Your ability to explain the process of something is 10/10. You give direction on the things people skip that cause normal frustration. I wish you were the one who made install and how to videos for everything I searched!
Short and sweet. The simplest and quick way of getting the job done without a lengthy tutorial by other youtuber videos that I have watch, This one is the best. Thanks
I decided to come to the store instead of buying online having to stress myself out wondering, praying, and hoping that I get my stuff. Then making sure the order is accurate. I'm standing here totally understanding your explanation, and can't tell you what it means to me. Great job analyzing how to properly and simply explain the process.
Thanks for this, it will help me true the wheels on the bike I just bought. Another way I learned is using a zip tie. Zip to the fork, cut to length and rotate until it barely touches, then watch contact points.
I've found that in relation to wheel maintenance and spoke tensioning you simply cant watch enough tutorials because you always find that someone knows something you don't. This tutorial was very useful and my thanks goes to you for taking the time to share with us your knowledge. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
Personally didn't learn anything but this is a great way for someone new and intimidated by straightening a wheel, it's really not that hard ones you figure out the basics. Great job.
Thank you so much. That fixed my brake rubbing problem and was about to buy a new rear wheel. This free and simple trick did solved my bike problem. Kudos to you!!!!!!!!
Thanks for your video. I would add that while pre-snugging the spokes and during straightening I pluck the spokes and listen to the tone. It's quick to find a lower tone loose spoke that way. Then when the wheel is true I pluck all the spokes to make sure none are loose or too tight. I lived in South America for a while where there were lots of cobblestone streets. Spokes that were too tight broke right away.
Theoretically, a repeating melody could be made by tuning spokes to different tones. Or better yet, add actuators on the spoke to change their tension in real time.
I wanted to thank you for the simplicity of the "GT Method". I was able to work my rim with your explanation as opposed to the big channels out there that complicate the situation and even display wrong diagrams in their videos. Thank again!
It had been years since I last trued my mountain bike rims. Spokes were also a little pingy from being loose. The G t method is awesome. When I was working on the wheel, it was easier to remember “G” or counterclockwise tightens. Easy to visualize that way. Great video and very helpful
Finally trued my first wheel at 50 years old!..... Thanks for video, definitely helped that you explained first why this technic works and not just 'the how to do it'. I also wrote L on the spokes that needed to loosen, as well as the T. Watch this video a few times and be patient. It should work in the end, thanks again 👍
Thank you. I watched another video first and actually made my wobbly wheel problem worse. The first guy was no doubt a bicycle expert but what he did not do was a provide clear explanation. He provided instructions that he assumed would be correctly understood, because they were obvious to him . Your video on the other hand, was 100 times better because the your explanation was designed for a the novice viewer. The result was job done and no trip to the bike shop for me.
I'm probably the most in-apt home bike mechanic on the face of the Earth, however thanks to your video managed to straighten badly buckled wheel :) Cheers mate, much appreciated! I.
I have a free bike I got a lot time ago that had an off center back wheel that was scraping the brakes and i was actually able to get it nearly perfectly straight watching your video. Im not taking it to a shop since it was a free bike and I was worried the bike was toast and i would have to get a new bike but nah! Thank you for this!
Thanks a million for sharing. Your guidance impacted my spoke tightening skills tremendously! Absolutely perfect verbal delivery. You sir have a gift.🙏🏾
this video BY FAR is the easiest method to both understand and remember! You have saved me heaps of money by just truing my bike wheels myself! Explaining the rope idea helped a lot! You sir should be teaching in school or something. Subscribed!
Almost! I interviewed once at the local trade school; they went with another guy (a cabinet maker), but still offered me a part-time evening position. I declined. Happy to help. Thanks for letting me know ;)
A superb presentation of the subject. A calm, clear voice devoid of extraneous waffle and an excellent explanation of how and what to do by somebody who is obviously aware of potential problems and pitfalls. It has given me confidence to have a go myself.
No waffle, eh? Interesting usage. Admittedly, I've not heard it put that way before. Glad the vid helped. Let me know if it worked. Waffles have a corrugated surface. The implication being that its topology is the result of convolution; it's antithetical to a straight line. If that's its origin, I get it. I like geometric metaphors. Thanks. Imagine usage _before_ the internet. You'd be stuck with the King's English (or at least your instructor's version of it), and you just wouldn't be exposed to other dialects without traveling. Really adds to the language's variety. Trust me~ it gets old when distant people impose upon you demands concerning their 'right way,' though. Talk about the heighth of arrogance! That was some provincial usage funny for ya, from the top of Appalachia's Laurel Mountains. Hope it ain't too thick.
Nice job of explaining the use of a spoke wrench and straightening methodology. Thanks for creating. One additional hint. As a guitarist I know that you can ping a spoke and get a note. By pinging the spoke (with your finger nail) and listening to the note you can tell if you have the same tension on all spokes. There's usually an "average" sound, and some that are too high (tight) and some that are too low (loose). I can't give a note value where you could actually use a guitar tuner because all situations are different. But you get the idea.
HOLY SHIT I DID IT!!!! After f’ing with and adjusting my rim brakes forever, then realizing it’s a rim issue, not wanting to replace it, to thinking this is impossible, to starting by doing the opposite of what you said, realizing that, doing it correctly and now no issue! Woohoo
Oh my God, you have BY FAR made the best video on this, I should know, I watched most of them & they just got me even more confused by everyone saying different methods, this is simple & straight to the point!!
