So I have a couple of bikes to finish and sell. One which is the Emmelle has already had its brake cables repaired and functions quite nicely except for a slight buckling of the rear wheel.
Armed with a spoke key I thought I would have a go at truing the wheel. I have seen it done in shops and read guides, besides it wasn't too buckled, so it couldn't be difficult.
I started by checking spoke tension and tightening loose sets of spokes. Eventually I got the wheel running smooth with a little bit of wobble.
If only I had stopped there.
Buoyed by my moderate success I continued to tweek the spokes.
Then disaster. The wheel started getting worse.
I tried loosening ones I had tightened but this made no difference. I kept working and the wheel started to creak and crack and deform more and more.
It no longer moves though a full rotation and starts to jam on the bike frame.
Bugger.
I will have another go at it tomorrow as I do not really want to buy a new wheel for it. However I feel I have broken the wheel now.
Which sucks to be honest as everything was going so well.
If I can get it slightly straight again I may be able to get it fixed in a shop, if not a new wheel is probably needed for the bike to be road worthy.
I don't feel angry though as even though I have failed at this I have learnt a lot about truing a wheel.
Mostly that it should be left to people that know what they are doing. Or that you should know when you have done enough with a wheel and can't do any more.
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