Flying Wasp

I just trued the back wheel of my old Trek and now the spokes seem like they are rubbing together when I ride which is causing a squeak. This is the first time I attempted truing a wheel on my own and I thought I did a pretty good job but I guess I left a couple of spokes loose. Is there any easy trick to tightening them up without throwing off the balance I just created?

Zan

You tighten them up.

If they're loose, tightening them so that they don't vibrate when riding won't throw off your wheel.

Flying Wasp

ok, I wasn't sure if I needed to maybe loosen up an opposite spoke at the same time, guess I'm making it more complicated than it needs to be - watched too many youtube videos on the subject

adclark

Are they continually making the noise or just for a while after you trued it? If you don't correct the twist in a spoke once you turn it, as you ride they will straighten out, causing a pinging of sorts for the first little bit.

Flying Wasp

actually they were loose before I started and I was kind of upset at myself that I didn't tighten up all the loose spokes before I started truing the wheel and I only noticed it when I rode it afterward, but zan was right, tightening them up didn't ruin the alignment and it got rid of that annoying squeak. Man what a difference it makes to the feel of the bike. I wasn't able to take my hands off the handlebars when going down a hill now I can. Feels like a new bike. I can't believe how long I was intimidated about trying to fix it. If anyone wants to try it, here's a link to the youtube video that I used to learn:

https://bit.ly/bNQaau

Mr. Beanz

Sounds like the spokes are binding. When I build or true my wheels, I place a black mark with the sharpie marker so that I can monitor the spokes while turning the nipples.

If you turn the nipple and the spoke tags along, it is binding and will make the sound while riding. Ez detection if you hav bladed spoke, syou can see th spoke twist,nto so easy with silver ss spokes.

I don't like anyone else touching my nipples for that reason. Too many experiences with the noise after they twist and turn causing the bind and noise. I do my own and apply a bit more TLC.

Th fix is to loosen the spokes, find the one that is binding. Then retension making sure it doesn't twist the spoke alon with the nipple with the nipple.


If you have blackspokes, you could use a piece fo tape (stick it on the spoke) instead of the black mark for monitoring.