I gave up ...

On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 23:23:26 GMT, "elyob" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Thanks for all the advice about rebuilding my back wheel. I gave up after
ages (and pulling my back due to no exercise), and bought a new one. I am
now the proud owner of a practice wheel.

At least I will be back on my 10 mile each way commute from tomorrow (3
weeks late because I thought my skills were better than they are).

Did discover that Evans in Wandsworth are [censored], and the old shop up the road
could have fixed it by the weekend. By then I have managed to bend every
spoke, making and remaking the wheel. I didn't trust it any more. One nipple
had half a thread showing.

Ah, rememininces of childhood....those long summer days borrowing dads
spoke wrench and pouring loads of 3 in 1 oil into the lubrication
holes of the wheel hubs...

Quoted message said:

It's a difficult skill, truing. Not so much the left/right play, but the
up/down play. Overtensioning somewhere, I guess. Can I practice truing a
wheel without it on a bike, without a tyre and innertube etc??

It's one of those classic subjects that looks and is difficult from
the 'outsdide', but in fact when you have the basics and concepts
grasped it's so much easier. It's so easy to get lost without really
knowing what you're doing. I did a one day course in Cambridge a
couple of years ago [run by Michael Green, who sometimes posts here],
which proved to be immensely helpful. Truthfully, I don't really
understand the science behind it all [haven't read Mr Brant's epic],
but do I know how to build a pretty good wheel [if you can follow that
kind of logic!], thanks to that course [I still refer to the notes
that we took away with us]. And then practice comes into play - 10 odd
wheels later....
I found it very difficult to learn from a
book/web-site......everything just fell into place with a little
tuition.

The condition of your rim might be a factor here too.

But like you say....you have a practice wheel now....get fiddling some
more!

garryb

"elyob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for all the advice about rebuilding my back wheel. I gave up after
ages (and pulling my back due to no exercise), and bought a new one. I am
now the proud owner of a practice wheel.

At least I will be back on my 10 mile each way commute from tomorrow (3
weeks late because I thought my skills were better than they are).

Did discover that Evans in Wandsworth are [censored], and the old shop up the

road

Quoted message said:

could have fixed it by the weekend. By then I have managed to bend every
spoke, making and remaking the wheel. I didn't trust it any more. One

nipple

Quoted message said:

had half a thread showing.

It's a difficult skill, truing. Not so much the left/right play, but the
up/down play. Overtensioning somewhere, I guess. Can I practice truing a
wheel without it on a bike, without a tyre and innertube etc??

I'd do it on a frame, but otherwise yes.

Given an existing slightly buckled wheel, I wouldn't do anything about the
up/down wobbles. Instead do the left/right ones, making sure to make the
left and right changes the same so the up/down doesn't change. (eg a little
pull to the right - 1/4 turn loosen on right, 1/2 tighten left, 1/4 loosen
on right on the three spokes.)

If it's all loose, I'd take a turn tighter on all the spokes, then maybe
another. In between fix left/right roughly.

cheers,
clive

in message <[email hidden]>, elyob

(') said:

It's a difficult skill, truing. Not so much the left/right play, but
the up/down play. Overtensioning somewhere, I guess. Can I practice
truing a wheel without it on a bike, without a tyre and innertube
etc??

Get an old pair of forks, or a Minoura truing stand. Inexpensive and
works well (and folds flat when not in use). And you certainly don't
want a tyre or innertube on when truing - it makes it much harder to
true for what you call 'up/down play'.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Wise man with foot in mouth use opportunity to clean toes.
;; the Worlock