It is very often that a bike is subjected to extreme stress and the wheels take the most of it. The bicycle wheel or rim often goes out of alignment and there is a marked wobble in the wheel. Soon as wobbling starts, the cyclists first question in mind is “How much does it cost to straighten a bike wheel?
Straightening a bicycle wheel can be done by a professional or at home using the truing kit. The bicycle rim is attached to a metallic hub near the axle with numerous spokes, each spoke is anchored at one end and has an adjustable nut at other end. After a violent jerk, the rim is disfigured and each point now is not at 90 degrees to the axis of axle. At times the disfigurement is barely noticeable. This needs to be straightened. A bicycle wheel or rim can be straightened by professionals and generally costs between $15-25 or £10-20 per wheel.
Cost of straightening a bicycle rim
You should first ascertain that the wheel is repairable. If it can be, a professional with truing equipment can repair it in less than half hour and will charge $15-25 or £10-20 per wheel.
Cost of Straightening vs Replacing a bent bicycle rim?
I bought a new rim and it cost me approx $20. The prices ranged anything between $15-40 per rim. The repair was costing about $20 for one wheel plus the labour cost. Added to that was the botheration of pick up and drop. I weighed both options and this time decided to go for a new rim. I also decided to learn truing with an aim to straighten the rim at my home.
The bicycle rim
Parts of bicycle rim
I started by exploring each part of bicycle rim and its function. Soon I realised that it was easy to understand and with little effort, to repair Mainly the rim can be divided into three parts:
Metallic Rim
The metallic rim houses tyre, spokes and has arrangement for nozzle for tubes where used. The rim has a flat surface on both sides of the edge for brake shoes application. All along the rim, in the centre there are holes where spokes are attached. These are tightened by ‘spoke nipples’. When kept sideways on an absolutely flat surface, the entire brake surface should be in contact with surface. This rim takes maximum stress and gets disfigured. When such rim is kept on a flat surface, at few places it will not touch the surface, simply put, it requires truing or straightening.
Spokes
Spokes are anchored on the hub in the centre and housed in holes on the rim. They are secured by spoke nipples or screws that can be tightened. The tightening or loosening contracts or releases the rim. When the correct tightening is done and the rim laid on a flat surface, the complete brake surface on the side of rim will be in contact with surface.
Hub
If you look at your cycle you will notice a hub at the centre of each wheel. Hub houses axle, ball bearings, locking mechanism and of our interest, connector for spokes. It has other parts too but for our article we will focus on the part that is connected to spokes.This connector in the hub is a raised portion with holes and is on both sides. The spokes from the rim are connected here. Number of spokes are connected to the rim and tightened with precision to give strength and perfect roundness to the rim.
Different types of bicycle wheels
Except for some sports versions, most bicycle wheels are made up of metallic rim attached to hub with spokes. Plastic / carbon fibre wheels do not require spokes. If you plan to upgrade to any better cycle, please be assured that the wheel with spokes will always be the major and preferred option.
Repairing a bicycle rim/wheel
I feel that as one cycles more, tools for specific task should be bought. Gradually, you should be able to repair your cycle at home. Specific to wheels, and more specific to straightening or truing the following tools need to be with you:
Tools required to repair a bicycle rim
Truing Stand
A Bicycle Wheel Truing Stand costs between $100 to $200. This stand is used to straighten the rim in a precision manner. The stand houses an axle stand on which axle is placed permitting free rotation and callipers that precisely measure the wheel disfigurement or deviation from ideal shape. A wheel when tested on a Truing Stand, enables to exactly point the spot where the rim is bent.
Spoke Wrench
A Bicycle Spoke Wrench costs between $3-$10. Spoke Wrench is used to loosen or tighten the spoke nipples. The spoke nipples are of different sizes. A standard spoke wrench has 8-10 notches for different sizes of nipples. You can try the one that fits the best.
Spoke Tension Gauge
A Spoke Tension Gauge costs between $10-$20. The tension gauge measures absolute tension in each spoke as well as relative tension between spokes. Rims have suggested range of 100 to 200 kilograms force. When each spoke has correct and same tension, the rim not only gains strength but is closest to being flat when placed on a surface.
Dish Tool
A Dish Tool costs between $25 and $40. Dish Tool closely duplicates a task Truing Stand does but has a specific role. The rim edges need to be displaced from the lock nut at the hub at exact distance from all points on the edge. When the wheel is flipped over, the displacement is required to be exactly same as other side. The Dish Tool gives out the precise point from where the rim is disfigured. The tolerance in 1mm each on both sides.
Can a bent bicycle rim be fixed?
A ‘slightly bent‘ bicycle rim can be fixed. Bicycle rim may be either slightly bent or severely bent. I will recommend you to buy a new rim in the case of severely bent rim. When rim is slightly bent it should be tried to be straightened by hand and spoke key and other tools used to true the bike.
Straightening or Truing of bicycle rim
What is straightening or ‘truing’ a bicycle rim?
The metallic rim is manufactured to precision in such a way that not only is it a perfect circle, it has the brake surface on both sides of rim absolutely parallel to the theoretical plain that passes through the centre of hub and extends to the inside centre of rim, we will call it ‘Rim Plain’. When ever the rim is not parallel to this plain, it requires ‘truing’ i.e. a process by which the rim is straightened to be made parallel to the rim plain.
When should be a bicycle rim ‘trued’?
I true my bicycle wheel every 3000kms even if they do not wobble. There are minor inconsistencies in the rim and it results in the tyres wearing off unevenly. I have experienced that truing a bicycle wheel immediately after a rather violent jerk of fall or in routine every 3000km is good enough to keep the wheels rolling very smoothly.
Can a bent bicycle rim be straightened without truing stand?
For professionals, it is mandatory to use a truing stand. I do not have a stand and use the Spoke Wrench by flipping over the bicycle. For regular bicycles, flip the cycle on seat and turn the wheel, stand in an angle where you see the spin and the brake shoes or any fixed part of bike along with spinning wheel. If the rim is disfigured, the wobble can be seen clearly. You can true the wheel in the same position. This is possible where the disfigurement is very less. I have taken my cycle to a professional whenever I have felt that the disfigurement of rim is more than I can handle at home.