I recently removed my rear wheel to replace a broken inner tube. Now it wobbles a bit. How can I fix this?

Question

Spinning the wheel shows it (and the cogs) wobbling. The wheel uses a quick release lever on one end and a thumbscrew sort of thing on the other.

If I spin the wheel (or turn the pedals) backwards, the chain pops off the high cogs onto the lower ones. Could the wobbling of the wheel cause this, or does this more likely indicate a derailleur problem?

Thanks for helping a newbie :)

Answer 1

Tightening the wheel might help, but more than likely the tire needs to be reset on the rim.

I work in a bike shop ad some tires might require you to take the tire off a few times to set it in the rim properly.

Check the tire bead and make sure it is even all the way around the rim and tire..

Answer 2

Make sure that the wheel is centered between the two brake pads, then tighten the quick release. The lever will curve in towards the wheel. If the wheel still wobbles, it probably needs to be "trued" or straightened. All wheels, sooner or later, will need to have this done (especially if you have to deal with railroad tracks, bumps, etc). You may have put the chain on a different cog than what it was originally on. The chain is moving to the cog that the shifter and derailleur told it that it was in before you removed the wheel. That could be a reason it drops to the lower cogs. The best thing to do when removing the rear wheel is shift the derailleur to the smallest cog. The two biggest reasons are (1) it moves the derailleur away from the wheel making the wheel easier to remove and replace thus minimizing the chances of knocking the derailleur out of alignment (2) you always know which cog the chain goes back on when the rear wheel is replaced in the frame (prevents the shifting when you start out because the chain wasn't put on the right cog).
On some of the low end or cheaper cassettes and freewheels, you may see a wobbling. It isn't a derailleur problem, it is the way the cassette or freewheel was made to start with.

Answer 3

Your chain is not tight enough, that's why it slips down into lower gear (onto the lower cogs) and the wheel wobbles. Pull back on the wheel before you tighten the release lever and thumbscrew.

It would be an excellent idea to get a friend to help with this because you need to maintain the tension on the chain while you secure the wheel in place. It's tricky to do it by yourself, but not impossible (although you may think so while you're trying!).

Good Luck!

Answer 4

About wobbles...
Bike rims, over time do have a tendency to warp slightly. Which is normal. The problem is, that if you do not fix the wobble it can get worse over time. Large wobbles do affect gear changing and ride.
Flip your bike upside down, and slowly spin the back tire. Now take a look at the rim, if it wobbles then you will have to get it trued up. Also check your front tire.
You can do it yourself if you are experienced in tightening spokes, but I suggest getting a bike repair spec. do it for you. It's pretty cheap.
As for back pedalling and the chain changing gears...
Sounds like you need to get ALL parts of your gears degreased and cleaned. Which includes the sprockets on the front and back, the chain, both deraillers, etc. You may even need to get a part or two replaced.
You can do it yourself by putting aside a few hours, taking apart your entire bike and inspecting the parts as you clean them.
And take note of anything that needs to be replaced.
Soap and water works good as a degreaser. You will need lots of clean rags, an old toothbrush, some liquid soap, chain oil, and your tools.
Don't forget to re-oil your chain when you put everything back together.
One note to remember, if you replace a sprocket, it is best to also replace ALL sprockets and also the chain to allow for even wear and normal longevity. But if you are on a limited budget, you don't have to do this.
It does get really expensive replacing just the sprockets.

Answer 5

tighten the wheel