# Loose Spokes



## drglinski (Jun 28, 2016)

I've got a rear 10 speed lightweight wheel that I had a LBS true/dish.  They got it right on the money and I'm really happy with the way it performs, however, it's making a swish-swish-swish sound when I ride. This is either when I'm pedaling or coasting.  It cannot be heard when the bike is suspended with no weight on it.  I leaned on the seat and rolled it and sure enough the noise came back, from the rear wheel.  Many of the spokes are loose on one side- I suspect when the LBS pulled the wheel center- and I'm thinking the noise is coming from there.  Is there a way to go about snugging up the spokes w/o ruining the true/dish work?  Thanks


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## momo608 (Jun 28, 2016)

drglinski said:


> I've got a rear 10 speed lightweight wheel that I had a LBS true/dish.  They got it right on the money and I'm really happy with the way it performs, however, it's making a swish-swish-swish sound when I ride. This is either when I'm pedaling or coasting.  It cannot be heard when the bike is suspended with no weight on it.  I leaned on the seat and rolled it and sure enough the noise came back, from the rear wheel.  Many of the spokes are loose on one side- I suspect when the LBS pulled the wheel center- and I'm thinking the noise is coming from there.  Is there a way to go about snugging up the spokes w/o ruining the true/dish work?  Thanks




If the rim was bent it sometimes results in spokes that are almost completely loose on one side of the rim in order to true the wheel. You will need a truing stand to see if you can tighten them up any more without pulling the rim out of true. I would bet you have a bent rim if it was a used rim you used for your project.


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## dougfisk (Jun 28, 2016)

I think you should try first to figure out what is making the noise before messing with the spokes on a wheel that runs true...  Maybe brake shoes rubbing?  With a dished wheel it is normal for the spokes on one side to be looser than the other.


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## momo608 (Jun 29, 2016)

dougfisk said:


> I think you should try first to figure out what is making the noise before messing with the spokes on a wheel that runs true...  Maybe brake shoes rubbing?  With a dished wheel it is normal for the spokes on one side to be looser than the other.




That's a very good point Doug, I shouldn't assume he knows how loose it should be. We all fight our last battles. I know he has a Sports Tourer with alloy rims. The amount of old schwinns I bought with original alloy rims that were not bent, I could count on no fingers. They were all bent and impossible to achieve anything close to evenly tensioned spokes when truing the rims. If the rims don't lay flat or very close to it on the ground, I replace them.


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## Jeff54 (Jun 29, 2016)

If rims are bent and your LBS trued them even if one side of the spokes were not as tight as other I'd be surprised, lose enough to make any sounds you could hear.  if so I'd find another LBS because they would have to be so lose they stopped and didn't bother to at least tighten up without changing the shape or pulled out of true. Worse, leaving them that lose means it's going to warp on anything you go bump on. . Otherwise keep looking, listening for where that sound is coming from.


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## bulldog1935 (Jun 30, 2016)

I've ridden through water before and had it stay in the rim hollow for weeks.
The sound, especially on a repair stand, will drive you crazy and send you looking for all kinds of answers.  If it shows up on the repair stand (unloaded wheel) that's likely it.  

Sounds like the spokes.  Many good bike shops will give you curb service on light true work, two I know charge $8-12 for the work. . .


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