How to Fix a Warped Bike Tire

Warped tires are often the sign of a damaged rim from potholes, overuse, and a heavy day on the trails. Your rim needs equal tension across the entire rim of your bike. Truing a wheel back to form is a relatively simple process that requires a little patience and a steady hand. Identifying the damage followed by tightening and loosening a series of spokes is the easiest way to repair your bike.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Spoke wrench Truing stand
Spoke wrench
Truing stand

Step 1

Loosen the axle nuts, and unhook the brakes to remove the warped bike tire.

Step 2

Deflate the tire completely, and remove it from the rim. It's more likely that your rim is warped and not the actual tire or tube. Riding a bike with a loose rim or using the wrong bike for rough terrain is often the culprit of a warped tire.

Step 3

Put the rim back on the bike, and tighten the axle and brakes. You can also place the rim on a truing stand if one is available.

Step 4

Spin the rim and look for warped sections. Mark any warped sections with chalk. If it's spinning without difficulty, go back to your tire and tube, and look for damage. You may have a deformity or something lodged inside. Reassemble your bike and see if the issue is resolved. If you conclude the rim is warped, proceed to Step 5.

Step 5

Use a spoke wrench and adjust your spokes. Loosen the spokes on the side where the damage appears, and tighten the opposite spokes. For example, if the right side is damaged, loosen the right spokes and tighten the left. Work on a few spokes at a time.

Step 6

Keep spinning the wheel until it spins true. Tighten the spokes equally, and reassemble your bike.

Step 7

Take your bike for a spin. The spokes may creak and settle for a few minutes. If it still feels warped, repeat the spoke adjustment process.

Tips & Warnings

Rims with flat marks and dents that are 1/4 inch or deeper may not be salvageable.

Resources

Bicycling.com

Article Written By Contributing Writer

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