I have a thing for 3 wheel adult bicycles. They are very handy and when you stop you have a comfortable place to sit. So I put a 3" raked and lowered springer, ape hangers, and a saddle from and FLH Harley on it. Rear view mirrors, aoooga horn, old style headlight, nutsack tail light, red dice for the valve stems, Schwinn crate style pedals, beer holder, and a seriously lowered saddle and it is a cool ride that stops people dead in the street. Of course that got addictive so now I have 5 of them all choppered except for the one that looks like a 3 wheeled beach cruiser. I've loved bicycles since I was a kid and it was the only entertainment we had. Thank you for the video. I hate how to videos that go on forever when they could just get right to the point. Yours was easy to understand.
Finally!! A comprehensive an easy to follow video for doing spokes. Super well explained! This video is going in my tool bag. I'll probably reference to this often.
THIS IS FROM THE VIDEO (Print it out and take it with you as you work): After marking the rim with a pencil as the wheel spins (My comment: I found that a RED CHINA MARKER shows up better) : 1.) The spoke that's closest to the center of the pencil line is the one that requires the most adjustment. 2.) If that spoke is on the same side of the wheel as you and your pencil mark, then that spoke should be loosened, and the two spokes next to it should then be tightened. 3.) It's that spoke is on the other side, then the two spokes closest to it should be loosened, and then it should be tightened. Thanks for the video!
Thank you for making a simple DIY video that isn't drawn out with so much dialog. One of my spokes broke..it doesn't happen often. Wire cut it In half and pulled another spoke from a spent rim . And instead of pulling and replacing the entire spoke. Just added a hook on both ends and joined them in the middle. And that resolves still being able to true the rim with a broken spoke. And let's be real, stripping the spoke connector can become easy to do.
I have been collecting bikes from roadside trash days. I have been swopping parts to get good rideable bikes. I am learning so much by trial and error with lots of common sense I have stashed in my brain over the years. This really helps as one bike had a really bent rear wheel. I bought a new rime on ebay and put the old spokes in the new rim, one at a time. Then I tightened them. Now I am tuning the wheel as per your instructions. Thanks for this video. KISS (my motto- Keep It Simple Stupid ) :)
This is why we have UA-cam !! So we can do it ourselves and save some cash, many thanks for your simple explanation, I now have the confidence to repair this bike I was given with 2 ‘wonky’ wheels 🇬🇧🇺🇸
It was perfect- THANK YOU! Everybody said to toss it. It’s easier to buy a new cheap one. With your directions I was able to do it by myself!!! I bought a spoke wrench and the GT method worked for ME! Simple and to the point. I am happy to have my bike back and a smooth ride. I’m going to check them again after a few rides. Thanks for sharing for us SIMPLETONS 😁
This video was great. I have ingrained in my head "lefty loosey righty tighty", but it's the opposite procedure for tightening spokes, so I tell myself "loosen to tighten". Same for adjusting rim brake spring tension. Although your mnemonic is probably better for most people. Good luck truing your wheels everyone
Nice job, man. I've built many wheels for others and ridden many thousands of miles on my own which have survived extended loaded touring, Cat. 2 racing and hard-core commuting. Not bragging, just saying I know something about the subject and I really like your presentation, and teaching just what most people need to know. The only thing I'd also mention is the key to a strong, durable wheel is keeping even tension all around. If you have a musical ear you can pluck them like guitar strings and listen, they should all be *close* (and note that on a rear wheel the gear side is always tighter than the non-gear side). They'll never all be the same due to imperfections in the rim, but if you find one that's really off, or it's so loose it just rattles , you need to address that spot and find out why. It might require measures further than just spoke adjustments. Well done!
Thanks for the additional info, hoping you can provide some more: My carbon MTB rim is off about 1.5mm for half of its circumference. How do you know which side to true? In other words, I assume there is a centerline, that the rim is off centerline to one side, and that if I pick the wrong side to true towards, my rim will end up even but pushed 3mm off centerline. (normally I would let the LBS handle this, but my preferred shop has a two week backlog due to COVID-19). Thanks in advance.
@@thumper9633 The tight side needs to be loosened, the loose side needs to be tightened. Start by loosening the tight side, as this makes it much easier on you and the wheel than getting everything "too tight." If your spokes are metal, the plucking is a very effective way of telling tight from loose, as the tight is higher pitched, assuming you can hear the difference and know which one is higher pitched (the higher note). If in doubt, loosen a spoke and pluck again, and hopefully hear the difference.
@@doricdave Copying from another post: Spoke nipples aren't reverse threaded, but when you're turning them, it seems that way because you're turning them from the bottom, not the top like you would a regular nut or bolt. With the spoke pointing at you, it's lefty-loosey righty-tighty. Imagine the tire/tube/rim-strip not being there - if you were to turn the top of the nipple with a screw driver, the threading is normal... ridemonkey.bikemag.com/threads/trying-to-tighten-spokes-makin-a-real-mess-of-things-help.231701/
Cycling is one of my passions too, even though I am new to it. This video truly helped me understand more on how to true a wheel. Received my spoke tool today and will give it a go. Good luck to me! Thanks again
This was one of the best videos on how to straighten a wheel in the most easy to understand. I have been working on all kinds of bikes over a period of around 40 plus years and my weak area has always been wheel truing and I think I got it now thanks to your easy to listen to and simple instruction. I always forget the direction of tightening and loosening the spokes. I think I am dyslexic or something of that nature because some things I try to learn in my mechanical world I have a hard time figuring out. Thanks again111
There's a bunch going on with a Tension wheel. Lots to consider. They didn't even exist until the mid 1800's. So look on the bright side: being confused by a complex system might be a sign of brains! Certainty, on the other hand, is a sign of the opposite.
