After truing the wheel, brake pads touches when the rider is on the bike

[crazytraveler]

Hello there guys,

We keep cycling around the world, we are in Georgia heading to Armenia and Iran.

I have been trying to true properly the rear wheel of my girlfriend's bicycle and for some reason I cannot get it right. I can get it perfectly true, looking great and not touching the brake pads... until my girlfriend seats on the saddle and start to ride. Then one of the brakes starts to touch.

I have tried taking out the wheel and putting it back. In the end, every time I try to get it right, I end up having to loosen up her brakes a bit.

Other people, more experienced than myself, has attempted to true her wheel with the same result.

Any idea where is the problem?

[geocycle]

Sounds like a great trip, thanks for the pictures. A few qs. Sounds like something is not quite true and then adding weight exacerbates it. Is the wheel correctly seated in the drop out? Is there any play in the bearings? Are the brake arms moving freely?

[mickeg]

I assume it is a derailleur fitted bike, not a bike with an IGH.

A friend of mine had trouble truing up a wheel until he discovered a broken axle.  The wheel when held into the frame worked fine for truing because the skewer held everything together well.  But once weight was applied to the wheel, the skewer was not strong enough to keep everything tight and in place.  Pull the wheel out of the bike and see if everything in the hub appears to be ok.

If the axle is ok but a freehub is not firmly attached to a hub shell, I would expect similar symptoms.  I have not removed a freehub from a shell but I think a really big Allen wrench is used to tighten whatever holds them together if it is a Shimano hub.  That would likely be a tool you do not have.  I do not know the best way to diagnose this possibility.

What hub does she have?  And what cassette is she using?

[onrbikes]

It sounds like the spokes aren't tight enough.


Once its true, tighten each spoke 1/4 turn then check again by her sitting on it.

When she sits on it and pedals (puts pressure on the drive) you'll find the wheel flexs.
Will assume its the back wheel.

Enjoy Turkey
We loved the place!