Wheel dish wrong?

See photos below. My gravel bike has had mudguards fitted from new – I couldn’t work out why the front one seemed to rub on the tyre and was off centre no matter how I adjusted it . Spring comes, mudguards off, and it looks like the rim is not centred in the fork. I’ve tried swopping caps over, but they are identical. One side is 4mm closer to the fork than the other.

Could the issue here be that the wheel dish is out? It’s only really a problem when mudguards are on (and that my OCD can’t ignore it). Wheels are Sonder Alpha 650b.

what happens if you spin it around and put it in the other way ?

The misalignment transfers; ie the small gap and big gap reverse sides.

I think I may have answered my own question in that it’s the wheel rather than the fork?

I suppose the real question is would this be something to raise as a warranty issue?

I’m a Sonder fan; my Broken Road has been fabulous, but this Camino Ti is feeling a bit of a Friday afternoon build. The bottom bracket corroded and seized in weeks, and shifting was poor from the outset until I replaced the cable (was Fibrax, fitted a Shimano). I raised both with Sonder and got fobbed off until I gave up.

If the end caps are identical, then I’d say, yes, wheel is dished too far to the right.

Check the tension hasn’t loosened off on the left/brake side. If it has, then a half turn on every spoke, and then check the dish.

If tension seems ok currently I’d take half a turn off the right side and then half a turn on the left. Check, and repeat if necessary.

Assuming you have a spoke key of course!

*Edit – you could try warranty, but it’s such an easy job to do. It’ll take 10-15mins tops.

I do have a spoke key but to be honest have never used it! I’ve always been scared of twiddling with spokes. I suppose worse that can happen is a trip to the LBS to get it sorted…

You make it sound so easy 😀

Looks like rim is centred over flanges rather than ends of axle/endcaps. Pretty far out.

if flipping the wheel flips the wonkyness, then it’s the wheel for sure.

Thanks ajantom – got brave with the spoke key and voila! Took a turn and a half on/off in the end (half a turn at a time) but got there. Got to the point there was a couple of high and low spots of about a mm or less but got my head round it and now spot on.

Excellent stuff 👍

Wheel truing (and building) is a very satisfying process. My dad taught me the basics at 15 and it’s been a proper useful life skill.

…before long you’ll be asking the best place to buy spokes, downloading Roger Musson’s book, and building your own hoops!

Good job! It feels like black magic til you do it