Mountain Bike Wheel Truing

Wheel truing is actually something that is very easy
to do.  Even if you have no experience with mountain
biking or truing a wheel, it doesn't take a rocket
scientist to accomplish it.

The first thing to do is make sure that none of your
spokes are loose.  To check, grab each spoke in turn
and try to shake it back and forth.  If the spoke
wobbles, or makes pinging and grating noises, it's
loose.  If it's loose, add tension to the spoke by
turning the spokey anti-clockwise with your finger
and thumb pressure.

Keep turning and shaking until the noise is gone
and the spoke doesn't wobble or move.  Move on to
the next spoke until you've gone all the way around
the wheel and checked them all.

Now, it's time to see just how true the wheel actually
is.  Turn your bike upside down then spin the wheel
to see where it comes closest to rubbing on the
brake. 

You may need to rotate the wheel backwards then
forwards to locate the middle of the bulge on the
wheel.  Tighten the spokes which run on to the
other side of the rim.  If those spokes are already
tight, you'll need to loosen a few of the spokes
which run to the bulge side of the hub. 

Truing a wheel is easier than you may think, although
it can be a little tough with some wheels.  If
you need to loosen spokes, be very careful that
you don't break them.  They can be very tough
to loosen on older mountain bikes.