You need straight bicycle wheels if you want a truly safe, comfortable ride, which is why bike repair professionals offer truing services. Tightening the spokes on each wheel ensures they roll straight. Whether you’re a competitive racer or just like to coast around town, truing your wheels ensures you’ll have more stability and control over your bike. 

When to Have Your Bike Wheels Trued

1. Your Spokes Aren’t Rigid

Rub your thumb against all the spokes on each wheel. If any are sagging or have lost their rigidity, see a bike repair professional. Loose spokes pull the rim away from alignment, especially as the tire moves through the brake pads. Professionals fix this by methodically tightening each spoke. The task requires experience and precision because under-tightening the spokes also creates a truing problem. Over-tightening causes them to snap, so always leave the job to the pros.

2. You Hear Rattling Sounds

Rattling, clanking sounds can be a distraction to you and those around you. Spokes that need truing will make these noises because they can’t support the wheel’s weight and the upward stress from the ground. You’ll eventually bend the rim if you’re riding over rough terrain, which is a much costlier bike repair. Worse, the rim may collapse while you’re riding and cause you to lose control and injure yourself.

3. There’s a Constant Rubbing Sound

Untrue wheels will shift to whichever side of the tire has the most tension when you ride, generating a rhythmic rubbing sound against the pavement. You may notice that your bike tends to lean toward that tenser side because the wheel’s shape isn’t aligned. A noticeable wobble will develop as the problem worsens and make it difficult to control your bike.

If you need truing or more extensive bike repairs, the professionals at Jim’s Bike & Key Shop invite you to stop by. This Columbia, MO, company carries a variety of bicycles and can handle all your maintenance needs. These professionals are also qualified locksmiths and provide lockout services for vehicles and homes. Call (573) 442-7011 with inquiries for a sales associate. You can learn more about their shop online or by connecting on Facebook.