The Importance of Proper Wheel Maintenance

Your bicycle can take you almost anywhere. Whether you like to enjoy long weekend rides or you take your bike to work every day to cut down on gas costs, you want to be sure that you are getting the best performance possible out of your bicycle, and this includes visiting a bike shop in Naples, FL for regular maintenance.

Regardless of how long you have been riding your bike, it’s likely that you have heard about some of the terms that cyclists and shops throw around—even if you aren’t quite sure what they mean. For example, wheel truing is a popular practice that is an important aspect of wheel maintenance. It’s important that you learn a thing or two about wheel truing and find out if it’s something that you want to put into practice for your own bike.

What is wheel truing?

As the name suggests, wheel truing is intended to achieve a true circle in your bicycle wheel. The process can seem complicated at first, but you can learn how to practice truing on your own. First, it’s important to consider the dimensions of a bicycle wheel. The wheel is a three-dimensional circle, which means that you will have to consider radial shape as well as lateral shape. Making your wheel into a true circle is done by adjusting the spokes of the wheel.

How to true a wheel

You will need to set your wheel into a truing device, which is designed to help guide you as you make adjustments to your wheel. Once your wheel is in the device, you will begin to rotate it and tighten the device so that it narrows on either side of your wheel. When you hear the wheel hit the device, this is a sign that you need to make an adjustment. You will tighten the spoke that is connected to the part of the wheel that is hitting the truing device until it becomes centered. You will continue this process to adjust the radial and lateral roundness of your wheel. Finally, you will need to release tension in your spokes. This can be done by grasping the spokes and squeezing them gently to release stress.

Visit a bike shop in Naples, FL

Wheel truing can be a pretty tricky process if you have never done it before. If you are going to attempt it on your own, it’s important to make sure that you understand the process and that you have all of the proper equipment. However, it might be worth it to go to a bike shop in Naples, FL to handle this aspect of maintenance for you. They will be able to true your wheel with a high degree of accuracy and ensure that all aspects of wheel service are performed. In addition to truing, you should have your wheel bearings greased and your brakes checked.

Thankfully, you can have all of these services done by the professional team at Big Momma’s Bicycles. We have been providing bicycle maintenance, repairs, sales, rentals and more to customers for over a decade. Stop by today so that one of our professional technicians can get your bike in the best condition possible before you hit the road.

Categorised in: Bike Repair, Bike Service, Bike Shop