The wheel spins in a figure eight on a bicycle. Fixing the figure eight and the egg on the wheel

Editing the “eight” and “egg” on bicycle wheels- Almost every cyclist faces this need. Some send it to a service center, others straighten the wheel themselves, and do the right thing - straightening the figure eight yourself is a guarantee of high quality work and saving money.

Everything you need for straightening "eight" wheels and its other defects - this is a high-quality knitting needle, but you can limit yourself to a simple screwdriver, but it is much more difficult to work with it than with a knitting needle. To simplify the work, you may also need a machine that will make it easier to monitor changes in the wheel as a result of editing, but you can do without it - just fix the wheel in the bicycle fork, and actually start doing the work itself.

How to fix a figure eight on a wheel

If one of the parts of the rim of your bicycle is offset to the right side, then in the same area you should tighten the spokes on the left side and slightly loosen them on the right. But you shouldn’t overdo it - you should tighten one at a time, or half a turn clockwise, and tighten an equal number of spokes on the other side exactly the same amount. As a rule, figure eights occur on short sections of the rim and in the work of tightening and loosening the spokes - editing the "eight", you have to use more than 1-4 spokes on each side of the wheel.

Note that if the rule for uniformly tightening and loosening the spokes is not followed, then an ellipse may be added to the “eight” on your wheel. And fixing it is much more difficult. So, it works with the wheel in the loosen-tighten mode, and after each small turn we rotate the wheel to the fork - if you have rim brakes, then it’s even better, you can very accurately track the wheel’s runout and make it perfectly smooth as a result of your work.

Let's move on to the second stage of editing

The fact is that even if visually it seems to you that the wheel is completely ready, you should not think that it is so. Editing the eight doesn't end there. We put the wheel on the ground, resting it on the hub axle and push it with our hands from all sides - until it cracks - this will help the spokes sink into their sockets and show the realities of your affairs, in addition, if you have the opportunity and time, it’s worth putting the wheel on the bike for half a day ride, and then pass the wheel through your watchful eye again. If the figure eight appears again, then we perform a careful operation of pulling the knitting needles one more time.

In addition, you need to check whether the “umbrella” of the wheel has gone away and whether the edges of the wheel are still evenly spaced from the fork of your bicycle’s fork legs. If everything is good, then we move on, put the wheel on the bike and continue to enjoy riding it.

Editing an ellipse on a bicycle wheel

Editing an egg (ellipse) is a difficult task for a beginner, but a solvable one. In order to straighten the ellipse on your bicycle wheel, it is necessary to determine which section of the rim is furthest from the center of the wheel.

If you have a machine, then determining the remote area will not be difficult, otherwise, we put the wheel bare of rubber in the bicycle fork, start turning it and apply a ruler to the rim, where the ruler rises - there is the most remote area.

When editing an ellipse on a bicycle wheel The same principle applies as when editing the figure eight. To accomplish this task, you will need to tighten the spokes in the outer area and loosen them in the area closest to the hub.

This needs to be done around the entire perimeter of the wheel - as a rule, the ellipse cannot be eliminated with one small correction - you will have to sweat and spend more than half an hour of your time, and maybe more, depending on the neglect of the wheel.

Note that when editing an ellipse It is necessary to loosen the spokes on the wheel evenly on both sides, otherwise in the future you will have to make major adjustments to the figure eight. Also on the ellipse, special attention should be paid to very weakened and, conversely, overly tense spokes - we straighten them first. Sometimes loosening just one spoke and easily correcting the subsequent figure eight on the wheel will completely help resolve the problem.

Let's add that while editing an ellipse the number of turns you have to make with the spokes is much greater than when straightening the figure eight.

Upon completion of the work, we repeat the same instructions as during straightening the figure eight on a bicycle wheel- we press, we roll, we check.

Editing an umbrella on a bicycle wheel

If the wheel of your bicycle is completely shifted to one side and is not at an equal distance from different ends of the bicycle, then it means that work on straightening the “umbrella” has come.

Fixing the “umbrella” on the wheel is very simple. To do this, you will need to tighten the side of the wheel that is further away from its edge by an equal amount of revolution, or, on the contrary, loosen it if the tension on the spokes is very high.

A figure eight on a bicycle wheel is the most common deformation. Today, the latest technologies are used to create bicycles, but even on an ultra-modern bike the wheel remains very conservative, spoked. The design in this case is not anything complicated: a hub, a rim and the spokes that unite them. During operation, every cyclist experiences wheel deformation. And the appearance of an “eight” on a wheel is far from uncommon. This is due to a violation of the integrity of the rim and loose spokes.

And yet, why does this deformation occur? During operation, the wheel is inevitably subject to load as soon as the cyclist takes his place on the saddle. Let's add some road unevenness - potholes, bumps, poor or no coverage, and the question of the reasons for the occurrence of "eights" disappears by itself. In addition, inexperienced cyclists often incorrectly distribute their weight on the bike, which also increases the load. Sharp braking, jumping and other extreme conditions, as well as long-term operation also make it necessary to adjust the wheels.

