In the last week or so I started noticing a kind of occasional pinging sound from my wheels- it's hard to tell which wheel when riding, and a quick check while out didn't show anything amiss on either wheel (pushing bike slowly giving each spoke a pluck).
After a lazy day I thought I'd belatedly start my winter maintenance. Head bearings needed slight tightening, front brake blocks will need changing shortly (any recommendations? I've been using Wilkinsons inexpensive ones and they've been fine. They stop well at the price of what seems fairly quick wear and just a few pounds).
When I checked the wheels the back was fairly true and spokes ok but the front (motor)wheel had about half the spokes slack on the right hand side, and 3 or 4 on the left. And when I say slack the vast majority had backed off 3 to 4 turns- probably stopped by the thread ending! It's a nice strong double walled V rim so the wheel wasn't even out of true! So all spokes are now tightened, and also of what appears to be fairly equal tension.
The wheel was new from Crystalyte Europe and fitted about 6 or 7 months ago and I just did a cursory check of the spokes and rim when new- I think I shouldn't have assumed that the spokes were ok just because the rim was true especially as I found out that they had sent the wrong winding motor a few months later.
My thanks and recommendation go to the the guides by Sheldon Brown and wheelbuilding by Roger Musson which are good for beginners at this like me- tried out on my single walled back wheel which seems to go out of true a lot more easily (still haven't found a reasonably priced pre-built double wall 28 rear wheel for a 6 speed Shimano block).
I think I was a bit lucky that there were no problems, but don't forget to check your wheels and spokes!
After a lazy day I thought I'd belatedly start my winter maintenance. Head bearings needed slight tightening, front brake blocks will need changing shortly (any recommendations? I've been using Wilkinsons inexpensive ones and they've been fine. They stop well at the price of what seems fairly quick wear and just a few pounds).
When I checked the wheels the back was fairly true and spokes ok but the front (motor)wheel had about half the spokes slack on the right hand side, and 3 or 4 on the left. And when I say slack the vast majority had backed off 3 to 4 turns- probably stopped by the thread ending! It's a nice strong double walled V rim so the wheel wasn't even out of true! So all spokes are now tightened, and also of what appears to be fairly equal tension.
The wheel was new from Crystalyte Europe and fitted about 6 or 7 months ago and I just did a cursory check of the spokes and rim when new- I think I shouldn't have assumed that the spokes were ok just because the rim was true especially as I found out that they had sent the wrong winding motor a few months later.
My thanks and recommendation go to the the guides by Sheldon Brown and wheelbuilding by Roger Musson which are good for beginners at this like me- tried out on my single walled back wheel which seems to go out of true a lot more easily (still haven't found a reasonably priced pre-built double wall 28 rear wheel for a 6 speed Shimano block).
I think I was a bit lucky that there were no problems, but don't forget to check your wheels and spokes!
