In case you might crash or brake a spoke and your rim gets bent, here are a few ways to straighten the wheel temporarily. It is important to know that these methods are to be used for temporary repairs. You need to ride home with caution and get to a bike shop as soon as possible.

METHOD ONE - The Lean

Remove the wheel from the bicycle. Steady the top of the wheel against a solid object such as lamppost, street curb, or tree. Brace the bottom of the wheel with your foot. Grasp the side of the wheel that are bending towards you and push against them slowly until the wheel is straight. You need to lean into the wheel using your body weight instead of just your arms and shoulders. Use a spoke key or string wrench to tighten up the spokes where they might neet the rim.

METHOD TWO - "Breaking Kindling"

Hold the wheel up against your knee with your hands on either side and pull to straighten out the rim. Repeat this method on the remaining wobbles until the wheel is straight enough to spin in the frame. If the brake pads still strike the rim, align the pads if needed.

METHOD THREE - "Grand Slam"

After taking the wheel off the bike and spinning the wheel to find the worst wobble, hold the wheel with both hands with the major wobble in the twelve-o'clock position. Raise the wheel up and smack the bent part of the rim on the ground. Check to see the improvement by spinning the wheel again. Keep whacking the wheel until the major wobbles are removed and the wheel is straight enough to get you either home or to a bike shop.