Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bicycle and wheel

Wheel = Fail

Kiwi — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:07:23 -0800

Why did my bicycle wheel flop about? Well, I ended up getting a racing bike after posting this question - for various reasons (mainly cost), and I'm loving it!

However, the front wheel is radially spoked. This causes some spokes to loosen off on occasion, so I did some research and discovered that Sheldon Brown recommends using threadlocker. So, today I re-trued the wheel, using 1342 from ThreeBond. Bad mistake! I set off for the Dunwich Dynamo tonight, and a minute after some heavy braking, the spokes all loosened, to the extent that the rim started flopping about. No ride tonight then.

So was the great Sheldon wrong? Doeas anyone else have recommendations on how to fix this? I've previously built and trued wheels, with no problems at all. The only difference is they've not been radially spoked and I've always used lube instead of threadlocker.

I can only guess that the braking warmed the rim and spoke nipples, causing the threadlocker to re-liquefy.

What is that noise?

poweredbybeard — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:52:00 -0800

Bicyclefilter: A pronounced grinding/scraping from my rear wheel. Is this potentially unsafe, or simply embarrassing, to ride? When I say pronounced, I mean passersby chuckle. The wheel sounds really old, really sad and really grumpy. When I spin the wheel freely, the gears wobble a bit, leading me to think the threads on the gears or the axle are close to stripped (?? I can still pedal just fine, so I don't know).

What's the worst that can happen, realistically? The wheel falls apart? Or I just suddenly find I'm pedalling but not moving?

Bicycle Needs Repair, Badly

god particle — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:01:05 -0800

After riding today, a couple things started going wrong with my bike, and I'd like to fix the problems myself, if possible. I ride a somewhat old Trek mountain bike and use it as my main form of transportation. Today I took it on an relatively long ride and started running into some problems.
When I pedal, there is a very loud creaking noise; it can be felt throughout the entire bike. I usually pedal standing up, so I'm thinking this is probably a result of me putting too much pressure on it. However, sometimes the creaking noise comes up even if I am just coasting. Can anyone diagnose exactly what is wrong with it? Could I fix this problem myself, and if so, how?
The second problem is that the back wheel has started to become wobbly. If I lift up the bike, I can shake it back and forth a bit. How do I go about tightening the wheel (or doing whatever needs to be done)?
If possible, please direct me to some online repository of bike repair information so I know where to start in the future.

How to find a reliable bicycle wheelbuilder

mcstayinskool — Mon, 08 May 2006 08:03:54 -0800

How do I go about finding someone, preferably local to Minneapolis, to build a new rear wheel for my bicycle? I have a horrible habit of breaking spokes on my current rear wheel. It tends to happen at the furthest point from home. I break a spoke at a rate of about 1 per 100 miles, which is ridiculous. My riding partner has convinced me that if I had a custom-built rear wheel I would never have this problem again.

I'd like to find someone to build a sturdy, reliable wheel for me. If possible, I'd like to find someone local to Mpls/St Paul. Anyone have pointers? Specific or general recommendations are both welcome.

If it helps, I ride a Marin Sausalito hybridish thing. The wheel has 700c rims and road tires, mountain hub, 7-speed cassette.