How to Align a Bicycle Wheel
Bike wheels are able to take a surprising amount of abuse for their weight, but even the best wheels get knocked around a little too much. Warps, wobbles and rim dents are common results of gravel path excursions or other rough use, and this type of wheel wear can affect your rides. Learning how to realign, or true, a bike's wheels is a handy skill.
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Instructions
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Mount your wheel on a truing stand and spin it. Tighten the stand's guide calipers as close to the rim as possible without rubbing it.
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2
Spin the wheel again and watch for wobbles using the calipers as guides. Locate the worst-warped section, then find the two spokes nearest the center of the bend. Each spoke should pull the rim toward a different side of the wheel hub.
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3
Place a drop of lubricant on each spoke's nipple (the bracket that attaches spoke to rim and accepts the spoke wrench). Give each nipple a very small twist with the spoke wrench to loosen it, feeling carefully to make sure the spoke itself is not turning. Gently work the nipple until you can turn it without twisting the spoke.
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4
Tighten the nipple of the spoke pulling opposite the bend a quarter turn. Loosen the second spoke the same amount.
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Spin the wheel again. Check to see if the wobble is still there. If you can see it, tighten the two nearest spokes no more than a quarter turn each.
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Check for any other bends in the wheel and adjust the nearest spokes to pull them out as necessary.
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Tips & Warnings
If you do not have access to a truing stand, turn your bike upside down and use the brake pads as guide calipers.
Work in small increments. Tighten or loosen no more than a quarter turn at a time to mend the warped areas.
Some bike rims do not protect the nipples on the inside. If your rims do not have protective tape or stripping to protect the inner tube, deflate your tires before truing.