As you can see, during operation the bicycle experiences loads that are least dependent on your riding style. Over time, the geometry of the wheel rim changes - it becomes deformed. The speed of its manifestation depends on the presence of rim defects (figure eight, “umbrella” and “egg” displacement). It is worth noting that the service life of wheels often also depends on the materials from which they are made and their quality. Sometimes inexpensive models may require repairs much earlier than those made from expensive components (for example, a high-strength rim).

How can you tell if a wheel is bent?
When there is a suspicion that the wheel has lost its original shape, you should turn the bike over and begin a thorough check.

First, you need to inspect the wheel at the place of suspected curvature. To do this, it is untwisted, and in the case of the rear one, this can be done using pedals. It is visually obvious that the curved areas are shifted to the side during rotation. Now all that remains is to grab it with your hand in that place and stop it, which is quite difficult.

Another, more effective way is to use a chalk or marker. While spinning the wheel, you need to bring it to the rim. First of all, the stroke will remain on the convex figure of the “eight”. By twisting the chalk more strongly and bringing it closer to the rim, you can determine the boundaries of the curvature.

How to fix the "eight"
And now the curvature is found. Every cyclist can correct it with his own efforts, and given that deformation is not a rare phenomenon, valuable experience comes with time. There are two ways to get rid of the “disease”:
power straightening;
tightening and loosening wheel spokes.

Required set of tools to eliminate deformation:
1) chalk to mark the area with a defect;
2) spoke wrench;
3) a wheel straightening machine (preferably, but not required).

The figure eight, which is small in size, can be eliminated without removing the wheel. To diagnose the problem, turn the bike upside down to check that the wheel is positioned correctly in relation to the brake pads. This process can be divided into several operations. First you need to identify the deformation. As the wheel rotates, press a piece of chalk onto it. In places where the figure eight is formed you will see a corresponding trace. This simple method will help determine the exact location of the rim deformation.

Next comes tightening and loosening the spokes, but only from a certain side, which will be discussed in detail below. If such manipulations are performed with inaccuracies, the wheel can become even more deformed. There are several ways in which it can be removed.

Power straightening
If you consider this scenario possible, you should remove the wheel from the frame. But the tire and tube should not be removed. We turn the wheel with its bulge towards us and grasp the rim and tire with our hands. In this case, the average deformation requires the position of the hands equal to 10 and 2 o'clock on the dial. We use our knee, placing it against the convex area, and press strongly from ourselves.

If there is enough strength, this is done by weight. Or you can place the wheel vertically, with the deformed section up. In this case, the help of a partner is required to press the wheel to the floor. After this extreme straightening, the wheel is returned to the frame and tested.

But this method is not always effective. It is not accurate and minor deformations are not corrected. Among other things, inept actions can provoke new bends. And not every rim will succumb to the impact of a foot - high-strength modern wheels will remain “their own”. Although, if the wheel failed you somewhere along the way and the “eight” happened suddenly due to, for example, hitting a large stone, “forceful straightening” is the only possible way.

Adjusting the wheel spokes
The ride quality of a bicycle often depends on the correct tension of the spokes. Spoke tension adds strength and elasticity to the wheel. In this case, the tires are removed, and the tension of each spoke is carefully checked. It happens that the rim becomes bent as a result of their general weakening. In a situation where the spokes are dangling like guitar strings, they should be tightened by 1 turn of the key. In the found area of ​​curvature, a spoke is searched for, located in its center, that is, at the convexity itself. The knitting needle must be turned in the direction opposite to the direction of the convexity. In this case, the spokes located on the sides of the central one are weakened.

If the figure eight is between two nearby knitting needles, then using a special key, tighten the first knitting needle by a third of a turn, and twist the knitting needle next to it in the opposite direction, loosening the clamp by a third as well. If the “eight” has a size of three knitting needles, the following actions are taken:
tightening the central spoke a quarter turn with a wrench;
slight loosening of the outer spokes (half the tension in the center).

If the figure eight has a size of seven spokes, the algorithm of actions is as follows:
the central spoke is tightened half a turn;
the second and third spokes should be loosened by a quarter turn;
the fourth and fifth are tightened by one eighth;
the sixth and seventh (that is, the extreme ones) are weakened by one eighth.

That is, alternating tension and stretching of the spokes should be carried out so that the outermost spokes of the “eight” are weakened. After the procedure, the wheel is installed in its place and tested for possible distortions. If the figure eight is bent in the opposite direction, all tension is eliminated and the tightening on the loosening knitting needles is increased. After which everything repeats itself, but to a lesser extent. The result of a long operation is the alignment of the wheel to a perfectly smooth circle. At first, the work will not go so quickly, but as you gain experience, the speed of adjusting the spokes also increases.

Changing the knitting needles
Not all craftsmen know how to assemble wheels efficiently, and therefore it is best to learn how to do it yourself. The assembly is carried out according to a certain algorithm.

