How to balance your wheels

Wheel balance could be to blame. Here’s how to fix it…

1

Something not feeling right?

If you’ve fitted some new tyres or are experiencing a vibration through the handlebars it could be that your wheels need balancing. This is an easy task to do at home, especially because the equipment required is easily and cheaply available. As a first step, if the wheels are still in the bike, you will need to put it up on stands and remove them from the machine.

2

Slide in the spindle

A static wheel balancer will come with three or four different sized spindles. Choose the correct size then slide it through the wheel bearing and mount the wheel in the balancer. Make sure you place the wheel in the centre of the spindle so the weight is evenly distributed. Give the wheel a spin and make sure that it spins freely with no binding.

3

Spin and assess old tyres

If your tyres are old and you suddenly notice a vibration through the bars it could be that there’s damage to the carcass or tread, or maybe one of the existing wheel weights has fallen off. With the wheel on the balancer and spinning freely, check for any damage. Significant cuts – especially in the sidewall – will mean the tyre will need to be replaced.

4

Check pressure and valves

Make sure the tyre pressure is set correctly to the manufacturer’s recommendations. This will ensure that the tyre is inflated to the correct shape, meaning that it will sit on the rim properly. Check the valve cap is the correct type and not a novelty item – such as a dice – because fitting heavy, non-standard caps will affect the wheel’s balance.

5

Shed some weight

Wheels are balanced using small, stick-on weights attached to the wheel, and fitting a new tyre will require the old weights to be removed before new ones can be applied in a different area. There are two common types: weights that clip to the rim or the foam-backed adhesive ones.

6

Spin and settle

With the weights removed, gently spin the wheel in the stand. Let the wheel settle to a stop and then mark the tyre with a pen or chalk in the middle of the tread in the 12 o’clock position. This then indicates that the heavy spot will be at the bottom in the 6 o’clock position.

7

Double check the mark

The wheel needs to be checked again to make sure the mark is in the correct place. To do this, turn the wheel so the chalk mark is at the 9 o’clock position and let it go – it should gently rotate and settle to the top again. Do the same on the other side, turn the wheel to the right so that the mark is in the 3 o’clock position and wait for it to settle to the top again.

8

Pick your spot and clean

Clean the part of the wheel where the weights will be fitted - this will be where the mark is at the top of the wheel on the inside of the rim. Use a brake cleaner and a clean cloth. The idea is to clean the surface so that there is no dust or grease on the wheel, this will allow the weights to stick properly without the risk of them dropping off as you ride along.

9

Hurry up and weight

When it comes to deciding how much weight to put on, you need to assess how quickly the marked spot returns to 12 o’clock when moved to the 3 o’clock position. The quicker it returns the more weight is needed and vice versa. Wheel weights usually come in 5g and 10g sizes, if the wheel returns slowly try 5g first, use more if it returns faster.

10

Spread the love

If you end up using a lot of weights don’t put them all on one side – spread them between the left and right-hand sides of the rim as this will help with dynamic balance. Also, if you want to make it easier to remove stubborn adhesive from old weights in the future, try mounting the weights on a piece of gaffer tape cut to the same size as the applied weights.