Figure out what is wrong with your wheel and how to fix it
Tell us where the rub or wobble happens. We will show you which spokes to turn, which direction, and how much. No truing stand needed.
Start the DiagnosticWheel Diagnostic
Fill in the form and press "Get Truing Plan" to see your step-by-step fix.
Quick Fixes for Common Problems
These presets cover the issues we hear about most. Tap one to load it into the diagnostic.
Scenario: Pothole on the Morning Commute
You are riding to work and hit a pothole hard. The front wheel starts bouncing. You feel it through the handlebars. There is no truing stand at the office, but you have a spoke wrench and 20 minutes before your first meeting.
Here is what to do. First, flip the bike upside down. Spin the wheel and watch the gap between the brake pads and the rim. Find the spot where the rim moves up toward the pad. That is your high spot.
The spokes on the side the rim is pulling toward are too tight, or the spokes on the opposite side are too loose. For a small hop, tighten the spokes on the low side by a quarter turn each. Work on two or three spokes on either side of the low spot.
Spin the wheel after each adjustment. Check the gap again. Stop when the hop is small enough that you do not feel it in the bars. You do not need perfect. You need rideable.
When you get home, do a full check. Pluck each spoke and listen for one that sounds very different. That spoke may need attention. If the hop is still there, repeat the process with smaller adjustments.
What to watch for
- Do not tighten more than a half turn at a time on a single spoke.
- If the wheel was true before the pothole, only a few spokes near the impact will need adjustment.
- Check that the tire is seated correctly. A bulging tire can feel like a hop.
- If a spoke is broken, do not ride on it. Replace it first.
Spoke Adjustment Reference
Which way to turn?
Look at the spoke nipple from above. Turning it clockwise (to the right) tightens the spoke and pulls the rim toward that side. Counterclockwise loosens it.
Most spoke nipples are turned with the top of the wrench. If you are reaching under the rim, the direction is reversed. Go slow and double-check.
How much to adjust
| Severity | Turn Amount |
|---|---|
| Light rub | 1/4 turn |
| Moderate wobble | 1/4 to 1/2 turn |
| Severe hop | 1/2 turn (multiple spokes) |
Common mistakes
- Tightening one spoke all the way instead of spreading the adjustment across several.
- Forgetting that rear wheels have dish. The drive-side spokes are tighter than the non-drive side.
- Ignoring a broken spoke. The wheel will keep going out of true until it is replaced.
- Using the wrong wrench size and rounding off the nipple.
When to stop and visit a shop
- More than two broken spokes.
- The rim has a visible crease or flat spot you can see with your eyes.
- The wheel will not stay true after several adjustment attempts.
- Spokes keep loosening on their own.
Prints a compact reference card you can keep in your seat bag or toolkit.
What Goes Wrong Most Often
Overtightening
It is tempting to crank a spoke until the wobble stops. Too much tension can crack the rim at the nipple hole or cause the spoke to snap under load. Small adjustments, checked often, work better than big turns.
Ignoring dish on rear wheels
Rear wheels are not symmetrical. The cassette pushes the hub to one side, so the drive-side spokes are shorter and tighter. If you true a rear wheel as if it were a front wheel, you will fight the built-in offset.
Only fixing the obvious spot
A wobble at one point may be caused by uneven tension several spokes away. Check the whole wheel by plucking spokes and listening for differences in pitch before you start turning.
Skipping the stress relief
After truing, squeeze pairs of parallel spokes together firmly. This seats the spokes in the hub and rim. Without this step, the wheel may go out of true again after a few rides.