1. Work on a set of knitting needles:
it is necessary to lubricate the threads of the spoke and the rim in places where there is contact with the nipples, otherwise the spoke will not be tensioned with sufficient rigidity;
in a situation where the hub flanges have a countersink on a single side, the spoke heads are on the non-countersinked side, it is needed to bend the spokes;
nine spokes are inserted into the flange so that there is an unoccupied hole between them, and so that the heads are located on the outside. In a rear wheel situation, you should start on the right side of the hub;
on the rim, among the holes shifted to the right, you should find the one closest to the hole for the camera nipple;
the first knitting needle is attached to this hole, it is considered the key one;
Count four holes from the key knitting needle, moving clockwise, place the next knitting needle and screw in the nipple;
as a result, there should be three unoccupied holes between the spokes, the spoke closest to the valve hole is located to the right of it, and the threaded part of the sleeve faces the master;
then the remaining seven spokes are secured, using every fourth hole in the rim;
after turning the wheel over, nine more spokes are connected to the rim, inserted into the left flange from the outside;
the tenth spoke should be located to the right of the key one, adjacent to it, but not crossing it;
after installing the tenth knitting needle, the next eight are assembled in the sequence defined above;
and now the drive spokes are already placed in their places and their heads are on the outside of the flange. In this case, the nipples are turned only a certain number of turns;
Tension spokes with heads are installed on the inside of the flange. The spoke is threaded into the flange hole and the bushing is rotated so that all the spokes in place receive a certain direction, closest to the tangent relative to the flange. The first tension spoke must intersect three drive spokes standing in place, while each tension spoke must pass outside the first two it intersects under the third, also intersected;
the rest of the knitting needles are obtained according to the same principle.

2. Tension
Before tensioning the spokes, all nipples should be tightened equally. Then you need to start the process by turning each nipple one turn. If there is still “quivering” in the knitting needles, the tension increases. We install the wheel to check and remove all figure-of-eight defects.

Eliminating radial runout
The wheel rim in the form of an oval “egg” looks like this: one part of the rim is located closer to the center than the rest. This type of wheel defect appears after unsuccessful landings. Fixing such a breakdown is much more difficult than a regular figure eight:
1) remove the tire and inspect the rim;
2) turn the bike body over and spin the wheel while holding an object on top. Mark with chalk the part of the rim that will lift this object;
3) simultaneously follow three directions:
- release the tension from the central spoke;
- tighten the adjacent spokes by the same number of turns so that there is no figure eight;
- the spokes at the opposite end of the wheel should be tightened to prevent the appearance of an “egg” in another place.

Eliminating such an eight requires considerable experience; the process is characterized by its own difficulties. After correcting the “egg”, you need to press the entire weight on the knitting needles, as in the above diagram, to shrink them.

Editing "Umbrella"
Cyclists are familiar with the concept of an “umbrella”. The defect is as follows: the wheel rim is offset to one side and is not perfectly aligned with the center of the hub. How serious the situation from such a displacement is directly for the bicycle depends on the design of the frame and the configuration of the brakes. This type of malfunction often occurs when the wheel is not assembled correctly. The “umbrella” is eliminated by analogy, like a regular figure eight. On one side you need to tighten the knitting needles, and on the other, loosen them. Unlike eliminating the usual figure eight, in the process of straightening the umbrella, the force for each subsequent knitting needle should not be weaker, but should remain uniform throughout the entire circumference.

Let's sum it up
Eights appear on the wheels of even the most experienced and savvy cyclists. In order to straighten a wheel, you need to remember a few simple rules. Always retighten the wheel spokes carefully - there is a risk of damaging the rim. If during straightening one or more of the spokes become too tight, loosen them and the nearby spokes. Only then repeat the adjustment again.

When riding a bicycle, spokes often break in a weakened state. If during the pulling procedure one or more wheel spokes become loose, be sure to tighten them and then repeat the adjustment again.

Visual video:

Today we will talk about how to properly fix an egg and a figure eight on a bicycle with your own hands. We will also consider techniques and devices for straightening the rim of a wheel with a figure eight and an egg with detailed diagrams

Common types of bicycle wheel defects are figure eight and egg. The occurrence of deformations is facilitated by active use of the vehicle and intensive driving on uneven, bumpy roads.

You can identify and correct these types of deformities yourself, without the help of a qualified specialist. Diagnosing the presence of defects is quite simple. To do this, you need to turn the bike over with its wheels facing up, placing it vertically.

Next, you need to unscrew the problem wheel by rotating it around its axis. As a rule, the figure eight is visible to the naked eye. If we are talking about a slight deformation when the wheel rotates (if the figure eight is not visible upon first examination), a characteristic clicking sound will be heard.

TOOLS FOR ELIMINATING DEFECTS

To repair your vehicle yourself you will need the following tools:

· marker or chalk;

· plastic mounts for tire removal;

· spoke wrench.

ALGORITHM FOR ELIMINATING DEFORMATION

First you need to determine the problem area as accurately as possible, identifying the source of the lesion. Next, you need to find the central spoke in the affected area.

Please note: if the figure eight falls to the right side, the first thing you need to do is tighten (or loosen) the spoke on the opposite side using a spoke wrench. After performing the manipulation (you need to tighten the knitting needle little by little, about 1/3 of a turn), you must immediately check the result. Next, you need to tighten the adjacent knitting needles on the opposite side in the same way. The number of turns of the wrench to tighten adjacent spokes should be approximately half that required for tightening the central spoke. As you move away from the source of deformation, the number of revolutions should gradually decrease proportionally.

