A mountain bike wheel with a dink in it is a mechanical waiting to happen: 10 minutes with a spoke key however and it can be as good as new!

Tools for the job

If you want to buy a propoer truing stand feel free but this quick fix can be done with just a few simple tools

• Spoke tool
• Zip-tie
• Felt-tip pen

1. Get the bike up into a stand. Attach a zip-tie to the seatstay and cut it so it touches the rim.

2. Spin the wheel and mark where it touches the zip-tie.

3. Tighten the spokes (turn anti-clockwise) on the opposite side to the mark. Grab a handful of spokes and see if that begins to pull the rim into position.

>>> 5-minute tune up: RockShox Monarch shock

4. As you tighten the spokes, only turn the key half a turn at a time. As a general rule, three half-turns tighter on one side equals one half-turn looser on the other.

5. Work on four or five spokes, slowly adjusting and spinning the wheel to check your progress. As it starts to straighten, switch to quarter-turns. Keep fettling!

And there you have it, that’s all you need to know. A true wheel builder will have developed the dark art of truing over many years and make it look simple, but as long as you take your time you’ll get that ding out in no time.