Road Cycling - Wheel trueness?

I have a question on wheels and them being 'true'...

My front brakes don't really line up on the rim that well. If I squeeze the brake, it actually moves the rim a little bit. As in, the calipers don't center in on the wheel, so the rim moves to the center of the calipers. It looks like the reason is because the front brake cable housing is a tad too short, so the calipers are rotated a little bit to the side due to the housing being too short and rotating the top of the calipers towards the front brake. I figured that since I put the brakes on when the wheel is spinning, it would be alright. Now I notice though, that if I spin the wheel, and focus on the edge of the tire, every rotation there is a section that juts out maybe a millimeter or two or three. It's hard to tell. You have to stare at the tire edge without blinking, and you can notice the tire moving in and out a little bit. It's small enough that the wheel still spins fully without touching the caliper pads, and there is only a few millimeter clearance on one of the pads and the wheel.

How 'untrue' does a wheel usually get before you need it 'trued'?

Is there actually anything wrong with riding on a wheel that is not fully true? If it starts to rub on the calipers I see a problem, or if your ride wobbles, etc. But if the only issue is that it simply looks untrue, is that ok?

Is truing a wheel something you can do at home (if you buy the equipment)?

Thanks

Well, if you can see that it isn't true then that's out of true enough for me. Get it trued and put a cable housing on that's the right length.

Yes you can true your own wheel. You'll need a truing stand and a tensionometer. Once you get familiar with the right tension after many trued wheels, you might not need that tool. But as a home fix-it kinda guy you'll probably always use it. Most people have a tendancy to over tighten spokes.

Well, if you can see that it isn't true then that's out of true enough for me. Get it trued and put a cable housing on that's the right length.

Yes you can true your own wheel. You'll need a truing stand and a tensionometer. Once you get familiar with the right tension after many trued wheels, you might not need that tool. But as a home fix-it kinda guy you'll probably always use it. Most people have a tendancy to over tighten spokes.

BAH! I never bothered to get a tensionometer or a truing stand! All you need is a good eye, a good ear, and a wrench that fits the spokes. The bike's where the wheel is used, true the wheel in relation to the bike it turns in. Tap the spokes lightly with the handle of the werench. Mine make a perfectly clear note when properly tightened, and this seems so perfectly commonsense and handy that I can't imagine other spokes being different. I also pluck them sometimes, then one getsa auditory as well as fingertip response as to how tight the spoke is.

One thing I've noticed, though, is that while the RIM may be perfectly true, sometimes the TIRE is not perfectly seated and therefore is untrue.

This is the method I've used on...six bikes, now, and I"ve straightened out some wheels kinkier than late-night on the adult channel.

BAH! I never bothered to get a tensionometer or a truing stand! All you need is a good eye, a good ear, and a wrench that fits the spokes. The bike's where the wheel is used, true the wheel in relation to the bike it turns in. Tap the spokes lightly with the handle of the werench. Mine make a perfectly clear note when properly tightened, and this seems so perfectly commonsense and handy that I can't imagine other spokes being different. I also pluck them sometimes, then one getsa auditory as well as fingertip response as to how tight the spoke is.

One thing I've noticed, though, is that while the RIM may be perfectly true, sometimes the TIRE is not perfectly seated and therefore is untrue.

This is the method I've used on...six bikes, now, and I"ve straightened out some wheels kinkier than late-night on the adult channel.

Bah? That's what Scrooge said and look what happened to him!

Let me ask you this. Would you be satified if your LBS built your wheels with this method? It may sound like a harp but it will ride like crap, be prone to failure and won't give you great life. I'll give this though, if you have a correct tension reference from other spokes AND your rim isn't bent or out of round then your method will work just fine.

I've never bent a rim in 20 years ...except for the one I drove over with my car :eek: I've raced mtb and road blah blah blah and always had correct tension on the spokes. I suspect that you're dealing with late night kinkyness because you don't love your wheels the way they need to be loved.