First, remove the wheel and disassemble it, removing the tire and tube. It will be much more convenient to do this using mounting blades.

1. Then, put the wheel back into the fork dropouts. Using tape, we symmetrically attach two pieces of cardboard to the legs of the fork, in such a position that they touch the walls of the rim.

2. Scroll the wheel and determine the deformed area (in this place the rim will strongly touch one of the cardboards). Mark this section of the rim with a marker.

3. On the curved section, we need to find a spoke that is located in the center, on the side opposite to the bend, and using a spoke wrench, tighten it less than one turn.

4. The adjacent knitting needles, which are already on the bending side, need to be loosened, but by approximately half a turn. After performing this operation, spin the wheel and check the result.

5. We repeat these steps, but to a lesser extent until the result completely satisfies us.

6. Now let's consider the case where the rim deformation occurs in the shape of an egg.

7. This time, to determine the area of ​​curvature, we will attach a piece of cardboard to the bridge of the fork.

8. In this area you need to tighten all the knitting needles. The tension force increases from the edges to the center.

9. After that, slowly turn the wheel and check the result; if necessary, repeat the above operations.

In conclusion, we note that the eight wheel is primarily the enemy of rim brakes, but for a disc brake system it is not so terrible.

But on straight wheels, rolling is always better, and using the above tips on how to fix a figure eight on a bicycle wheel, getting rid of this problem will not be difficult for you

training video:

· 1 too weak and uneven tension of the wheel spokes;

· 2 collision with a high obstacle, strong dynamic impact on the wheel.

A chamber filled with compressed air gives additional rigidity to the wheel; it also acts as a shock absorber, but only within certain limits: the cyclist will not feel hitting small stones or branches. At the same time, neither the tread nor the inflated inner tube will protect the wheel from the consequences of hitting a high curb or log.

Part of bicycle maintenance should include checking and tightening the wheel spokes at least once a month.

Then you need to check if there are any loose or loose spokes in the wheel. Having replaced the faulty spokes, the wheel is inserted into the fork, secured with nuts and begins to rotate, pressing a piece of chalk to the fork near the rim (Fig. 8). Where the wheel “hits”, the chalk will leave a mark. In places where the spokes are loose, the chalk will not touch the rim. Using a nipple wrench, the spokes are tightened where the chalk has not left a mark, and slightly lowered in the places marked with chalk.
Correcting the “eight” requires practice. It can be difficult to correct a rim that has an ovoid shape (ellipse). In this case, you need to tighten the spokes in the convex part of the ellipse and the same amount on the opposite side, and loosen the tension of the spokes on the sides. As a rule, when correcting an ellipse, one begins by loosening the spokes, rather than by tightening them. After the rim becomes round, the spokes are tightened to eliminate lateral runout and correct the “eight”. Do not forget: the spokes must be tensioned evenly, otherwise they may break and the wheel will become unusable. After adjusting the wheel, the ends of the spokes that come out of the nipple on the rim must be filed off with a file to prevent puncture of the inner tube. Experienced cyclists use universal glue to prevent the spokes from loosening when tensioned. At the same time, the wheel receives the necessary rigidity. Then a safety band is put on the rim. It’s easier and more reliable to give it to a specialist - if you are only interested in the result, i.e. a wheel without a figure eight.

If you want to learn how to deal with it yourself, that's a different matter. Then it makes sense to sweat.

Let me explain a little the meaning of the diagram from the first post.

1. Each spoke pulls the rim not only towards the center of the wheel, but also to the side. This is the key point when correcting figure eights (axial runouts of the rim).

2. Spoke tension determines the circumference of the wheel. If, say, 4 spokes are tightened in a row (compared to all the others), the rim in this place will bend inward - an “egg” will appear (radial beats of the rim).

3. Ideally, all spokes of the wheel should be tensioned with the same force. If they are tensioned unevenly, the wheel does not hold its shape well - figure eights and eggs easily form.

But getting a straight wheel with equally tensioned spokes is possible only if the rim itself is straight; if it is deformed, then in order to align it, some spokes will have to be pulled harder than others.

Therefore, it is better to remove figure eights not by tensioning the spokes, but by straightening the rim itself.

Place a 1 cm thick block on the floor and place the rim on it in the place that hits the side the hardest. We press the rim on both sides of the block so that the rim bends and reaches the floor in the places on which we press.

We check the tension of the spokes in the straightening zone; if there are any too tight, release them; check the eight; straighten the rim again, increasing the thickness of the block if necessary.

The distance from the block to the points of pressure on the rim depends on the “steepness” of the figure eight - the sharper the rim deviates, the closer to the block we press and the thinner the block should be.

When you gain experience, you will be able to level the rim not on a block on the floor, but on your knee. It’s faster and more convenient this way, but it’s more reliable with a block - it’s difficult to bend.

The process is slow, but as a result we should get a wheel without runout and with correctly, evenly tensioned spokes. This wheel holds loads and shape well.

And the meaning of the diagram in the first post is this: if the wheel hits to the left, you need to increase the tension on the right spoke so that it pulls the rim to the right, eliminating the figure eight. But if you just increase the tension of the spokes in this place, the rim will go inward a little - an “egg” will appear. To avoid this, you need to release the left spokes on both sides of the tense right one.

