Before you startGeneral guidance from our members' experience, checked against the sources listed at the foot of this page. Old bicycles vary, so check everything against your own bike. Brakes, steering, wheels and tyres are safety-critical: if you're not sure, have a qualified mechanic do or check the work. Any work you do is at your own risk. See our terms.
Check before you true
- Look for cracksCheck around every spoke hole and along the braking surface. A cracked rim needs replacing, not truing.
- Check rim wearSome alloy rims have a wear indicator. A braking surface that's worn hollow means a new rim.
- Check the spokesReplace broken, bent or badly corroded spokes first. Park Tool warns that corroded nipple threads can make a wheel impossible to true.
- Measure the wobbleSpin the wheel slowly against a fixed pointer, such as a pen held against the frame.
Truing
- Inflate and mount the wheelIn a truing stand or in the frame.
- Find the worst spotWork on the biggest deviation first.
- Small turnsTo move the rim away from the pointer, tighten a spoke on the opposite flange. Park Tool suggests a quarter turn as a general guide, up to a half turn for large deviations and an eighth for small ones.
- Work outwardsRe-spin and re-check as you go. Expect several passes.
- Bed it inPark Tool suggests riding the wheel so wound-up spokes settle, then re-checking.
| Park Tool target | Figure |
|---|---|
| Lateral (side to side) | 0.5mm or less |
| Radial (up and down) | 1mm or less |
When not to true it
- A cracked rim, or a braking surface worn through
- A badly bent rim: Park Tool says tension adjustment is unlikely to help
- A wheel that keeps breaking spokes: Park Tool's rule is 3 broken spokes = 1 new wheel
- Corroded nipples that won't turn
Spoke keys
| Park Tool key | Fits nipple flats of |
|---|---|
| SW-0 | 3.23mm (0.127in) |
| SW-1 | 3.30mm (0.130in) |
| SW-2 | 3.45mm (0.136in) |
| SW-3 | 3.96mm (0.156in) |
Check your nipples before buying: fit varies by brand.
Sources
Checked 19 October 2026. Method tips without a source are our members' experience.