This was great - thanks! 2 quick tips that work for me is hanging a clothespin from the last spoke adjusted if running for a phone call, break, etc. I also find 'tagging' spokes with painter's tape to ID ones needing new nipples or replacement comes in handy. Love the Gt method and will never 2nd guess myself now.
usefull thanks for posting. I cycled in Sri Lanka on a new bike and started to brake spokes. What a night mare, I lost days and miles trying to get someone to fix the bike in a foreign country. Four different bike mechanics worked on the bike but never really fixed the problems and I bought a new rim when I returned to canada. thanks again for posting
I can say that I enjoyed your video, and learned a bit, as well. As a fellow GT owner (I have a '95 Karakoram that I bought new many years ago, and just restored is a couple of years ago), I hope you continue to make videos!
Great video. Really clear explanation and good way to remember which way to turn the spoke key. Your enthusiasm and love of bikes comes across...there something very satisfying about fixing up a bike with a bit of tlc. Cheers!
That is a nice bike for 20 bucks! I love truing wheels, it is so therapeutic. I've finally managed to understand radial truing and make significant improvements on a wheel with a bad hop.
Thanks so much. I used to find I needed to check every time which way to remember, but I don’t need to anymore. I just need to remember Gt. Thanks so much. You are the man.
Thanks for sharing, and nice ride for 20bucks, 65 and fixing my daughter's old bike, from 90s, its beautifulthing to breathe life back into it and go for ride.
@@pocket83squared Sorry about the misunderstanding pocket83. People with limited knowledge and experience will really be helped and will benefit from your excellent tutorial.
@@pocket83squared Not a problem at all pocket. Sometimes I am a bit hasty in proofreading my posts and I understand there are many malicious people online. God bless you in your efforts to help people! I came up with a rather bad bent rear wheel on my trusty 10 speed the other day and the brake is dragging. When I get time, I am taking your advice on the truing of the wheel so I can get back on the road again. Thank you.
Yes this was useful thank you. My original search was to find a video that would help me make sure the wheel was a perfect circle as I require a rotor for a Bedini energizer. But this straightening of the wheel is something I forgot to take into account and would be super-important to consider. So major kudos sir. Have a great day.
The Gt method is brilliant for us that only do this a few times a year. The righty tighty/lefty loosey was confusing when looking at the spoke upside down. This solves that problem.
Great tip! I was trying to remember how to adjust spokes today to help out a young fella with a bent wheel. The GT mnemonic will stick in my head. Thanks for the clear explanation
Get this, my spokes were so loose I went through and just tightened all the ones that wiggled. Unexperienced in wheel maintance I was just excited to finally use my tool. My rear wheel was literally rubbing against my frame LOL. 3 hours later I repaired both the front and back, thanks for the video.
Didn’t know that! I thought spokes centered the hub in terms of centre of the whole wheel, never understood it also controls wheel run out. Really interesting and useful!!!
I just tried the pencil trick, and it's brilliant! Except, I used a sharpie instead, and I highly recommend doing the same- It's much easier to see, and removes quickly and easily with some alcohol. At first I tried with a carpenters pencil, and I could barely see anything. This alone is the most useful tip I've seen or read anywhere about wheel truing. After many hours attempting to true my wheel, and making little progress and often making things work, this method made my truing far more effective and efficient. My wheel isn't perfect yet, but it's much better than it was.
Worked for me. Just did my beach cruiser that i had a bend in it for 9 years. After a few spokes broke from another bike, i replaced them, then decided to fix it. Thank you pocket83 (squared)!
Man, that was super, super useful. I cycle to work every day, and I always forget which way is to tighten those spoke nuts. "Gt" is so simple,and so effective! If you were thinking of doing more, I'd love to see how you set your brake pads to be at the right distance and angle, and how to get the levers to have as low "dead zone" as possible. Thanks pockets!
Thanks heaps. This has helped me understand how to straighten a wheel. so much easier to understand. I'm having trouble with my gears not all changing since I put my back wheel back on so yeah more video's please
Just wanted to say a big thank you, I’ve just for the first time ever trued my wheel. Between watching this video and RJ the bike dude I’ve been able to do this myself to which I never thought possible 🤘🏻
finally something taken to the simplest components. Others are too complicated for someone like me that never true the wheel. Unbelievable but I actually built the wheel years ago not knowing about trueing, and not understanding how it works. I was a musician and I just turned all the spokes to the same tone as the other wheel on the bike that was not broken and all the spokes on the new rim to the same sound like tuning the piano. I guess my ear was perfect because the wheel was good. Although it was only 20 inch.
Ideally, every spoke should have the same tension, and thus _should_ produce the same tune. Your idea was just a different way to go about the problem. It wasn't wrong. In fact, many of those complicated explanations are just pretending as though the solution is more mysterious than it really is. "True," in most cases, is simply balanced.
Thank you for an informative lesson, I made it worse before I made it better , but what a way to learn. Hat off to you, you made it easy and cheaper than I expected.
Yes, the GT Method, aka the Good Time method. 😉 Thorough, awesome, and great pace video that my little 9 year old nephew is enthusiastically watching!! He's going to learn how to maintain his bike for life 😅. Though he has a sucky bike, the lesson he's learning to tinker is priceless! Thank You.
Best tutorial as someone who doesn't have bike maintenance stand i do work on my bike upside down and this vid is by far best even better than GCN or Park tools vid as they work on upright bike and it's complicated to remember...the GT method is the best
I like R J the bike guy. I learned a lot from him. I discovered him when we got our treadmill I wanted to learn how to maintain it and he had the same exact one Then I bought a used bike. I wanted to learn how to work on it. Then I started watching his Videos. Now I have a few bikes. I always like a bike project. He’s a good teacher
Such a great video !! Having looked at a number of other videos all morning i was feeling dispair. But agter half an hour or so with this, my wheels are doing great !!!!
