lee330•1d ago

Tire replacement on a mountain bike led to a puzzling wheel wobble

I swapped the tire on a buddy's bike and now the rear wheel has a wobble that I can't figure out, so I'm curious if others have seen similar issues.

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_kelly1d ago

Classic case of the bike developing a personality after you mess with it. That wobble is probably the wheel's way of saying you forgot to tighten something, or maybe you put the tire on backwards. I've seen this happen when the bead isn't seated right, and it looks like the wheel is trying to escape. Check if the tire is evenly on the rim, because sometimes it sits funny and causes a dance party. If all else fails, tell your buddy his bike just gained a new feature, a built-in balance test. Seriously though, double-check the basics before you panic.

king.wendy1d ago

Spot a wobble like that, first thing I do is check the axle nuts. Seen it on cars where a loose lug nut makes the wheel shake. @angela_kelly is right about the bead seating, but don't forget the spokes. If they're uneven, the wheel won't run true. Spin it and look for gaps between the tire and rim. Sometimes you need to deflate, reseat, and pump back up.