Tire balancing beads?

[Kernel99]

tire balancing beads? I believe my wheels are a little out of balance. I just learned about tire balancing beads. They can be used for almost any tire, motorcycle, etc... including tires with tubes. I want to try adding a small amount of the beads into the tires because It is really easy to do. I guesstimate about 1/2 oz should do it. Has any one tried the balancing beads for their e-bike?

 

[Luto]

If you need to do this something is not right. Even the cheapest tires-rims-wheels are well balanced if correct. What is the exact issue?

 

[fooferdoggie]

more likey your tire is not seated property.

 

[Luto]

In another post he said it was a wobble at 20 mph. So something harmonic? Usually improper seating is a bump. I would reseat the tire or swap front and back as a test. After of course looking for a visual abnormality.

A warped or bent rim is bad in that whatever caused it needs to be found. Compromised spokes are nothing to mess around with at speed or in turns.

 

[Kernel99]

Bicycle tires don't spin fast enough to need tire weights/balancing.
If you have a wobble while riding it's more likely a bent or warped rim vs needing wheel weights.

Hey thanks for the input. I definitely feel a wheel shake at about 20 mph. It's not bad enough to be a safety problem. It does interfere with my riding enjoyment though. There is something off I can see a little wobble in the tire when it is spun around but I think a little bit is typical. I have checked the tire seating, the wheel truing and spoke tension basically everything except replacing the tires or balancing. These are bigger tires (not fat) than a typical bike. Perhaps I am more sensitive to an off balance wheel. I don't know but I have to figure out what is happening. Take care

 

[Kernel99]

I have inspected the wheel trueness myself and taken it to three different bike shops and aske them to check out the wheels and handling.issue. All of them checked the wheels and they don't think there is a problem with them. It's getting pretty frustrating. Ugh!

 

[Kernel99]

Thank you for your help, that is really interesting, I do hear a little bit of creaking noise while riding. I thought there may be a spoke tension issue. The bike is pretty new still so I thought it was just breaking in. I don't hammer it off road. I just ride on the roads and bike paths. I don't know slot about the spokes except they need to be properly tensioned within a true spinning wheel. It appears the wheel is spinning fairly true but there is a noticable wobble in the tire itself. We are expecting below zero temps tonight so won't be able to try putting thread lock on the spoke nipples for a while. I am embarrassed to ask but the nipple end is the end that meets the rim, right?

 

[Kernel99]

Okay, I see where to put the thread lock now. Thank you for the clear picture. I may possibly have a bent tire bead. I will try switching the tires. I guess I need to learn how to mount bicycle tires anyway, why not now. I got a bad auto tire with a bent bead issue a while ago.

 

[rich c]

Red Loctite? I thought it took heat to overcome that permanent high strength version. Won't the flats on the nipple strip off if an adjustment is needed? I sure wouldn't recommend that.

 

[rich c]

No, the red threadlocker only seeps down to approx 2-3 threads from the collar so as to prevent spoke pivot. Not permanent
Can use medium strength blue threadlocker too if want.

Spoke Prep is a thread compound that pro wheelbuilders use on the entire spoke thread when wheels are being built. It's like a glue wax thread compound that works like a locking agent to prevent spoke pivot. Over time this wax breaks down and stops gripping. Threadlocker on the nipple collar is a widely used alternative instead of having to diassemble the loose spoke and then re-tru a wheel. It's also good maintenance to prevent the Spoke Prep from disengrating as the threadlocker acts like a sealant at the top of the nipple.

You can always use Spoke Freeze from DT Swiss - but this compound is basically the same as threadlocker but is 3x more expensive than threadlocker

DT Swiss Spoke Freeze

Precision handcrafted custom bicycle wheels since 2000. The choice of Olympians, World Champions, and Grand Tour Legends. Engineering expertise, meticulous assembly, and passion for cycling define the Wheelbuilder Difference.

wheelbuilder.com

Coincidence that the shape of the Spoke Freeze bottle is the same as Loctite 242 threadlocker?

I only knew Red Loctite as permanent as it says on the label. Personally I won't use an liquid lock on the spokes. I had no idea that nipples slipping and spinning in the rim was an issue. I assumed it was always an issue of settling in the rim hole was the problem. I have 5,300 miles on one of my eBikes and the spokes haven't been touched since the day it left the store.

 

[Kernel99]

Thank you everyone for your helpful suggestions. Clearly the rim truing and spokes affect the wheel spin. Once one has confirmed those are not significantly out of adjustment then I believe the balance can make a difference. If there is a heavy spot on the wheel/tire, then it would cause the wheel to always stop spinning with the same place on the bottom. Circling back to my tire balancing beads idea, I'm am now re-thinking that because I do a lot of low speed cruising so I don't know if the beads will work when riding slowly because the wheel may not turn fast enough. Although I only notice the issue while riding fast. My original plan was to balance with stick on golf club weighs. This is a thing I watched on youtube.

 

[iabob]

I have used the beads before in a motorcycle tire. You’re not risking anything by trying them and they won’t harm low speed maneuverability. Just a guess on my part but I don’t think balancing is your problem, I think you have a defect in your tire.

 

[Kernel99]

Thank you for sharing your experience iabob. It's really helpful to hear the opinion of someone with experience with the beads. I suspect you are correct that I do actually have a tire or tube problem. It sounds like there would not be an issue with trying out the beads to see if they make a difference. Take care

 

[Sierratim]

A bit off topic I know, but spoke prep is a bit pricey for me. The local Bicycle Kitchen where I volunteered for 6 years still uses linseed oil for all of its wheels. The linseed oil drys fairly quickly to a gummy consistency that still allows the spoke tension to be adjusted over time but prevents loosening of the spoke nipples due to flex and vibration. Just dip the spoke threads into the linseed oil and assemble.

Others report good results using an anti-sieze compound.