I haven't owned a bike in years, so the _content_ isn't going to be as helpful for me as it may be for lots of others. That being said, it's still interesting, and I love learning. Whether I'll ever get to apply it is almost irrelevant, if something is taught in an interesting way, it's going to be well received. It's always great seeing a new video from you 😊
Thanks. But in al seriousness, get a mountain bike. Unless you have something that physically stops you from being able to do it, get one! Craigslist is filled to the brim with supply because of our culture's unique combination of hyper-consumerism, ineptitude, and obesity. The trails out there are a great unused resource of unspoiled beauty. It's a shame to fail to take advantage of it. I'm speaking from my area, though; perhaps you have a different way to scratch that same itch.
I spend more time outside than in on my time off, and a vast majority of that time is spent out on the trails around here (just off the coast of Lake Erie, Port Dover area...the area is well known for it's carolinian forests and abundance of conservation area). Most of the time, I have my dog with me, so I spend it walking. He's only a miniature doberman...would have a pretty hard time keeping up with me on a bike! lol You're right, however, I _should_ get a bike again. I used to bike all the time, and remember enjoying it a lot. On that note speaking of bikes (albeit a different kind), it's Friday the 13th, in Port Dover here there's a pretty big bike rally that I never miss out on! Have a great weekend.
I like Gt method. I have taken several bike shop classes including one on wheel building and this has always been a short set of mental gymnastics to get the tighten vs loosen the nipple turning direction thing correct. Thanks!
While I don't do much biking myself, I sure don't mind videos on the subject. Really nice to have a better understanding of these wheels, didn't think tension was such a key part to shaping it.
This is a clever mnemonic! I'm feel like I'm generally competent at truing wheels, for an amateur home mechanic. I even worked through some of the theory of wheel-building a couple years ago, and built my own set of wheels, working out the spoke lengths I'd need and tension I should have and all that. But still, every time I put a wheel on my truing stand, I have to spend a minute making a stupid face as I think through the spatial geometry of the spoke threading being upside-down and backwards and how that affects which way I need to turn the spoke key to take the wobble out of my rim... This is a pretty nifty shortcut!
This helped, I am 14 years old and my back wheel was wobbly and after some messing around, I fixed it (it is the bike on my profile picture), thank you 😊
I seen 3 other videos on this subject and this one helped me to best understand how to true a rim. Thank you so much!! I like the GT method you described, it will help me not get confused. GT method on GT bike.
This video does a far better job at explaining this. I followed the instructions and was able to straighten my wheel that I thought wasn't fixable!! Thank you so much
Thank you so much. Saved me from paying to retrue at the shop and also for looking like a big idoit trying to figure out lefty loosy at the local bike co-op
Tell me more about my bike and fixing common probs even the most basic probs, like when I changed my back tire and wasn't sure what order or pieces I needed when I put it back on. Because I tossed them in a bucket of random mixed bolts nuts washers blah blah blah . your explanations are stated clearly and make sense. Thx
Almost all my spokes made this tiny chatter tink sound when riding, I felt and almost all were losose. I watched aguys vid on how to tighten spokes, he demonstrated....... and he said Its better to over tighten than under tighten ....... So I started at the valve stem & snugged them all fairly tight. Got basically a full turn in most of them. Now I have bent rims. - Now Im on your vid on how to correct the mess I have after watching his video lol. Looks quite simple how you explained it, Thanx.
The 'Gt' method; if you always remember that, you just learned a life lesson that you'll never forget. Thanks for that and also the pencil trick
Nice job man! It’s nice to see a humble, informed mechanic explain something fully and clearly, without hype and blather.
This chap is a pleasure to watch, down to earth, no hype, no annoying music, very clearly explained, Sanity.
This is the best video explanation I have seen of straightening a bike wheel. It's all one needs to know really.
Your ability to explain the process of something is 10/10. You give direction on the things people skip that cause normal frustration. I wish you were the one who made install and how to videos for everything I searched!
Short and sweet. The simplest and quick way of getting the job done without a lengthy tutorial by other youtuber videos that I have watch,
This one is the best. Thanks
I decided to come to the store instead of buying online having to stress myself out wondering, praying, and hoping that I get my stuff. Then making sure the order is accurate. I'm standing here totally understanding your explanation, and can't tell you what it means to me. Great job analyzing how to properly and simply explain the process.
I've watched multiple videos on this by much bigger youtubers and companies and this is by far the most concise and simple to follow.
Thanks for this, it will help me true the wheels on the bike I just bought. Another way I learned is using a zip tie. Zip to the fork, cut to length and rotate until it barely touches, then watch contact points.
I've found that in relation to wheel maintenance and spoke tensioning you simply cant watch enough tutorials because you always find that someone knows something you don't. This tutorial was very useful and my thanks goes to you for taking the time to share with us your knowledge. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
watched this, bought a wheel key, took my time and I have two wheels that do not rub. So simple but explained so well. Thank you.
Personally didn't learn anything but this is a great way for someone new and intimidated by straightening a wheel, it's really not that hard ones you figure out the basics. Great job.
Thank you so much. That fixed my brake rubbing problem and was about to buy a new rear wheel. This free and simple trick did solved my bike problem. Kudos to you!!!!!!!!
Thanks for your video. I would add that while pre-snugging the spokes and during straightening I pluck the spokes and listen to the tone. It's quick to find a lower tone loose spoke that way. Then when the wheel is true I pluck all the spokes to make sure none are loose or too tight. I lived in South America for a while where there were lots of cobblestone streets. Spokes that were too tight broke right away.
