That time a retired mechanic in Tucson showed me how to true a wheel by feel

I was struggling with a badly warped rear wheel at a co-op in Tucson about 10 years ago, and an old guy named Frank walked over and started feeling the spokes with his thumb. He didn't even look at the rim, just listened to the pluck and turned the nipples until it rolled true by sound alone. Has anyone else learned a trick like that from someone who had been at it for decades?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt8621d ago

Damn, I always thought truing was all about the stand and a dial indicator until I saw that.

the_miles1d ago

@wyatt862 yeah, the stand and dial indicator will get you close but you'd be surprised what a sharp eye and some zip ties can do once you've done it a few times. I've trued plenty of wheels on the frame itself when I didn't have a stand handy.