Moreover, let go in total as much as the right one was pulled.

If the right one was pulled half a turn, then the left ones adjacent to it need to be released a quarter turn each.

The tension was increased by half a turn - decreased by half a turn with adjacent spokes; the overall tension remained unchanged, the egg did not appear.

The general idea is this.

To tighten the spokes, you will need a tool called a spoke wrench. By tightening the nipple, these parts are installed and tensioned. In this case, the main point is the uniform tension of the spokes, which guarantees the correct distribution of the load.

The spokes of a wheel can be different, but the key ones are cross and radial. The most common and convenient is called three-cross: this means a triple intersection of each of the parts.

Adjusting the spokes on a bicycle can be divided into several steps, including preparation, mounting spare parts or padding of the wheel, and tensioning the spokes. All stages can be done at home if you have patience, skills and free time, or you can entrust the rover to a master.

The first step is to determine the length of the bicycle parts. The front wheel, which is considered more technically simple, is described as having the same length of spare parts on both sides. As for the rear one, it is distinguished by different lengths due to the difference in the inclination of the bicycle spokes. This is explained by the requirements for wheel alignment and the presence of speeds. To calculate the length of the required spare parts, online calculators are often used, where you just need to enter data on the dimensions of other parts and get the result.

The second, installation step requires the rim, spokes, hub, oil, spoke wrench and screwdriver. The sequence of correct actions is as follows:

· Thoroughly lubricate the connection points with the nipples on the wheel parts and the threaded part of the spare parts, which guarantees high-quality spoke tension.

· If there are recessed entries on the flange only on one side, the spokes must be installed on the side opposite to the recesses.

· Nine spare parts are installed into the flange with one unoccupied entry between each.

· On the rear wheel, spare parts are placed to the right of the hub.

· On the rim, among the inlets located on the right hand, you need to find one located on the right side of the valve inlet and place the first knitting needle in it, after which tighten the nipple, making two turns.

· Starting from the first knitting needle, four entries are counted clockwise, the second knitting needle is installed and the nipple is screwed in the same way. The threaded part of the sleeve is facing towards you.

· The installation progress must be monitored: if everything goes correctly, then the spokes connect the rim on the right with the hub flange, also on the right, while three unoccupied holes are left between the spare parts.

· The next seven spare parts are secured using the same principle, by installing them in every fourth rim hole.

· Now you need to turn the wheel on the opposite side and install 9 spokes one by one, mounting them in the flange located on the left hand. In this case, you need to start with the key knitting needle, which is located to the left of the valve inlet. Having placed it, install the remaining eight spokes in the same way as on the previous side.

· Inspection of the wheel should show that pairs of unoccupied ports alternate with pairs of ports with nipples along the entire length of the rim. To secure the nipples, they are turned twice.

· The stage of installing tensioning parts, whose heads are located on the reverse side of the flange. One of the spokes is threaded into the flange hole, and the bicycle hub is twisted in such a way that the direction of the already mounted spare parts is close to the tangent to the flanges.

· When installing the first tension parts, pay attention to their installation in the rim holes that are closer to the required flange. The remaining spare parts with the tension element are assembled in the same way. If they do not reach the nipple entrances, you need to reversely loosen the nipples of the already inserted spokes.

· When the installation of all spokes is completed, it is necessary to tighten the nipples to the same depth.

Finally, the third step involves tensioning the spokes, which must be uniform, for which the nipples are twisted at the same level. If the spare parts are short, then after tightening the same number of threads should be visible. For long spare parts, the outgoing end is installed at the level of the nipple splines.

After this, each nipple must be screwed in the direction from the valve hole one turn and the spare parts must be checked for tension. If it is weak, then turn the nipple again, without achieving an excessively tight tension. If you have completed 75% of the rim, but it has become almost impossible to tighten the nipple, then this signals an extra second turn. You can cope with this situation by unscrewing the nipple one turn back.

Finally, you need to put the wheel you are looking for on a special machine or, in the absence of one, on the rover itself: this is how you can identify the irregularities of the spare part. Pay attention to whether any irregularities are noticeable. If the unevenness is horizontal, if the rim shifts to the right side by four parts: two of them look at the left, and two at the right flange, the left nipples are twisted by ¼ turn and the nipples on the right side are loosened similarly, by ¼ turn. If this method does not help get rid of the unevenness, then you need to find the most uneven place on the left and tighten it.

To correct vertical irregularities, you need to find the rim location that is as far away from the hub as possible. This is required for maximum tension of the spare part in that place, which will improve the rigidity parameters of the wheel and additionally move the rim towards the hub.

Additionally, when tensioning spare parts, they are also seated. To do this, apply forceful pressure to the spokes where they intersect, then turn the wheel and repeat the procedure in order to shrink all the spare parts. Usually, when the procedure is successfully carried out, the needles make characteristic sounds.

It is often best to trust the replacement and tensioning of spokes on a bicycle to professionals to be sure of the result. Unfortunately, sometimes incorrect repairs can only aggravate problems and even lead to “eight” wheels, so if there is the slightest doubt, it is better to take the rover to a bicycle repair shop.