Brilliant
Theoretically, a repeating melody could be made by tuning spokes to different tones. Or better yet, add actuators on the spoke to change their tension in real time.
Thanks for the help man I enjoyed it
I wanted to thank you for the simplicity of the "GT Method". I was able to work my rim with your explanation as opposed to the big channels out there that complicate the situation and even display wrong diagrams in their videos. Thank again!
It had been years since I last trued my mountain bike rims. Spokes were also a little pingy from being loose. The G t method is awesome. When I was working on the wheel, it was easier to remember “G” or counterclockwise tightens. Easy to visualize that way. Great video and very helpful
This is probably the best wheel truing video I've seen so far.
Finally trued my first wheel at 50 years old!..... Thanks for video, definitely helped that you explained first why this technic works and not just 'the how to do it'. I also wrote L on the spokes that needed to loosen, as well as the T. Watch this video a few times and be patient. It should work in the end, thanks again 👍
true that
Thank you. I watched another video first and actually made my wobbly wheel problem worse. The first guy was no doubt a bicycle expert but what he did not do was a provide clear explanation. He provided instructions that he assumed would be correctly understood, because they were obvious to him . Your video on the other hand, was 100 times better because the your explanation was designed for a the novice viewer. The result was job done and no trip to the bike shop for me.
Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. It just takes a little head-scratching!
I'm probably the most in-apt home bike mechanic on the face of the Earth, however thanks to your video managed to straighten badly buckled wheel :)
Cheers mate, much appreciated!
I.
I have a free bike I got a lot time ago that had an off center back wheel that was scraping the brakes and i was actually able to get it nearly perfectly straight watching your video. Im not taking it to a shop since it was a free bike and I was worried the bike was toast and i would have to get a new bike but nah! Thank you for this!
It was a real pleasant tutorial to watch. I appreciate the written comment in the video about tightening and loosening on both sides. Thnx
Thanks a million for sharing. Your guidance impacted my spoke tightening skills tremendously! Absolutely perfect verbal delivery. You sir have a gift.🙏🏾
Very nice of you. Thanks.
this video BY FAR is the easiest method to both understand and remember! You have saved me heaps of money by just truing my bike wheels myself! Explaining the rope idea helped a lot! You sir should be teaching in school or something. Subscribed!
Almost! I interviewed once at the local trade school; they went with another guy (a cabinet maker), but still offered me a part-time evening position. I declined.
Happy to help. Thanks for letting me know ;)
A superb presentation of the subject. A calm, clear voice devoid of extraneous waffle and an excellent explanation of how and what to do by somebody who is obviously aware of potential problems and pitfalls. It has given me confidence to have a go myself.
No waffle, eh? Interesting usage. Admittedly, I've not heard it put that way before. Glad the vid helped. Let me know if it worked.
Waffles have a corrugated surface. The implication being that its topology is the result of convolution; it's antithetical to a straight line. If that's its origin, I get it. I like geometric metaphors. Thanks.
Imagine usage _before_ the internet. You'd be stuck with the King's English (or at least your instructor's version of it), and you just wouldn't be exposed to other dialects without traveling. Really adds to the language's variety. Trust me~ it gets old when distant people impose upon you demands concerning their 'right way,' though. Talk about the heighth of arrogance! That was some provincial usage funny for ya, from the top of Appalachia's Laurel Mountains. Hope it ain't too thick.
Thanks for the great, relaxed delivery with easy to follow common sense approach, without the often noisy music and extraneous hand gestures.
Nice job of explaining the use of a spoke wrench and straightening methodology. Thanks for creating. One additional hint. As a guitarist I know that you can ping a spoke and get a note. By pinging the spoke (with your finger nail) and listening to the note you can tell if you have the same tension on all spokes. There's usually an "average" sound, and some that are too high (tight) and some that are too low (loose). I can't give a note value where you could actually use a guitar tuner because all situations are different. But you get the idea.
HOLY SHIT I DID IT!!!! After f’ing with and adjusting my rim brakes forever, then realizing it’s a rim issue, not wanting to replace it, to thinking this is impossible, to starting by doing the opposite of what you said, realizing that, doing it correctly and now no issue! Woohoo
Thank yoy
Glad to hear you got it.
Congrats on your first!! It won't be the last from now on 😅, but you'll feel so satisfying doing it again when it comes.
its very easy to work on a new bike. these service demo's on these old bikes always impress me. good work.
Oh my God, you have BY FAR made the best video on this, I should know, I watched most of them & they just got me even more confused by everyone saying different methods, this is simple & straight to the point!!
I have a thing for 3 wheel adult bicycles. They are very handy and when you stop you have a comfortable place to sit. So I put a 3" raked and lowered springer, ape hangers, and a saddle from and FLH Harley on it. Rear view mirrors, aoooga horn, old style headlight, nutsack tail light, red dice for the valve stems, Schwinn crate style pedals, beer holder, and a seriously lowered saddle and it is a cool ride that stops people dead in the street. Of course that got addictive so now I have 5 of them all choppered except for the one that looks like a 3 wheeled beach cruiser. I've loved bicycles since I was a kid and it was the only entertainment we had. Thank you for the video. I hate how to videos that go on forever when they could just get right to the point. Yours was easy to understand.
Finally!! A comprehensive an easy to follow video for doing spokes. Super well explained! This video is going in my tool bag. I'll probably reference to this often.
Back in college I biked a lot and learned how to true my wheels. Thanks for the reminders and the Gt trick!
THIS IS FROM THE VIDEO (Print it out and take it with you as you work):
After marking the rim with a pencil as the wheel spins (My comment: I found that a RED CHINA MARKER shows up better) :
1.) The spoke that's closest to the center of the pencil line is the one that requires the most adjustment.
