Bicycle Mechanics - can (slightly) warped rims be fixed?

i went flying over the handle bars yesterday while riding downtown. it was a really dumb fall.. i was clipped in which made it even more embarassing (new to clipless)

anyhow, during this fall I managed to slam my rear wheel into a wall and warped it slightly. I can only tell it's warped because the brakes are rubbing on a part of the rim. its kinda hard to tell it's warped by looking at it.

is this something that can be fixed? maybe with wheel truing?

thanks

YES! it can be fixed. and you guessed it, with a wheel trueing. take that wheel into the shop and get that bugger trued up

If it's just a bit out-of-true, then re-truing the wheel is a quick, easy repair, at least for an experienced bike mechanic. Should you attempt to true it yourself, make sure you first buy the correct spoke wrench, and remember to loosen nearly as many spokes as you tighten.

Originally posted by Dave Stohler
Should you attempt to true it yourself, make sure you first buy the correct spoke wrench, and remember to loosen nearly as many spokes as you tighten.

Good advice, Dave. I would add, "be patient, and adjust the spoke lengths gradually." For a minor truing, you can leave the wheel on the bike and use the brake shoes as guides.

If you try it yourself, when you turn a spoke 1/4 turn clockwise turn the adjacent spoke 1/4 turn counter clockwise. Never turn a spoke more than a quarte turn. After adjusting a pair spin the wheel and see what happened. If it starts to get away from you take it to a shop (The less error, the easier the fix)

The biggest problem with truing it yourself is if you use your brake pads as a guide..But thats not a huge biggie! Make sure your pads are centered before you start.