Another type of bicycle wheel deformation is the egg type. In this case, the wheel takes on an egg shape, flattening vertically. Very often this type of deformation is combined with a figure eight. The situation can be corrected by tightening the spokes on both sides. When performing manipulations, you need to ensure that the knitting needles are not too loose or overtightened.

FIG. EIGHT OF A BICYCLE WHEEL – DETERMINING THE EXACT PLACE

To determine the exact location of the deformation, you need to turn the bike over with its wheels facing up. Next, you need to rotate the problem wheel, gradually bringing a chalk or marker to the spinning rim. In places where there is a figure eight, the chalk or marker will touch the rim. These places need to be noted. This is how you can determine the problem area - the hearth of the eight. How to determine if everything is fine with your wheel. Simply place the bike upside down on the saddle and the wheels facing up on the handlebars. Spin the wheel that you think is problematic (spin it in the sense of rotating it around its axis) and first check it by eye. If everything is in order with the wheel, then it will rotate around its axis absolutely evenly. If there is a figure eight, then it should be visible to the naked eye or, more often than not, something like the beating of a wheel in a certain place. You need to look at the wheel in profile and in front, since the bend of the wheel can occur in different directions.

Types of bends that are in principle possible:

· the most common type of defect is a figure eight wheel,

The figure eight of the wheel is tilted to the left, the dotted line shows how it should be

· Egg type bend is also common. This is when the wheel loses its circle shape and begins to resemble an egg in shape,

A wheel with an egg-type curvature. The dotted line shows how it should be

· umbrella type bend. Usually it is associated with a manufacturing defect; in this case, it is better to contact a specialist. Here I will not discuss how to fix it. This bending is due to the uneven placement of the wheel in the fork grooves.

Umbrella-type curvature. Dotted as it should be

How defects can form and why

There is a widespread belief that the wheel can change its shape if you do not drive carefully, when driving over bumps or during unsuccessful jumps. All this is true. That is, all this, of course, affects rapid wear. But this is not the only reason why a wheel can break. When a cyclist sits on a bicycle, the wheels are already subject to load in the vertical direction. Further, when braking at high speeds, the wheels can become deformed, forming figure eights. During maneuvering (on turns) in any direction and sudden braking. In general, I don’t think there’s any need to explain what sloppy driving is; you yourself understand everything perfectly well. So taking good care of your bike may delay the problem, but over time you will still get back to it. Even if you ride very carefully on a good road, that’s the nature of the bike.

Everything, of course, depends to a large extent on the wheel rim itself, on its physical characteristics. Therefore, when buying a bicycle, you need to pay the seller’s attention to such things, wondering how long the wheels can last, how they react to the deformations described above. So on cheap bicycles the rims are correspondingly less strong. And various bends (egg and figure eight) of wheels can form much earlier than on their more expensive and high-quality counterparts.
In general, I think you already understand how a problem can arise. So let's get straight to how to solve the problem and straighten your wheel.

What tools may we need to eliminate defects? So, to fix your wheel you may need:

· spoke key

· chalk or something that can draw on the rim of a wheel (water marker)

· universal plastic mounts for removing bicycle tires.

We need a spoke wrench to loosen and tighten the wheel spokes. I’ll say right away that you won’t have to tighten it much. You will gradually tighten the knitting needles and immediately check the results.

General algorithm for eliminating problems with a deformed wheel

The general algorithm is to determine in which specific place the figure eight begins and in which it ends (we highlight the lesion). The next step is to find the central spoke in the figure eight and work with it. If our figure eight leans to the left, select a spoke on the opposite side and tighten it to a distance of less than one turn of the spoke wrench. Then we take two adjacent knitting needles; these will be the knitting needles already on the opposite side from the previous knitting needle; we loosen them by the number of turns a little less (for example, 2 times less) than we tightened the previous knitting needle. And so on until completely straightened. That is, we are already tightening the next two knitting needles (they will be placed on the opposite side) even weaker than the very first knitting needle. As you move away from the central spoke (the lesion), the number of revolutions will also decrease gradually.

If the figure eight is small on three spokes

So again, how do you fix a figure eight on a bike? To fix the wheel, we select a section where there is a figure eight, and along the length of this entire section we loosen and tighten the spokes coming one after another. We loosen the spokes on one side of the wheel and tighten them on the other. When the required operations have been completed with all the spokes, we rotate the wheel again and check the correct movement of the wheel around the axis. If it gets worse, we return the needles to their previous place and do less tightening and loosening. Thus, the bias to one side leading to a figure eight will gradually level out. To perfectly align the figure eight, you will have to patiently and painstakingly perform all the above steps slowly (i.e., tighten it a little at a time).

The larger eight is treated the same as the small one

The wheel is flattened by an egg, the straightening algorithm is slightly different. Just pull up the right side

The defect of the egg on the wheel occurs most often as a result of unsuccessful landings. It flattens strictly vertically. Quite often there is an egg on the wheel in combination with an eight. So, having corrected one thing, do not forget to correct the other. Unlike the figure eight, the egg type defect is treated by tightening the spokes on both sides. We also identify the lesion and gradually, as shown in the picture above, we need to straighten the egg by tightening the knitting needles. More will be said below, but you need to make sure that all the spokes are not overtightened or, on the contrary, too loose.