2.) If that spoke is on the same side of the wheel as you and your pencil mark, then that spoke should be loosened, and the two spokes next to it should then be tightened.
3.) It's that spoke is on the other side, then the two spokes closest to it should be loosened, and then it should be tightened.
Thanks for the video!
What an excellent and incredibly informative video. I'm off to tune up my 40 year old classic raleigh, now that I know about this. A huge thank you.
Calm soothing delivery. I could watch your videos for hours. Thank you for the content.
Thank you for making a simple DIY video that isn't drawn out with so much dialog. One of my spokes broke..it doesn't happen often. Wire cut it In half and pulled another spoke from a spent rim . And instead of pulling and replacing the entire spoke. Just added a hook on both ends and joined them in the middle. And that resolves still being able to true the rim with a broken spoke. And let's be real, stripping the spoke connector can become easy to do.
Just wanted to say thank you. I'll try this method first before I buy the true stand. Just an amateur cyclist for now...Great video.
Save your money. Truing stands are an high dollar tool that has a bottom dollar equivalent.
I have been collecting bikes from roadside trash days. I have been swopping parts to get good rideable bikes. I am learning so much by trial and error with lots of common sense I have stashed in my brain over the years. This really helps as one bike had a really bent rear wheel. I bought a new rime on ebay and put the old spokes in the new rim, one at a time. Then I tightened them. Now I am tuning the wheel as per your instructions. Thanks for this video. KISS (my motto- Keep It Simple Stupid ) :)
This is why we have UA-cam !! So we can do it ourselves and save some cash, many thanks for your simple explanation, I now have the confidence to repair this bike I was given with 2 ‘wonky’ wheels 🇬🇧🇺🇸
It was perfect- THANK YOU! Everybody said to toss it. It’s easier to buy a new cheap one. With your directions I was able to do it by myself!!!
I bought a spoke wrench and the GT method worked for ME!
Simple and to the point.
I am happy to have my bike back and a smooth ride.
I’m going to check them again after a few rides.
Thanks for sharing for us SIMPLETONS 😁
This video was great. I have ingrained in my head "lefty loosey righty tighty", but it's the opposite procedure for tightening spokes, so I tell myself "loosen to tighten". Same for adjusting rim brake spring tension. Although your mnemonic is probably better for most people. Good luck truing your wheels everyone
Nice job, man. I've built many wheels for others and ridden many thousands of miles on my own which have survived extended loaded touring, Cat. 2 racing and hard-core commuting. Not bragging, just saying I know something about the subject and I really like your presentation, and teaching just what most people need to know.
The only thing I'd also mention is the key to a strong, durable wheel is keeping even tension all around. If you have a musical ear you can pluck them like guitar strings and listen, they should all be *close* (and note that on a rear wheel the gear side is always tighter than the non-gear side). They'll never all be the same due to imperfections in the rim, but if you find one that's really off, or it's so loose it just rattles , you need to address that spot and find out why. It might require measures further than just spoke adjustments.
Well done!
Thanks for the additional info, hoping you can provide some more: My carbon MTB rim is off about 1.5mm for half of its circumference. How do you know which side to true? In other words, I assume there is a centerline, that the rim is off centerline to one side, and that if I pick the wrong side to true towards, my rim will end up even but pushed 3mm off centerline. (normally I would let the LBS handle this, but my preferred shop has a two week backlog due to COVID-19). Thanks in advance.
@@thumper9633 The tight side needs to be loosened, the loose side needs to be tightened. Start by loosening the tight side, as this makes it much easier on you and the wheel than getting everything "too tight." If your spokes are metal, the plucking is a very effective way of telling tight from loose, as the tight is higher pitched, assuming you can hear the difference and know which one is higher pitched (the higher note). If in doubt, loosen a spoke and pluck again, and hopefully hear the difference.
@@thumper9633😂 convids 1984? The fake thing? 😂😂😂
Man, thank you so much! I was turning my spokes backwards this whole time. This is the kind of trick you pass down to your kids. Great stuff!
I noticed that in the video but he didn't explain they should be turned opposite way!
@@doricdave Copying from another post:
Spoke nipples aren't reverse threaded, but when you're turning them, it seems that way because you're turning them from the bottom, not the top like you would a regular nut or bolt. With the spoke pointing at you, it's lefty-loosey righty-tighty. Imagine the tire/tube/rim-strip not being there - if you were to turn the top of the nipple with a screw driver, the threading is normal...
ridemonkey.bikemag.com/threads/trying-to-tighten-spokes-makin-a-real-mess-of-things-help.231701/
Cycling is one of my passions too, even though I am new to it. This video truly helped me understand more on how to true a wheel.
Received my spoke tool today and will give it a go. Good luck to me!
Thanks again
This was one of the best videos on how to straighten a wheel in the most easy to understand. I have been working on all kinds of bikes over a period of around 40 plus years and my weak area has always been wheel truing and I think I got it now thanks to your easy to listen to and simple instruction. I always forget the direction of tightening and loosening the spokes. I think I am dyslexic or something of that nature because some things I try to learn in my mechanical world I have a hard time figuring out. Thanks again111
There's a bunch going on with a Tension wheel. Lots to consider. They didn't even exist until the mid 1800's. So look on the bright side: being confused by a complex system might be a sign of brains! Certainty, on the other hand, is a sign of the opposite.
