How true do wheels have to be?

[CopperCyclist]

I ask because I noticed yesterday that my front wheel on my cyclocross (currently my commuter) is slightly, ever so slightly off true. It's not noticeable at all when riding it, I only noticed it when spinning the wheel slowly check the brakes were rubbing after a clean (they don't).

I've gone over a few big bumps on it in the dark that make me think "**** hope the forks haven't got damaged" so I'm guessing it's this that's bumped them about.

Should I get it looked at, or is it only really a problem when it's noticeable as you're riding, or it starts causing the brakes to rub? (I have disc brakes btw, so they seem less affected being more central to the hub)

 

[potsy]

I recently got my rear wheel from about 3mm of wobble down to 1mm, I'm happy with that result for a first ever attempt at wheel truing

Doesn't sound like you've got much to worry about, just have a quick feel for loose ones for now.

 

[gwhite]

While a slight amount of lateral deviation is not of itself serious, it may indicate that the spokes of the wheel are not correctly tensioned or stress-relieved, and that will lead eventually to spokes breaking. It might be worth having the wheels checked for the above.


With most wheels delivered fitted to a bike even when new, the spoke tensions are not very even, which means that the spokes with insufficient tension will eventually break at the hub due to fatigue. Cheap factory-made wheels are very poorly constructed with the tensions all over the place and usually are incorrectly dished.

 

[PpPete]

When building wheels I usually aim to true to about 0.5mm
I don't bother taking them back to the truing stand until they are last 1 mm out, usually 1.5 mm before I CBA.

As Potsy says... looking out for loose spokes is more important.
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Edit

Cheap factory-made wheels are very poorly constructed with the tensions all over the place and usually are often incorrectly dished.

In my limited experience of budget factory wheels the tensions are all over the place precisely to get "true" wheels out of sub-standard components.

Handbuilts everytime for me.

 

[gwhite]

In my limited experience of budget factory wheels the tensions are all over the place precisely to get "true" wheels out of sub-standard components.

Handbuilts everytime for me.

Not in my experience and I spend at least one day a month truing new, factory-made cheap wheels for a Bike Charity.........before you ask....I did something really bad in a previous life. It's quite possible to true these, even out and achieve the correct tension and adjust the dish. When finished the wheel is true, both laterally and radially and is much stronger than before. While it remains a very basic quality wheel it should now give good service.
These wheels are machine-made and the operator I imagine would usually be young, inexperienced and very, very cheap. The result is exactly what you would expect.

 

[chillyuk]

Watching wheel building on TV's "How It's Made" series, in the Far Eastern factory featured the whole process was automated, including tensioning and truing the wheels.

 

[PpPete]

I've only seen a youtube clip of it...not completely automated, guy standing at a machine doing one at a time. You can imagine they are paid by how many they complete, so you can imagine they are not going to reject any themselves and whilst trueness is relatively quick to inspect for, even tensions would take a lot more time.

I would imagine a fully automated porcess, lacing and then getting the 4 basic elements:
Dish
Radial trueness
Lateral trueness
Even spoke tension
all within acceptable limits all at the same time is going to require some damn clever programming.

 

[400bhp]

I recently got my rear wheel from about 3mm of wobble down to 1mm, I'm happy with that result for a first ever attempt at wheel truing

Doesn't sound like you've got much to worry about, just have a quick feel for loose ones for now.

What tools do you use?

My front wheel on my hybrid is out of true-might consider DIY.

 

[potsy]

What tools do you use?

My front wheel on my hybrid is out of true-might consider DIY.

Just a spoke key and a drop of light oil on the nipples
Watch a vid online or read the Park tools guide, I had a go knowing it was only on my hybrid so if it went wrong it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

[400bhp]

So, do you do it whilst the wheel is on the bike, or do you have a wheel jig?

 

[MacB]

When building wheels I usually aim to true to about 0.5mm
I don't bother taking them back to the truing stand until they are last 1 mm out, usually 1.5 mm before I CBA.

What!!!! No, say it aint so Pete, you need to retrue your own handbuilts, I thought they would stay perfect for ever

 

[potsy]

So, do you do it whilst the wheel is on the bike, or do you have a wheel jig?

On the bike, upside down and use the brake pads as a guide.

 

[400bhp]

cheers-will have a look at some vids and give it a go.

 

[PpPete]

What!!!! No, say it aint so Pete, you need to retrue your own handbuilts, I thought they would stay perfect for ever

Only after "cruel & unusual punishment" .... like taking a loaded tourer, shod with skinny road wheels, and 30 mm Cyclocross tyres on a 100 mile off road tour, that is generally considered to be strictly MTB territory.

 

[Freddyflintstone]

Bought a new bike from a Dealers Web site. Noticed the Back wheel was out by 4mm
Their warranty states "upto 4mm is a standard and is acceptable"

Any comments would be most welcome