This is a used bike I bought from marketplace which I’m fixing up and reselling. The front wheel is fine but the back wheel is buckled so much idk if it’s even saveable, I tried truing it by adjusting the spoke tension but it’s not done anything at all – not made it worse or better just the exact same but unfortunately some of the spoke nipples have been rounded off now so it’s hard to even take it to a shop to be fixed. What do people think? TIA
by vochi1
11 Comments
It’s done. Couldn’t even curbstomp it back into shape.
Whats wrong with it ? Seems fine from where I’m sitting !
Put it in the freezer, it will straighten right up!
If it’s me I pull the hub and trash the rim. You can get a new back wheel for pretty cheap.
is this r/bikewrenchcirclejerk ?
Release all tension and see where you at. It may have been trued improperly and you’ll have to start over. Also, if you are patient, remove all spokes and try to straighten bare rim. It won’t be 100%, but with proper truing it’ll be pretty close. All depends how much time you want to spend on this.
Depends.
If it’s just not tensioned (all loose spokes) it might look like this.
But also if it’s bent to shit it might look like this.
Option No1 can be saved.
Option No2 is done for.
You reckon there’s actually money in flipping bikes? Resale market is kinda brutal from what I can see
If not oval, or a rim-type with very few spokes, then it’s almost always save-able. I have trued far worse wheels than this one. To get a good result you most often need some experience, or help that is. A lot depends on if you are able to do things the right way, bit by bit, and avoid over torquing anything while doing it patiently. I usually start with checking every spoke and loosen all the nuts by half a turn each until they almost fall off. When no tension is left, and at play, you can roughly help straighten any abnormal bending. On 8-shaped collapsed wheels I put it flat between 2 car wheels and jump on it. Then over-bending it by placing 4 pieces of wood on each quart until the rim is kind of getting back to it’s original shape. I do not use any heat, only room temperature. I correct further with my knee or foot to a 2by4 on the floor gently. Thin pieces of wood on top of that to correct further. When tension to spokes are applied again, and if a little bit straighter than yours, then you can start truing the rim just by adjusting spokes the right way. Result from a collapsed wheel is usually within a 2mm sideway error. However it is crucial that it is not only looking good but test good afterwards also. Re-adjusting after some usage gives you a pointer to if it is a permanently good repair. Best option is often to replace rim edge or get a replacement wheel. Rider should know about the risk of riding on a previously damaged wheel. You need to trust your gear if riding at high speeds or on dangerous tracks. I have many salvaged wheels that perform as if no damage has been done to them, but it’s not always wise to skimp a few dollars on every component, especially if you are re-selling stuff to other riders.
Put the tire back on, find the worst spot and beat it on the ground at that spot. Once it’s “close” try and true it. It probably won’t stay true much longer, but an on the cheap possible temporary not very good fix.
that rear end itself looks bent as well, no?