This was great - thanks! 2 quick tips that work for me is hanging a clothespin from the last spoke adjusted if running for a phone call, break, etc. I also find 'tagging' spokes with painter's tape to ID ones needing new nipples or replacement comes in handy. Love the Gt method and will never 2nd guess myself now.
usefull thanks for posting. I cycled in Sri Lanka on a new bike and started to brake spokes. What a night mare, I lost days and miles trying to get someone to fix the bike in a foreign country. Four different bike mechanics worked on the bike but never really fixed the problems and I bought a new rim when I returned to canada. thanks again for posting
I can say that I enjoyed your video, and learned a bit, as well. As a fellow GT owner (I have a '95 Karakoram that I bought new many years ago, and just restored is a couple of years ago), I hope you continue to make videos!
I'm so glad you demonstrated this method on a GT bicycle!
@IPA SOLÉ It also means that the bike will GT (get thrashed)
Great video. Really clear explanation and good way to remember which way to turn the spoke key. Your enthusiasm and love of bikes comes across...there something very satisfying about fixing up a bike with a bit of tlc. Cheers!
This is by far the best explanation of spoke orientation. I have seen great job.
That is a nice bike for 20 bucks! I love truing wheels, it is so therapeutic. I've finally managed to understand radial truing and make significant improvements on a wheel with a bad hop.
Superb! I made films for a living for nearly four decades. Now, I know how to adjust my spokes, too. THANKS!
Thanks so much. I used to find I needed to check every time which way to remember, but I don’t need to anymore. I just need to remember Gt. Thanks so much. You are the man.
Thanks for sharing, and nice ride for 20bucks, 65 and fixing my daughter's old bike, from 90s, its beautifulthing to breathe life back into it and go for ride.
This is a very good tutorial especially for someone that has limited knowledge and experience with bikes.
@@pocket83squared Sorry about the misunderstanding pocket83. People with limited knowledge and experience will really be helped and will benefit from your excellent tutorial.
@@carlcampbell6827 Wow. I am so sorry for reading you incorrectly. That was way over the top on my part, and I apologize. Thank you.
@@pocket83squared Not a problem at all pocket. Sometimes I am a bit hasty in proofreading my posts and I understand there are many malicious people online. God bless you in your efforts to help people! I came up with a rather bad bent rear wheel on my trusty 10 speed the other day and the brake is dragging. When I get time, I am taking your advice on the truing of the wheel so I can get back on the road again. Thank you.
Yes this was useful thank you. My original search was to find a video that would help me make sure the wheel was a perfect circle as I require a rotor for a Bedini energizer. But this straightening of the wheel is something I forgot to take into account and would be super-important to consider. So major kudos sir. Have a great day.
The Gt method is brilliant for us that only do this a few times a year. The righty tighty/lefty loosey was confusing when looking at the spoke upside down. This solves that problem.
Great tip! I was trying to remember how to adjust spokes today to help out a young fella with a bent wheel. The GT mnemonic will stick in my head. Thanks for the clear explanation
GT = Great Tip
Get this, my spokes were so loose I went through and just tightened all the ones that wiggled. Unexperienced in wheel maintance I was just excited to finally use my tool. My rear wheel was literally rubbing against my frame LOL. 3 hours later I repaired both the front and back, thanks for the video.
Didn’t know that! I thought spokes centered the hub in terms of centre of the whole wheel, never understood it also controls wheel run out. Really interesting and useful!!!
I just tried the pencil trick, and it's brilliant! Except, I used a sharpie instead, and I highly recommend doing the same- It's much easier to see, and removes quickly and easily with some alcohol. At first I tried with a carpenters pencil, and I could barely see anything.
This alone is the most useful tip I've seen or read anywhere about wheel truing. After many hours attempting to true my wheel, and making little progress and often making things work, this method made my truing far more effective and efficient. My wheel isn't perfect yet, but it's much better than it was.
Worked for me. Just did my beach cruiser that i had a bend in it for 9 years. After a few spokes broke from another bike, i replaced them, then decided to fix it. Thank you pocket83 (squared)!
I needed this video. UA-cam algorithm and you, to the rescue. Thanks for taking the time to make it.
the GT visualization really helped me true my wheel. I'm never going to forget it
Man, that was super, super useful.
I cycle to work every day, and I always forget which way is to tighten those spoke nuts. "Gt" is so simple,and so effective!
If you were thinking of doing more, I'd love to see how you set your brake pads to be at the right distance and angle, and how to get the levers to have as low "dead zone" as possible.
Thanks pockets!
Lefty loosy Righty Tighty
@@camhunt7310 😂no
Thanks heaps. This has helped me understand how to straighten a wheel. so much easier to understand. I'm having trouble with my gears not all changing since I put my back wheel back on so yeah more video's please
Just wanted to say a big thank you, I’ve just for the first time ever trued my wheel. Between watching this video and RJ the bike dude I’ve been able to do this myself to which I never thought possible 🤘🏻
finally something taken to the simplest components. Others are too complicated for someone like me that never true the wheel. Unbelievable but I actually built the wheel years ago not knowing about trueing, and not understanding how it works. I was a musician and I just turned all the spokes to the same tone as the other wheel on the bike that was not broken and all the spokes on the new rim to the same sound like tuning the piano. I guess my ear was perfect because the wheel was good. Although it was only 20 inch.
Ideally, every spoke should have the same tension, and thus _should_ produce the same tune. Your idea was just a different way to go about the problem. It wasn't wrong. In fact, many of those complicated explanations are just pretending as though the solution is more mysterious than it really is. "True," in most cases, is simply balanced.
This is amazing. Don't even have a bicycle yet but I'm glad I stumbled on to this.
Thanks, A nice simple explanation. Your positive statement that your audience would get it makes you a good teacher
Thank you for an informative lesson, I made it worse before I made it better , but what a way to learn. Hat off to you, you made it easy and cheaper than I expected.
