Fallingwater

I have two road-converted MTBs. One is too new and too little used to show any problems yet, but the other isn't, and with all the impacts the rear wheel gets riding around my city (potholes, walkways, stairways, you name it), the spokes are always drifting from their proper setting, so I'm constantly tightening them - during periods of intense use, I can realistically need to do that every three days or so. This gets annoying.
I've never needed to work on the forward wheel's spokes, but then I jump it over obstacles whenever I can, which I can't do with the rear one.

I'd toss the wheels altogether and replace them with whatever the equivalent of Aerospokes is for mountain bikes (assuming such a thing exists), but I can't spare the money, so I have to keep what I have.
So, how do I keep the rear spokes properly set in a more permanent way?

blamp28

What tension level are you using? What rims? and What tension level is called for by the manufacturer. The most durable wheels use high "uniform" tension within a fairly close range. I have raced moutainbikes for ten years and have never once had to true one of my wheels after the initial build. They are not used on stairs or curbs but do see some pretty hard use. My suggestion is to re tension the wheels taking the rim specifications into mind.

NWsushi

It sounds like the wheel is out of tension. It will go out of tension no matter how many times you tension the loose spoke because the tension on the adjacent spokes are also uneven. As blamp28 suggested it will need a rebuild to ensure all spokes are tensioned equally making a solid and uniform wheel. Pick up a copy of "The professional guide to wheel building" by Roger Musson. It is really easy to follow and is only $14 (digital copy). All you will need is a truing stand (or DIY clone, as basic as bicycle frame with zip tie as indicator gauge) and a spoke wrench (I use spokey made by DTswiss).

It will take some patience but is very rewarding after your first build. Remember, a rebuilt wheel, although equally tensioned, may not come out true compared to a wheel freshly built with a new rim. This is because the rim may already lost its true form due to damage incurred by riding while the spokes were loose (or by excessive force), and you may have to compromise some trueness over equally tensioned spokes.

Good luck!

NWsushi

It sounds like the wheel is out of tension. It will go out of tension no matter how many times you tension the loose spoke because the tension on the adjacent spokes are also uneven. It will need a rebuild to ensure all spokes are tensioned equally making a solid and uniform wheel. Pick up a copy of "The professional guide to wheel building" by Roger Musson. It is really easy to follow and is only $14 (digital copy). All you will need is a truing stand (or DIY clone, as basic as bicycle frame with zip tie as indicator gauge) and a spoke wrench (I use spokey made by DTswiss).

It will take some patience but very rewarding after your first build. Remember, a rebuilt wheel, although equally tensioned, may not come out true compared to a wheel freshly built with new rim. This is because the rim may already lost its true form due to damage incurred by riding while the spokes were loose (or by excessive force), and you may have to compromise some trueness over equally tensioned spokes.

Good luck!

fietsbob

Yea pull the wheel, put it in the truing stand, minus the tire,
and re-tension and true the whole wheel..