Subscribe now and choose from over 30 free gifts worth up to £49 - Plus get £25 to spend in our shop
Around a year ago I brought some wheels, wtb i23 on superstar v6 hubs, cheap ad they had a deal on. I have a reacuring issue with the rear wheel keeps becoming untrue. I've a had a few lbs look into it. They true the wheel and set spoke tension, comes back to me perfectly true but within 10 miles it's wobbling side to side badly again. I've even sent them to another shop who specialise is wheel building with the same result. Looking to get to rhe bottom of this. I can't think that every bike shop is doing a bad job? So must be one of the components that's at fault? The front wheel had always been fine. I'm 13 stone and the bike is just for flat xc and gravel roads etc so not the riding style. Anyone had anything like this before. Also kboe of good wheel builders in the east anglia area?
Thanks
Sounds like the rim is at fault.
If the rim has a wobble, you can retrue it, but spoke tension will be out (higher on one side to pull the wobble straight) and often it be will just go back to it's original state when you ride it.
Could be the rim was out from the start?
Anyway, I'd say you're better off replacing the rim, as it will never be a permanent fix.
Tbh any good bike shop should have recommended this, especially the specialist shop.
Edit, just reread your post. Multiple shops? As in 3 or 4? If so I'm really surprised no-one suggested a rim change. Or did you insist on just a retrue each time?
I imagine you've now spent more money on 3 or 4 retrues than a new rim + rebuild would have cost!
Have any of the spokes or nipples been changed, could be some of the threads if unchanged are not in the best condition, I can't see how the rim could be at fault, unless the pinned join is moving.
Yes, probably down to a weak rim - if you wind off the tension in all the spokes, is it true? If the rim has been distorted, then the spoke tensions will be all over the place to pull it true, but in the process of riding, the cyclic loading can unwind spokes with too low tension. It is also possible that the spokes are too stretchy, something a DT Revolution can be difficult in a rear wheel. I would go for a slightly stronger/heavier rim, maybe a stronger spoke on the drive side, along with new nipples all around.
@ajantom possibly built on a Friday afternoon 😆
It's been going on a year now. Been to 4 different places. First shops I just said true them and set the correct tension thinking they machine built wheels and just bedding in. Between them I've just been using a cable tie and truing then myself, other 2 shops I've mentioned exactly what's happening, nobody had given me an answer as to why or what's causing it, just trued the wheel snd given it back to me
, I can’t see how the rim could be at fault, unless the pinned join is moving.
Guessing you've not built wheels, or at least not many?
If the rim is bent then you can true it straight, but it will always try to go out of true again, as you have spokes with too high tension on one side, and too low on the other.
It also messes with the overall tension, as you have to tweak all the other spokes to correct radial distortion (unless you want an avocado shaped wheel)
I've straightened wheels that are 15-20mm or more out, but it's a temporary fix, and I'd always recommend replacing the rim sooner rather than later.
I’d be contacting Superstar, their after sales was good when I had an issue.
I’d just stick a new rim on it and get it built by someone who knows what they’re doing.
You could have walloped it months ago and bent the rim. As others have stated, someone in a shop might be able to straighten it on the stand but it won’t stay straight for long.
I doubt it’s a manufacturing issue unless you can see something wrong with the rim not caused by impact.
When it has come back from being trued, have you tried listening to the spoke tension? As others have said, if the rim is warped you’ll hear the difference in tone going around each side.
Ah a superstar wheel thread, I had one and on fry first ride all the spokes loosened off to the point you could just push the rim from one chap stay to another. Mechanic at work rebuilt it from scratch as he said it was laced wrong for discs, superstar said just send it back and I said it was fine now but was definitely not impressed. Superstar didn't seem very worried that it was a total failure on it's first ride. I've had a few sets from them and this is the only one with an issue but there was a bit of 'nothing wrong with it just send it back and we'll fix it' about the replies.
Would superstar lace up a bent rim and would 4 bike shops let a wheel leave the workshop with tensions all over the place and not warn that the rim needs replacing, if so I'm glad I build my own.
ajantom, I've build plenty and can get spoke tension within 5 percent tolerance per side.
Decided to upgrade the rim's to dt swiss xm421,seemed my cheap wheel set didn't pay off, as they say, buy cheap, buy twice. wheels currently with moonglu for then to work their magic. Both my other bikes has dt rims and have zero issue. Plus I get to use the old rims tk make somthing like this for my two kids!