Glad it helped!
Yes, the GT Method, aka the Good Time method. 😉
Thorough, awesome, and great pace video that my little 9 year old nephew is enthusiastically watching!! He's going to learn how to maintain his bike for life 😅. Though he has a sucky bike, the lesson he's learning to tinker is priceless! Thank You.
Best tutorial as someone who doesn't have bike maintenance stand i do work on my bike upside down and this vid is by far best even better than GCN or Park tools vid as they work on upright bike and it's complicated to remember...the GT method is the best
I like R J the bike guy. I learned a lot from him. I discovered him when we got our treadmill I wanted to learn how to maintain it and he had the same exact one Then I bought a used bike. I wanted to learn how to work on it. Then I started watching his Videos. Now I have a few bikes. I always like a bike project. He’s a good teacher
Such a great video !! Having looked at a number of other videos all morning i was feeling dispair. But agter half an hour or so with this, my wheels are doing great !!!!
Really helpful and came up in my feed just when I needed it. Haven't trued a wheel in decades
I haven't owned a bike in years, so the _content_ isn't going to be as helpful for me as it may be for lots of others. That being said, it's still interesting, and I love learning. Whether I'll ever get to apply it is almost irrelevant, if something is taught in an interesting way, it's going to be well received. It's always great seeing a new video from you 😊
Thanks. But in al seriousness, get a mountain bike. Unless you have something that physically stops you from being able to do it, get one!
Craigslist is filled to the brim with supply because of our culture's unique combination of hyper-consumerism, ineptitude, and obesity. The trails out there are a great unused resource of unspoiled beauty. It's a shame to fail to take advantage of it.
I'm speaking from my area, though; perhaps you have a different way to scratch that same itch.
I spend more time outside than in on my time off, and a vast majority of that time is spent out on the trails around here (just off the coast of Lake Erie, Port Dover area...the area is well known for it's carolinian forests and abundance of conservation area). Most of the time, I have my dog with me, so I spend it walking. He's only a miniature doberman...would have a pretty hard time keeping up with me on a bike! lol
You're right, however, I _should_ get a bike again. I used to bike all the time, and remember enjoying it a lot. On that note speaking of bikes (albeit a different kind), it's Friday the 13th, in Port Dover here there's a pretty big bike rally that I never miss out on! Have a great weekend.
Ha! I don't think that kind of bike counts! You have a great weekend, too.
I like Gt method. I have taken several bike shop classes including one on wheel building and this has always been a short set of mental gymnastics to get the tighten vs loosen the nipple turning direction thing correct. Thanks!
I want to say thanks I straighten my motorbike wheel I just built by watching your video!
Geez, using a pencil is such a great idea that's so obvious yet never thought about. Thank you for that.
Brilliant, thanks to your post we have helped save many wheels/bikes from the dump...
While I don't do much biking myself, I sure don't mind videos on the subject.
Really nice to have a better understanding of these wheels, didn't think tension was such a key part to shaping it.
This is a clever mnemonic! I'm feel like I'm generally competent at truing wheels, for an amateur home mechanic. I even worked through some of the theory of wheel-building a couple years ago, and built my own set of wheels, working out the spoke lengths I'd need and tension I should have and all that.
But still, every time I put a wheel on my truing stand, I have to spend a minute making a stupid face as I think through the spatial geometry of the spoke threading being upside-down and backwards and how that affects which way I need to turn the spoke key to take the wobble out of my rim... This is a pretty nifty shortcut!
I try to work on top side of the wheel. If you turn the nipple there, it's just a normal righty tighty - lefty loosy.
This helped, I am 14 years old and my back wheel was wobbly and after some messing around, I fixed it (it is the bike on my profile picture), thank you 😊
Thanks for the shout out!
RJ the bike guy, Whooooooh Yeah!
You amish
We back
Thanks your way of teaching is really understanding..
SHOUTOUT TO MY NGGAS
I seen 3 other videos on this subject and this one helped me to best understand how to true a rim. Thank you so much!! I like the GT method you described, it will help me not get confused. GT method on GT bike.
This video does a far better job at explaining this. I followed the instructions and was able to straighten my wheel that I thought wasn't fixable!! Thank you so much
R J Guy was all over the place, your clip was easy to follow for the DIY bike mechanic. Cheers!
Thank you so much. Saved me from paying to retrue at the shop and also for looking like a big idoit trying to figure out lefty loosy at the local bike co-op
I've really enjoyed your lecture about spoke tension and the way to go about it.
Tell me more about my bike and fixing common probs even the most basic probs, like when I changed my back tire and wasn't sure what order or pieces I needed when I put it back on. Because I tossed them in a bucket of random mixed bolts nuts washers blah blah blah . your explanations are stated clearly and make sense. Thx
Almost all my spokes made this tiny chatter tink sound when riding, I felt and almost all were losose. I watched aguys vid on how to tighten spokes, he demonstrated....... and he said Its better to over tighten than under tighten ....... So I started at the valve stem & snugged them all fairly tight. Got basically a full turn in most of them. Now I have bent rims. - Now Im on your vid on how to correct the mess I have after watching his video lol. Looks quite simple how you explained it, Thanx.
Thank you man I watched alot of videos and none of them thought me how to actually do and this vid was so helpful thanks again keep up the good work
Best explanation ever. After seeing many videos, your explanation was simple and best. Thanks
Nice video! First I seen without all the expensive special equipment and straight to the point!!
so far, this is the best trying video I have seen by far
Thank you very much for your scientific way of explaining how it works. The GT rule rocks.
I'll need to check this on my new bike. Never did it before but I feel a understand it completely after watching this video. Great job and thanks!