OT - fixing buckled bicycle wheel

You can't beat the Parktool website for heaps of information on maintaining bikes. To "true" a wheel, you will need to read this detailed description and adapt to suit your skill/equipment level ==> Site Link

FYI all available maintenance/servicing tutorials can be found on their website here ==> www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp

Hope this helps....

Andrew

Hi Trev,

May not be good news, the theory you have is correct regarding 'trueing' the wheel but once the spokes have reached the tension you describe it is usually not repairable. If you want to just 'get it going again' you can shock load the rim back into approximate shape (read hold opposite side of wheel from buckle, and enthusiastically hit buckled portion on ground) and then fine tune with a spoke key. With 15 years in the industry I have managed to get a few wheels working again while out in the bush on group rides. I will add a disclaimer along the lines of too much enthusiasm and the wheel may be completely unusable!

Regards,

Ross.

Fixed a buckled rim last week for a neighbour.Tried the tuning by spokes but most to tight so took to it with a rubber mallet.And you know what got it about 95% true, plenty good enough for a bike.

Trev,

Some thing are best left to those that know...........:)))))))))))))

Cheers
Michael

Thanks to all that replied. The links confirmed the "spoke tightenning" method I already thought was the theoretical way to go. As per my follow up however, this method could only go so far and wouldn't fix the problem. (some of the spokes the theory said to tighten were already "tight as")

The "rubber mallet" technique was surprisingly effective (to a point) and whilst the wheel is not perfect it is improved from the "spokes alone" result. I am however not overly confident that the improvement will be long lasting.

Got the bike mobile in the end and took it for a test run. I had trued the wheel enough not to rub on the brakes but riding it was a real slog! Thought it might be the hubs overtightenned or something but upon checking found the axel bent! Not sure if this would have the impact of causing the wheel to buckle every time it is ridden which has been what seemed to happen?

Not sure whether the bikes are just cheap rubbish these days or the kids simply abuse them (jumps etc) (or a combination of both)

Anyway, learned a bit more so can't be all bad. Thanks for the responses.

Trev