What causes this issue?
This issue is normally caused by an impact or accident.
How do I know I have this issue?
When riding, you will experience a wobbly wheel. You can recreate this by turning the bike upside down and spinning the wheels.
Note that a very slightly wobbly wheel (e.g. within 1mm) is considered within 'normal' wheel behaviour and does not constitute a safety risk. You can, of course, still have this looked at by any bike shop if you like.
Is this issue covered by warranty?
Where to have this issue fixed
This issue is not specific to Cowboy bikes, so the quickest and easiest solution is to visit a nearby bike repair shop. You do not need specific Cowboy parts for this. Any bike shop will have them in stock.
Note that if there is significant damage (e.g. caused by impact), you can purchase a wheel directly from Cowboy by reaching out through your Cowboy app. Your local bike shop can tell you whether the wheel can be fixed/straightened or not.
Local Bike Shop: We recommend visiting your local bike shop to easily and quickly fix this issue, sharing the instructions below.
NOTE - if the wheel is heavily damaged, you can order a new one through our accessory page or our Cowboy support team - get in touch via your app.
Cowboy Certified Bike Shop: You can also drop in there if you are near a Cowboy Certified Bike Shop. Check our map here.
What tools are needed?
An adequate spoke wrench that matches the size of the spoke nipple.
A way to check the rim's position compared to the frame - We recommend using zip ties.
Repair Instructions
(You can share these with your local bike shop)
Step 1: Assess the damage. If the wheel is severely damaged, order a new one.
Step 2: If the wheel can be straightened, use this tutorial to straighten the wheel
Additional notes
On Cowboy 2 and Cowboy 3, the spokes' tension is different on each side of the rear wheel (due to the integration of the torque sensor in the motor hub). You'll feel that the spokes feel tighter on one side than on the other; this is perfectly normal. Make sure you don't over-tighten the spokes on one side (this could damage the rim) or leave them too loose on the other side.
The spokes on the loose side can become very loose (to the point where you can turn the nipple by hand). If that's the case, start by tightening all spokes with little to no tension, then true the wheel as explained in the video above.
We use disc brakes rather than rim brakes - This gives us a slightly larger margin of error when truing the wheel. Any left-right movement of a few millimetres won't affect the bike's functionality in any way.