Back tire wobbles

modmans2ndcoming said:

There is a slight wobble on my back tire. IT rubs rim on the brake pad
so it will stop spinning after a half revolution or so when I have it
off the ground. How do I go about fixing that? the spokes all seem
sturdy, and the rim seems unbent. coudl it just be a case of putting
the wheel back incorectly when the previous owner put the new tire on?
(he had just put new tires on it when he put it up for sale).

Also, the rear derailer does not seem to be sensitive enough to make
intermediate shifts. you either get the large rear gear or the second
smallest (it is a 10 speed).

thanks,

Jeremy.

Does anybody notice a trend lately? It's either well-orchestrated or
genuine...
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

modmans2ndcoming said:

There is a slight wobble on my back tire. IT rubs rim on the brake pad
so it will stop spinning after a half revolution or so when I have it
off the ground. How do I go about fixing that?

The process is called "truing the rim", and is done by adjusting the
spoke tensions. A wheel truing stand makes the job easier, but "close
enough" can usually be acieved without one. I recommend getting a
bike repair and maintenance book from the library (Leonard Zinn wrote
two that are quite good) to read before diving into this.

Quoted message said:

the spokes all seem
sturdy, and the rim seems unbent. coudl it just be a case of putting
the wheel back incorectly when the previous owner put the new tire on?

It is difficult to take a wheel very far out of true by installing a
tire badly. (I would say that it's impossible, but that's not
entirely correct. Some excessively "talented" people have done some
incredibly wrong things in the course of minor maintenance and repairs
over the years, so "impossible" is a word that should be used with
caution here.)

Quoted message said:

(he had just put new tires on it when he put it up for sale).

Something tells me that you don't know the whole history of this bike.

Quoted message said:

Also, the rear derailer does not seem to be sensitive enough to make
intermediate shifts. you either get the large rear gear or the second
smallest (it is a 10 speed).

That's not a matter of sensitivity, it's a matter of throw in the
cable and possibly adjustment of (and wear in) the cable, the rear der
and the shifter. It's also possible that the cable needs to be
replaced; a dragging der cable can have effects like that.
--
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modmans2ndcoming said:

There is a slight wobble on my back tire. IT rubs rim on the brake pad
so it will stop spinning after a half revolution or so when I have it
off the ground. How do I go about fixing that? the spokes all seem
sturdy, and the rim seems unbent. coudl it just be a case of putting
the wheel back incorectly when the previous owner put the new tire on?
(he had just put new tires on it when he put it up for sale).

Also, the rear derailer does not seem to be sensitive enough to make
intermediate shifts. you either get the large rear gear or the second
smallest (it is a 10 speed).

thanks,

Jeremy.

It is possible with both problems that the rear wheel is not seated
correctly.

Is the other brake pad, really far away from the rim? If the wheel is
in [censored]-eyed, it could rub, and not shift correctly.

Seeing as you don't have much of an understanding of your bicycle, it
would be a good idea to take it to a LBS[local bike shop] and have
them take a look. It may be as simple as loosening the quick release
and putting wheel in correctly, or it may need the rear wheel trued,
and the derailleurs adjusted. It might need new cables and/or some
lubing.

Have it checked out and then it's time to start learning the basics.
Do you know how to fix a flat? How about clean and lube the chain? Do
you have any friends who can teach you?

When you say 10-speed, do you mean2 chainrings and 5 rear sprockets?
Or 10 rear sprockets.
If it is 5 in back, then I imagine that you have friction shifting and
it isn't the derailleur that isn't sensitive enough. It would be the
operator that may be lacking. Shifting an older bike like that, takes
technique, and some practice.

Take it in and make sure it is ok.

Life is Good!
Jeff

Huh? No seriously. I have this bike. I just picked it up today.

I bought Zinn's book today. How much would taking it into the shop cost
me? and by 10 speed I mean 2 chain rings and 5 rear sprockets.

as for the shifting, I attempted to finesse it, but it seems to e an
all or nothing proposition... if it is not all the way down (the sprite
has lever shifters in the center of the handle bar) it does not shift.

as for the tire, when I spin the tire, it seems, from the prospective
of the bike frame, to wobble between center to right of center. But
like I said, I can not see any defects like warping in the rim metal or
anything when I look directly at the rim.

You say it is difficult to take a wheel out of true. I bought the bike
from a guy who resells bikes he comes across with minimal investment in
them, so I assume he installed the new tires himself. I do not see a
similar issue on the front tire, but on this like, since It is not a
quick release, there is no slot, just a hole and nut jobby deal, not
much to mess up... on the back though it has a slot to insert the wheel
bolt. so it could be messed up due the guy not installing the wheel
straight.

You say it is difficult to take a wheel out of true. I bought the bike
from a guy who resells bikes he comes across with minimal investment in
them, so I assume he installed the new tires himself. I do not see a
similar issue on the front tire, but on this like, since It is not a
quick release, there is no slot, just a hole and nut jobby deal, not
much to mess up... on the back though it has a slot to insert the wheel
bolt. so it could be messed up due the guy not installing the wheel
straight.

I bought Zinn's book today. How much would taking it into the shop cost
me? and by 10 speed I mean 2 chain rings and 5 rear sprockets.

as for the shifting, I attempted to finesse it, but it seems to e an
all or nothing proposition... if it is not all the way down (the sprite
has lever shifters in the center of the handle bar) it does not shift.

as for the tire, when I spin the tire, it seems, from the prospective
of the bike frame, to wobble between center to right of center. But
like I said, I can not see any defects like warping in the rim metal or
anything when I look directly at the rim.

modmans2ndcoming said:

You say it is difficult to take a wheel out of true.

It's easy to take a wheel out of true, but it's hard to do it while
changing a tire unless you're really skilled at screwing up.

Quoted message said:

I bought the bike
from a guy who resells bikes he comes across with minimal investment in
them, so I assume he installed the new tires himself. I do not see a
similar issue on the front tire, but on this like, since It is not a
quick release, there is no slot, just a hole and nut jobby deal, not
much to mess up... on the back though it has a slot to insert the wheel
bolt. so it could be messed up due the guy not installing the wheel
straight.

Front or rear makes little difference.

Get Zinn's book (there are two, choose the one that's for your type of
bike) and read it. I think a lot of things will start to become
clearer as you go.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

yeah... I bought Zinn's road bike book. plus the bike mags book to road
safety/skills (10 more bucks and I got the free shipping)

modmans2ndcoming said:

I bought Zinn's book today. How much would taking it into the shop cost
me? and by 10 speed I mean 2 chain rings and 5 rear sprockets.

as for the shifting, I attempted to finesse it, but it seems to e an
all or nothing proposition... if it is not all the way down (the sprite
has lever shifters in the center of the handle bar) it does not shift.

as for the tire, when I spin the tire, it seems, from the prospective
of the bike frame, to wobble between center to right of center. But
like I said, I can not see any defects like warping in the rim metal or
anything when I look directly at the rim.

I say tighten the bearings.