Bike wheel wobbling, rubbing or clunking?
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Your answers
What’s the wheel doing?
- It wobbles from side to side as it spins
- It rubs on something
- It clunks or moves when I push it sideways
- A spoke is broken
- A spoke is loose
- It makes a noise as it turns
- The tyre bulges, or hops up and down as it spins
- The rim (the metal edge the tyre sits on) is dented, cracked, or worn hollow where the brake pads touch
Gently squeeze pairs of spokes all the way round the wheel.
Is one broken, or much looser than the rest?
Hold the frame still and push the top of the wheel firmly from side to side.
Does the whole wheel clunk or move?
Look where the wheel fixes to the frame.
Is its lever folded flat against the frame (or, with no lever, do the axle nuts sit flat against it), and is the gap the same on each side of the tyre?
How big is the wobble?
What is it rubbing on?
Lift that end of the bike and spin the wheel.
Does the edge of the wheel wobble from side to side as it turns?
Look where the wheel fixes to the frame.
Is its lever folded flat against the frame (or, with no lever, do the axle nuts sit flat against it), and is the gap the same on each side of the tyre?
Lift that end of the bike and spin the wheel.
Does the rim wobble from side to side?
Look where the wheel fixes to the frame.
Is its lever folded flat against the frame (or, with no lever, do the axle nuts sit flat against it), and is the gap the same on each side of the tyre?
When do you hear it?
Don’t ride it
The wheel weakens quickly and a loose end can catch. Spokes come in many lengths, so a Spoke measures before you buy.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
Probably a broken spoke.
- How sure we are
- Most likely
This is the usual cause of what you’ve described.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
It could also need: broken spoke replacement, wheel truing.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The wheel probably needs truing: tightening and loosening its spokes until it runs straight.
Get it fixed soon. Until then, ride only if it feels right, and stop if it gets worse. A wobble that touches the brake changes how it bites.
- How sure we are
- Most likely
This is the usual cause of what you’ve described.
- What to ask for
Wheel truing
Don’t ride it
A wheel that isn’t secure can come out. Walk it.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The wheel may not be fully in the frame, or its lever or axle nuts may not be tight.
- How sure we are
- One of a few causes
This fits what you’ve described, but so do other things. A Spoke will check before starting.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
Don’t ride it
A wheel that moves sideways in the frame isn’t safe until someone has looked at it.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The bearings in the middle of the wheel (the hub) may be loose or worn, or the axle broken.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
It could also need: hub service.
Don’t ride it while it hits the frame or brake.
A new wheel isn’t on spoked yet.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
Probably a bent rim, often from a pothole or a knock.
Truing rarely straightens a bent rim; a Spoke can tell whether it will, or whether the rim or wheel needs replacing.
- How sure we are
- One of a few causes
This fits what you’ve described, but so do other things. A Spoke will check before starting.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
It could also need: wheel truing.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The mudguard has probably been knocked or worked loose.
Get it fixed soon. Until then, ride only if it feels right, and stop if it gets worse. If the mudguard or its thin metal stays are loose near the spokes, don’t ride it: one caught in the front wheel can stop it dead.
- How sure we are
- Most likely
This is the usual cause of what you’ve described.
- What to ask for
Lights, mudguards, rack or kickstand fitting
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The brake is probably off-centre or a pad is sticking; on disc brakes the disc may be slightly bent.
Get it fixed soon. Until then, ride only if it feels right, and stop if it gets worse. Don’t ride it if it doesn’t stop you well, if a rim brake pad touches the tyre (it can wear through it quickly), or if the wheel knocks when you push it sideways.
- How sure we are
- One of a few causes
This fits what you’ve described, but so do other things. A Spoke will check before starting.
- What it needs
The job: Brake adjustment
This is a high-risk job, so Spokes don’t offer it yet. Until they do, we recommend taking your bike to a bike shop.
It could also need: disc rotor truing or replacement (not on spoked yet).
Don’t ride it while the tyre touches the frame.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
A tyre too wide for the frame, a bent axle, or a bent frame.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
Something is touching the wheel as it turns.
Get it fixed soon. Until then, ride only if it feels right, and stop if it gets worse.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
It could also need: wheel truing, lights, mudguards, rack or kickstand fitting.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
That’s normal: it’s the part of the back wheel that lets you roll without pedalling.
Nothing to fix.
If the bike feels wrong in any other way, don’t ride it.
- How sure we are
- Most likely
This is the usual cause of what you’ve described.
- What it needs
Nothing to book.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
Something in the tyre, a brake or disc touching at one point, a loose spoke, or a sensor magnet.
Get it fixed soon. Until then, ride only if it feels right, and stop if it gets worse.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
It could also need: wheel truing.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
Possibly worn or dry bearings in the hub, though a rumble can come from elsewhere.
Get it fixed soon. Until then, ride only if it feels right, and stop if it gets worse.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
It could also need: hub service.
Don’t ride it
You can’t ride it like this: walk it.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The part of the back hub that grips when you pedal isn’t catching.
It’s more common in the cold or with old grease. On hub gears, the gear may be stuck between two.
- How sure we are
- One of a few causes
This fits what you’ve described, but so do other things. A Spoke will check before starting.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
It could also need: hub service, cassette or freewheel replacement, gear adjustment (indexing).
Don’t ride it
Don’t ride on it, and if it’s bulging, let some air out now. If it needs replacing, you’ll need a new tyre of the same size, printed on its side (for example 700x32c or 26 x 2.0), and usually a new tube.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
A cut through to the fabric means the tyre needs replacing.
A bulge means it’s damaged inside, or isn’t sitting properly on the rim. Either can burst without warning.
- How sure we are
- One of a few causes
This fits what you’ve described, but so do other things. A Spoke will check before starting.
- What to ask for
Tyre change
It could also need: inner tube replacement.
Don’t ride it
A damaged rim can split, and the tyre comes off with it.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
A cracked or dented rim can fail.
It usually needs a new rim or a new wheel.
- How sure we are
- Most likely
This is the usual cause of what you’ve described.
- What it needs
The job: Wheel build or rebuild
This is a high-risk job, so Spokes don’t offer it yet. Until they do, we recommend taking your bike to a bike shop.
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What usually causes it
- Probably a broken spoke.
- The wheel probably needs truing: tightening and loosening its spokes until it runs straight.
- A cracked or dented rim can fail.
- The mudguard has probably been knocked or worked loose.
- A cut through to the fabric means the tyre needs replacing.
- Probably a bent rim, often from a pothole or a knock.
- The wheel may not be fully in the frame, or its lever or axle nuts may not be tight.
- The part of the back hub that grips when you pedal isn’t catching.
- The bearings in the middle of the wheel (the hub) may be loose or worn, or the axle broken.
- A tyre too wide for the frame, a bent axle, or a bent frame.
- Possibly worn or dry bearings in the hub, though a rumble can come from elsewhere.
- Something in the tyre, a brake or disc touching at one point, a loose spoke, or a sensor magnet.
The checker gives general information from your answers. It isn’t an inspection and doesn’t tell you a bike is safe. Nothing here limits liability the law doesn’t let us limit, including for death or personal injury caused by negligence.