truing stand, spending probably 15 minutes truing the wheel, reinstalling tire/tube), is pretty good as long as a good job was done.

I hate it when people say something at a bike shop is a ripoff. It may be expensive, which is why you should learn to do your own stuff, but there is usually a reason for it being that expensive.