Bah? That's what Scrooge said and look what happened to him!

Let me ask you this. Would you be satified if your LBS built your wheels with this method? It may sound like a harp but it will ride like crap, be prone to failure and won't give you great life. I'll give this though, if you have a correct tension reference from other spokes AND your rim isn't bent or out of round then your method will work just fine.

I've never bent a rim in 20 years ...except for the one I drove over with my car :eek: I've raced mtb and road blah blah blah and always had correct tension on the spokes. I suspect that you're dealing with late night kinkyness because you don't love your wheels the way they need to be loved.

Before the days of tensionometers, there were great wheels that were built. Now, that we have tensionometers, there are great wheels that are being built. Having personally built hundreds of wheels with and without tensionometers, I would comment that depending on the skill, experience and mindset of the wheelbuilder, a great wheel can be built either way.

This post started with a description that led me to believe that the wheel in question is not terribly out of true, hence for this job I don't think buying a tensionometer is necessary. The otherthing however from his description that he may want to check is that his hub is adjusted properly. In other words, some side to side movement of the wheel may be due to the hub cones being too loose. He mentioned that "the wheel moves to the center" when the brake pad contacts it.

Finally, I do believe that learning how to true a wheel gives you more control over your destiny if you happen to be in the middle of rural USA miles away from a shop. It's a nice skill to have and once you learn how to true a wheel, if your interest is deep enough, wheelbuilding will be your next frontier.

And if you think the Campy vs. Shimano discussions are heated, get a couple of wheelbuilders together discussing their craft!

Bah? That's what Scrooge said and look what happened to him!

Let me ask you this. Would you be satified if your LBS built your wheels with this method? It may sound like a harp but it will ride like crap, be prone to failure and won't give you great life. I'll give this though, if you have a correct tension reference from other spokes AND your rim isn't bent or out of round then your method will work just fine.

I've never bent a rim in 20 years ...except for the one I drove over with my car :eek: I've raced mtb and road blah blah blah and always had correct tension on the spokes. I suspect that you're dealing with late night kinkyness because you don't love your wheels the way they need to be loved.

I've been hit by a car twice and had my wheels knocked offround by that. Once, a bad curb suprised me in the snow. And...once I picked up a bike from the dumpster with the rim so bent up it retained the curves even after I took it off the rest of the wheel.

Aside from these, and a few minor drifting cases of a few millimeters, I"ve never had a wheel go offtrue. I've never had a problem with spokes pulling loose, or poking my tubes. I"ve never had a problem with the ride, I"ve never had a problem with a dmaged rim or axle assembly.

Frankly, I dont' care how who builds what, if it works it works. If it saves me money, I"m all for it 110%

If you think the Campy vs. Shimano discussions are heated, get a couple of wheelbuilders together discussing their craft!

Hah, I"m not a wheelbuilder, I"m just a minor tinkerer keeping mine and a couple close friend's bikes on the road. If a pro wants to cross swords with me he can, but I"ve not the money to sink into my hobby, so I've had to make up for it with jerryrig and a fine touch. My work will never be as good as his.

But it will be several hundred dollars cheaper and hang together for the length of a casual rider's interest.

Hah, I"m not a wheelbuilder, I"m just a minor tinkerer keeping mine and a couple close friend's bikes on the road. If a pro wants to cross swords with me he can, but I"ve not the money to sink into my hobby, so I've had to make up for it with jerryrig and a fine touch. My work will never be as good as his.

But it will be several hundred dollars cheaper and hang together for the length of a casual rider's interest.

Actually, if you have a fine touch and a feel for truing and/or building wheels, this is the most important tool of all....

Well it turns out the wheel was misaligned because the wheel was not set all the way into the fork...so it's all good now.

I can't tell if the tire is offset or if its the rim, but I don't notice any performance issue and it doesn't seem to be getting any worse, so all is good for now.