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Just saved 20 minutes on a wheel true by using zip ties as makeshift spokes

Had a wobbly rear wheel with a broken spoke on a customer's bike this morning, so I clamped two zip ties to the seat stay as reference points and got it dialed in way faster than using my truing stand, anyone else ever jury-rig a quick fix like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

sullivan.abby1mo ago

20 minutes for a wheel true with zip ties? That's like bragging about changing a tire in under an hour.

wadebailey1mo ago

Hang on, I gotta jump in here. Saying a 20 minute wheel true with zip ties is like changing a tire in under an hour isn't really a fair comparison. Truing a wheel with zip ties is a solid trick for a quick fix on a trail or in a pinch, but it's not the same as a proper true. The zip tie method is more about getting the wheel straight enough to ride without rubbing, not a permanent professional level job. With basic tools and some practice, you can usually get it close in 20 minutes, especially if the wheel isn't too far out. It's more like bragging about patching a tube in five minutes versus actually fixing a slow leak. Still a handy skill, just not a full repair.

nancy82422d ago

Gotta say I agree with @wadebailey on this one. I tried the zip tie trick for the first time on a trail last summer after I took a bad spill and my wheel was wobbly as heck. It honestly saved my ride home, but it wasn't perfect. I got it straight enough to stop rubbing the brake pads in maybe 15 minutes, but I still had to take it to my local shop later for a proper true. The zip ties are great for a quick field fix, not a full repair. I'd compare it to using a tire lever to get a bead seated on a rim, it works but it's not the same as a real job.