Spokes

[nitjay - hrc]

Hi,

Getting back into trials after 3years of on and off riding. Gave the bike a bit of a service today, but there is one problem iam a little unsure about. Air is leaking from the valve and a couple of spokes (I will try to replace the valve and see if that helps) however some of the rear spokes are really loose. Is it true that you shouldnt 'just' tighten them? If so are there any tips on ensuring the spokes are setup correctly. I could just use slime if I cant fix it this week, but I would rather sort the problem properly if I can.

Cheers guys.

[swinny]

Not sure if there is a special way to tighten them but first of all i would give them a good does of oil ie wd40 or something as they can tend to seize

[jimmyl]

Have always tightened every 3rd spoke 1/4 turn. 3 revs one side then 3 revs other and all done. If still loose then go again. Works well on 36 spoke hub- not sure on other configurations.

Check for even tension by tapping each spoke and listen to note

[nitjay - hrc]

Cheers for the help guys, when the wheel bearings arive i will give the back wheel a bit of TLC!

[bigfoot]

Adjusting the spokes will have no affect on the leaking. The rim tape will need replacing or sealing. There's a lot on here about trying to get rim tapes to seal but I for one remove and clean the rim tape then cover the spoke ends in silicone compound and then refit the tape. This always works where as just trying to get the rim tape to seal on its own seldon does for most people.