Bicycle Mechanics - Wheel Maintenance

I was at a LBS the other day looking at car racks for my bike. This one is fairly close to my work so checked it out during lunch on sunday. There was one other gentleman in their, talking to the employee there. I overheard what they were talking about, this guy commutes by bike to work right now 10 miles each way (I thought great another bike commuter), he asked how often he should bring the wheels in for maintenance re-trueing etc. The guy said to bring them in every 3 months based on him riding 20 miles 5 days a week. Is this correct? This seems alot to me considering my wheels are over a year old and finaly out of true.

Maybe the guy knew the customer and had some other reason to want him in every three months.

Or maybe it's a shop that doesn't know how to prepare new wheels on the bikes they sell, so their bikes are always having wheel issues.

But no, a well-built and properly prepared wheel can and should go thousands of miles without discernable problems, barring trauma of some kind.

RichC

What Rich said. But the checkup isn't necessarily something you need to take them in for. Don't know about mountain bikes, but here's what I do for my road bike. Give the wheels a spin, watching the rim as it passes the brake pad. If there's less than 1/8" wobble (wazzat, about 3mm?), so far so good. Then check all spokes. If none feel particularly loose or tight (which is unlikely if the wheel is still reasonably true), you're still good. Finally, if you've got normal cup&cone hubs, try wiggling the wheels side to side. If there's any play, the cones need adjustment or bearings overhauled. Otherwise, lift the front end and rotate the wheel so the heavy side is 1/4 rev from the bottom. (On my Mavic Open Pros, it's the side opposite the stem.) Gravity should rotate the heavy side back down, and the wheel should oscillate a couple of times, like a pendulum. If it doesn't, again, cone adjustment or bearing overhaul. (You have to drop the chain to do this test on the rear wheel).

If you ride in the rain much, keep an eye on the rim sidewalls. They will eventually wear through.

Anyone... what'd I forget?

Cracking around the rim eyelets, if it goes out of true for no reason, check for "lifting" or cracks running out from the eyelet. Decals sometimes hide this.

I guess I have a related question.

I dont mean to hijack the thread...

My Stumpjumper has a radially laced front wheel, 28 spoke. I will be the first to admit that I am a bit of a bull in a china shop, and could use a little more finess.
My last bike had a pair of hand built wheels with STX hubs laced 3X to Sun Rhyno lites. I was less skilled last year, and never had to re true the wheels after the first tune up ride/ truing.

the question I have is, will a radially laced wheel get out of true more quickly than a 2 or 3 cross? or is it more related to the lower spoke count?

Im wondering if next winter I should rebuild the wheel in a 2 or 3 cross spoked.

Thanks,

Scoob

A radial wheel that is not subjected to twisting loads, rear wheel or disc brake, is pretty strong. If a wheel is built properly most of its strength is related to the strength of the rim. Use a good rim and and build it up to good tension and it should be strong.
Radial lacing is harder on the hub as it pulls on the hub at its thinnest point on the flange. Some hubs have the warranty voided if you build them radial and I have seen cartridge hubs that the bearing would loosen up when you tensioned it up.
All that said, I like to build my personal stuff 3x, it is hardly worth the difference in weight to do other wise.