Pedalwise
How-to guide

Check spokes and wheel true on an e-bike

How to find loose or broken spokes, check a wheel for wobble and hop, and make a small truing correction, with when a hub motor wheel needs a shop, based on Park Tool and Magnum guidance.

Last edited Nov 8, 2026 by Pedalwise team Edit History Add a subpage

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Difficulty
Moderate

Tools

Parts

  • Spoke (if one is broken)

Spokes hold the rim in shape and carry your weight. A hub motor wheel works its spokes harder than a regular wheel, so Magnum says to check them regularly (Magnum). This guide shows how to spot loose or broken spokes and check whether a wheel is true, and how to make a small correction, based on Park Tool's wheel truing and spoke tension guides. Big corrections and wheel builds are shop work.

Magnum says riding with even one loose spoke can make the rest loosen and break. If you find a loose or broken spoke on a hub motor wheel and aren't sure how to fix it, stop riding and take it to a shop (Magnum).

Step-by-step

1Power off and take the battery out

Himiway says never to work on a rear hub motor wheel with the bike on (Himiway). Turn the bike off and remove the battery.

2Set the bike up so the wheel spins

Put the bike in a repair stand, or turn it upside down, so the wheel spins freely (Park Tool). Protect the display and controls if you flip it (Ride1Up).

Photo needed: E-bike in a repair stand with the rear wheel free to spin. Add one

3Look for broken spokes

Go round the wheel and look at every spoke from the hub to the rim. Park Tool says one broken spoke can be replaced and the wheel trued again, but a wheel that keeps breaking spokes needs a rebuild or replacement (Park Tool).

4Squeeze the spokes in pairs

Squeeze neighboring spokes together all the way round, one side at a time. Park Tool calls this a rough check and suggests comparing with a wheel you know is good (Park Tool). Note any spoke that feels much softer than its neighbors.

Photo needed: Hand squeezing two crossing spokes together. Add one

5Check for side-to-side wobble

Set a fixed pointer just beside the rim, such as a truing stand indicator, so it doesn't touch. Spin the wheel slowly and watch the gap. Park Tool aims for 0.5 mm or less of wobble (Park Tool). Taking the tire off makes the wobble easier to see.

Photo needed: Fixed pointer next to the rim edge with a small gap showing. Add one

6Check for up-and-down hop

Move the pointer so it sits just above or below the rim edge and spin again. Park Tool aims for 1 mm or less of hop (Park Tool).

7Make a small correction

Only do this for a small wobble. Use a spoke wrench. Seen from the outside of the rim, turning the nipple clockwise tightens the spoke, which looks reversed when you work from below. To move the rim away from your pointer, tighten a spoke on the opposite side at the wobble. Start with a quarter turn, or an eighth for small wobbles, and recheck after each one (Park Tool). Park Tool favors tightening loose spokes over loosening tight ones.

Photo needed: Spoke wrench on a nipple with an arrow showing the tightening direction. Add one

8Recheck and settle the wheel

Alternate between side and hop checks, since one can affect the other. Stop when it's close, as chasing perfection gives little back. Some pinging on the first ride after truing is normal (Park Tool).

9Measure tension if you have a meter

A spoke tension meter gives real numbers. Park Tool says many rims list 100 to 120 kgf, and spokes within about 20% of the wheel's average are generally fine. Check your rim maker's spec first (Park Tool). Rear and disc wheels often read lower on one side, which is normal.

Videos

How to True a Wheel Part 1: How a Wheel Works from Park Tool: how spokes hold a rim in shape.
How to True a Wheel Part 2: Lateral Truing from Park Tool: fixing side-to-side wobble.
How to True a Wheel Part 3: Radial Truing from Park Tool: fixing up-and-down hop.
How to Use the Park Tool TM-1 Tension Meter & Wheel Tension App from Park Tool: measuring spoke tension.
How To True A Bicycle Wheel from Global Cycling Network: an overview of truing.

When to get a pro

  • The rim is bent or dented. Park Tool says tension changes won't fix a badly bent rim, and rebuilding a rim onto the old hub is pro work (Park Tool).
  • Spokes keep breaking, or a hub motor wheel has a loose spoke and you don't have the tools. Magnum advises leaving spoke tightening to a dealer (Magnum).
  • The wheel has internal nipples, which need a special wrench (Park Tool).
  • You hear clicks or pings from the wheel while riding. See e-bike noises.
  • More on what to leave to a shop: when to call a pro.

Sources

Stuck after these checks? Find a shop near you.

Need a pro?

If these steps didn't fix it, find a shop near you in our partner network of shops that work on electric rides.

Talk

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