How to actually straighten a wheel and how to determine exactly where the figure eight of a bicycle wheel is

How to determine exactly where the figure eight passes. Craftsmen who have become skilled in this matter can fix the problem without improvised means (chalk, etc.). You will have to straighten the wheel first using a chalk. We spin (rotate) the wheel and gradually bring the chalk to the rim of the wheel spinning in the axis. In those places where there is a figure eight, the chalk will touch the rim and draw notches on it. This is how you determine the eight for yourself.

I saw another great option on how to straighten a figure eight on a bicycle wheel in one video. Take ear sticks. On both sides of the wheel we have the front fork stays. We attach ear sticks to these feathers with tape on both sides and, just like with chalk, rotating the wheel, we gradually bring the ear sticks to the rim of the wheel and mark the places where they begin to clearly touch the rim with chalk. Quite a convenient option, since holding a chalk suspended can be quite problematic. If your wheel is flattened like an egg, that is, it has lost its perfectly round shape, we do everything the same as for the figure eight, only we bring the chalk to the outside of the rim where the tire with the camera should be.

As you can see from the above, eliminating the figure eight on a bicycle is not a very complicated process, and what’s best is that it’s accessible to everyone. The only thing I would like to add is that when you have done all the work to align the figure eight on the bicycle, be sure to check all the other spokes. What shouldn't happen? The spokes should not dangle in place or be too tight. Loosely dangling spokes can break, so carefully tighten them and repeat the wheel adjustment again. If the spokes are too tight they can puncture the wheel nipple or rim. Craftsmen advise that if you have adjusted the wheel and you are satisfied with everything, but some spokes stick out from the wheel rim, you can sharpen them, for example, with a file, so as not to pierce the camera.

There is another method for determining the source of the figure eight using ordinary ear sticks, tape and a marker. To identify the problem area of ​​the rim, you need to stick ear sticks using tape onto the front fork stays on both sides. The places where the ear sticks will come into contact with the rotating rim are problem areas. This is where it will be necessary to tighten or loosen the spokes in accordance with the algorithm described above.

Eliminating the figure eight defect is a simple but troublesome process; you can handle it yourself without the help of a specialized specialist. This method is universal and suitable for various types of bicycles.

Important: after eliminating the defect, it is imperative to check the degree of tightness of all spokes of the problematic rim. This will help you avoid unexpected accidents on the road.

Among all the components of a bicycle, the most conservative is the spoked wheel. This type of wheel is installed on most bikes and is represented by a simple design: a central hub, a rim and spokes that connect the rim to the axis of rotation. During the operation of a bicycle, the wheel is subject to static, dynamic and shock loads, which can often result in changes in its shape.

Figure 8 deformation - what is it?

Curvature of bicycle wheels is associated with a violation of the rim configuration. In other words, the wheel is no longer round. A common option is the so-called figure eight, when there is a deviation of part (or several parts) of the rim from the plane of rotation. When rotated, these areas describe figure-eight trajectories around the central axis of rotation. When riding a bicycle, this defect is expressed in beating or wobbling while moving.

You can drive with eights, but it’s unlikely to be enjoyable. In addition, deformed wheels are less resistant to loads, which will lead to further curvature and complete unsuitability of the rim. Is it possible to fix a figure eight on a bicycle wheel yourself? Yes, and it's not difficult at all. Read further in the article to learn how this is done.

Determination of curvature on wheels

So, there is a suspicion that wheel deformation has occurred, and it remains to determine exactly in which specific place it formed. We turn the bike upside down and firmly fix it.

The first method of determination is visual, which allows you to find the location of large and medium-sized defects. The wheels need to be spun strongly, since at low speeds the eights, even the roughest ones, appear poorly. The rear wheel can be pedaled at all.
Curved areas move away from the plane of rotation to the side. At maximum deflection, the wheels must be quickly grabbed in this place. It is not easy to do this at high speeds, and your hand may slip, so it is better to resort to the next method.

The second method, contact, involves marking the damaged area. As an indicator, you can take a marker, or better yet, a regular chalk. Spin the wheel and slowly bring the chalk to the rim. First of all, he will strike along the edge of the convex figure eight. Once the “top” is determined, the wheel must be spun even more and the chalk continues to move closer. This determines the entire area of ​​curvature. As soon as the chalk “runs” along the entire rim, the test can be considered complete. The figure eight lesion will clearly stand out as a thick line against the background of a pale stripe along the entire circumference.

This fixes the curvature of the rim

Eliminating bicycle wheel defects

Once the area where the wheel is bent is found, it’s time to start straightening it. Every owner of a two-wheeled vehicle can do this with his own hands, especially since such problems can arise with enviable regularity. There are two ways to eliminate the figure eight yourself:

1. Power straightening, or “kneeling” as cyclists say.
2. Method of tightening and loosening wheel spokes.

Power straightening

To remove the bend in this way, you will need to remove the wheel from the frame. In this case, you do not need to remove the tire with the tube. We turn the bulge towards us and grab the rim and tire on both sides. For moderate deformations, the optimal wheel grip is position “10” and “2”, that is, 60 degrees in both directions from the source of the figure eight. We place our knee on the most convex area and push with force away from ourselves.

