rommer25

How much should a tire be out of true before it should be taken to the bike shop? My rear wheel is has developed a slight wobble after about 1100 miles. The wobble does not yet rub against the brake pads yet. However, if let it go, will it get worst? I am a bit guy around 240 pounds. I am also wondering how true the bike shop can make a wheel. I would appreciate any opinions, TM.

fietsbob

Today free on your schedule?

Airburst

If you actually mean that the tyre, as in the rubber bit, is out of true, it may be mounted wrongly.

Assuming you meant the actual wheel is going out of true, if it's gone noticeably out of true when it wasn't previously, and you haven't hit any potholes or anything that might have knocked it out of true, that's a sign that the spokes may not have been tensioned properly when the wheel was initially built, so it would be adviseable to have a shop true it properly. What make and model is it?

How true the shop can get it will depend on how well made the rim is, assuming they have a wheelsmith who really knows what they're doing. Balancing the spoke tensions evenly (at least for the spokes on each side of the wheel, since it's a rear wheel and the spoke tensions will be different for each side anyway) is more important than having the rim true, but most of the time a wheelbuilder will make a compromise between having perfectly even spoke tensions and a perfectly true wheel.

FBinNY 

Lots of things can cause a good wheel to go slightly out of true. Especially a rear wheel with a heavy rider. Whether it'll get worse or not and when is impossible to predict, but as a rule there's nothing about a slightly out of true wheel to lead it to get worse.

I'd say that as long as the wobble is minor (no problems adjusting brakes as tight as you prefer) you can ride it this way and see if it stabilizes there, as they often do. If it gets worse, you can attend to it then, and be no worse off than if you did it now.

OTOH, if it starts getting worse soon, then the change is an indicator that it wants service, and you shouldn't put it off.

So the issue isn't a slight wobble, but the rate of change in it's condition.

superfred

Cheap rubber tires will also wear unevenly. Check if it's the tire and not your rim that is out of true. You may want to use that as a opportunity to practice chainging a flat tire while you take the tire and tube off.

wheelreason

When it rubs the brakes or it bothers you between the ears...

rommer25

Thanks for the advice. I am referring to the rim that is out of alignment. The wheel is on my Cannondale H 400. I have Continental Touring Plus on them. They are heavy compared to the slicks I hadbefore but I have no flat worries.
I have decided to wait and see how they hold up. Thanks again, TM.

ursle

Take it in and get it trued, as it's newish something stretched or seated, a good true will put you on the road for another 1100+++, positive attitude toward the shop is good, if you know you damaged a wheel, well that's different, but wear in is acceptable, if it's a quality wheel it'll hold the true.