So my rear wheel has a slight buckle.

I have a spoke tool but no stand or any previous experience in this.

Have any of you managed to make a stand from bits round the house or just done without?
Other options are to buy a stand which may be useful for the future (not sure how often wheels need truing), or pop down to a bike shop for them to do it (how much could I expect to pay?)

Grateful of any advice please

Keep the wheel in the bike, upside-down. Use a rubber band to tie a pencil to the seatstays as a guide.

Just keep the wheel in the frame and use a couple of zip ties on the seat stays to judge where the bits that need moving are.

Like this (use zip ties instead of the brake blocks)

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svMMaGMsIMw[/video]

bike shop will probably charge £10-£15, but it’s good to learn to do it yourself.

Thank you!
I’m going to have a go at fixing it this afternoon

Been straightening wheels for 30 years without a stand.
I leave the wheel in frame/forks
blue tack and a matchstick if i am taking my time
brakeblocks if i’m in a hurry

its useful to practice on an old wheel if you can.
Read the guide on Sheldon Brown

Don’t be ham-fisted with it. Take a quarter-turn of each nipple at a time, and don’t forget to loosen/tighten opposing spokes (i.e., if you tighten one to pull the rim one way, loosen it’s opposite number slightly).

When you’ve finished, put on a pair of thick gloves and grab a handful spokes before giving them a good squeeze to even things up. The recheck for true and finally give each spoke a “twang” to make sure that you’ve no very loose/tight ones.

There was a (suprisingly good) guide on pinkbike a few months ago about sorting buckles. I don’t know how reliable it is but I read it and trued my rear wheel after it got slightly…. spaghettified after being minced down the Ranger Path.

I used the late great Sheldon Brown guide.

It’s one of those skills that once learnt, you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.

I used the late great Sheldon Brown guide. I fond his guide so helpful I even e-mailed to thank him, got a lovely reply, and corresponded a little more with him.

It’s one of those skills that once learnt, you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.

Take a quarter-turn of each nipple at a time

oooooh matron !