What wheel position will best align the rim? If there is enough strength in the leg, then you can press on weight. An alternative option is to place the wheel vertically with the defective section facing up. Here you will need the help of a partner. He should press the wheel firmly to the floor. After straightening, the wheel is put on the frame and checked again by rotation.

This method cannot be called effective for several reasons:

1. It is impossible to bend small bends.
2. The rim may bend in the other direction.
3. Inconvenient.
4. Low accuracy.
5. Not every rim can be subjected to simple force so easily.

This method works relatively well somewhere on the road, when a figure eight has suddenly formed due to a collision with a large obstacle and it urgently needs to be straightened out in order to get to its destination.

Adjusting the wheel spokes

Let's move on to the second option for eliminating the curvature of the rim. Adjusting the spokes consists of alternately loosening and tightening them. To work with them we need a special tool -. This simple device is a round piece with square holes on the side for different sizes of knitting needles. You can buy a key without any problems at any bike shop.

Attention! You should only change the tension of the spokes with a spoke wrench, and in no case with pliers or adjustable wrenches!

Aligning the figure eight on a bicycle wheel requires patience, especially for those doing it for the first time. The tires must be completely removed.

First you should check the tension of all spokes. Often the rim becomes bent due to their general weakening. It’s easy to check: when the spokes are clearly loose and “listen” to your fingers like strings on a guitar, then they need to be tightened by about 1 turn over the entire wheel. If such a problem is not observed, then there is no need to touch anything: this can only worsen the eight.

We mark the defective area and proceed to the “central” knitting needle – the one located at the convexity. The knitting needle is turned in the direction opposite to the direction of the convexity. The spokes on the sides of it are weakened. With a figure eight on three knitting needles, the straightening scheme is as follows:

• Tighten the central one a quarter turn of the key.
• Loosening the outer spokes by an eighth of a turn: the loosening force is half the tension force in the center.

Eliminating the Little Eight

With a figure eight on 7 spokes, wheel repair is done as follows:

• The center is tightened half a turn.
• Loosen two spokes (second and third) on the sides by ¼ turn of the key.
• The fourth and fifth knitting needles are tightened to 1/8.
• The sixth and seventh (outermost) knitting needles are loosened by 1/8 of a turn.

Big Eight Straightening

Alternating tension and stretching is carried out in such a way that the outer spokes on the figure eight are weakened. To check the result, the wheel is hung on a bicycle and tested for residual curvature. If the figure eight is bent in the opposite direction, you should remove all the tension and increase the tightening torque on the loosening knitting needles and repeat the procedure again, but with less tightening and loosening forces.

Despite the fact that you have to tinker a lot, you can achieve the ideal result - straightening the wheel to an even circle. And if the first time the work may take too long, then the next time the eight occurs, the repair will go much faster. Now, if a defect appears on the wheel, you don’t have to put the bike aside, but quickly adjust the spokes yourself and resume your rides.

At first glance, such a serious dent may make you think that you need to buy a new rim or wheel. After all, serious damage to the rim walls can lead to the fact that it will no longer hold the tire in place and will not allow you to confidently control the behavior of the bicycle. If the tires are mounted on the rim, then the problem becomes even more significant. However, in reality, not everything is so scary. If you have installed on your bike disc brakes and matching wheels, a slightly crumpled rim may not cause problems for a while. But if you use rim brakes, then straightening your rim could one day help you save time and money.

While many bicycle repairs require specialized tools, an adjustable wrench and a steel wrench (which can also be replaced with improvised tools) can help you straighten a jammed rim.

Are you a fan of highly specialized tools? In that case, you might want to take a look at the Rim ‘Rench’ presented by Morningstar Tools. This tool is designed to remove even minor dents without damaging the rim wall.

So, what is required for work:

Adjustable wrench;

Metal mounting;

Felt pen/marker.

A metal mounting (or just a thin metal object) is needed to place it between the outer wall of the rim and the key. Firstly, this will help to avoid additional cosmetic and mechanical damage to the rim during operation, and secondly, it will prevent you from overdoing the straightening and bending the rim too much.

Just like tightening brake rotor bolts, this job requires patience and consistency. You should not try to straighten the rim with one movement, as this will most likely bring even more problems.

Before and after completing the job, inspect the rim for cracks. If you miss them and the crack opens while driving, the consequences can be extremely unpleasant.

Step #1: First of all, you need to remove the wheel from the bicycle, and the tire and tube from the wheel. You can also remove the rim tape to avoid damaging it with the tool during the repair process (this kind of damage can be especially annoying if you are using tubeless tires).

Step #2: Mark the damaged area of ​​the rim using a felt-tip pen/marker (if the rim is black, it is best to use white for marking). Firstly, this will help make the work more convenient, and secondly, it will be easy to find the damaged area as it is straightened.

Step #3: Take a metal spool (or whatever you picked up to replace it) and place it on the back of the rim exactly opposite the damaged area. Next, you should secure the mounting and rim with an adjustable wrench (see photo).