Spoke Tension

[weebryan]

Is there a torque or a sound like a guitar string that I can tension spokes up to. I have a guitar app I can use

The wheels are echo tr 24 and seem very loose and every time I put pressure through drive I can hear them move/ping and same on front

http://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/tension.htm

Edited April 14, 2012 by weebryan

[eskimo]

I think Sheldon Brown covered this. Apologies if not, i would of read that somewhere else. Here is a quick link.

[JD™]

I think Sheldon Brown covered this. Apologies if not, i would of read that somewhere else. Here is a quick link.

Just because I was interested, I plucked this bit out of the link:

The second way of judging spoke tension is by plucking the spokes where they cross and judging the musical pitch they make. If your shop doesn't have a piano, and you don't have perfect pitch, you can compare it with a known good wheel that uses the same length of spokes. This will get you into the ballpark. Before I started using a spoke tensiometer, I used to keep a cassette in my toolbox on which I had recorded my piano playing an F#, a good average reference tone for stainless spokes of usual length. (For more details on this method, see John Allen's article: Check Spoke Tension by Ear.

[Dan6061]

I just use the rule that if I squeeze them and they don't flex, they're tight enough!

[Azarathal]

I have mine rediculously tight because I hate spoke flex, only ever rounded nipples when I'd first started to build wheels and the only spokes I've snapped was a poorly(not built by me) built 2x disc radial nondisc front wheel.

[dezmtber]

i used one of these at the othe rbikeshop i worked at dt tenso

honestly a good wheel builder will find that the spokes are all pretty much spot on before fine tuneing the wheel with one of these.

the old get the spoke length right and turn the nipples all one turn at a time till they feel positivly tight until the spoke flexes under your hand about 3mm ish

[Ali C]

Wheel building isn't some black magic thing and stories of cassettes with the correct note for "some" wheels doesn't help shake it.

If you have a good quality rim then all the spokes should sound the same, don't worry about getting them to a certain note or pitch, wheels vary from rims, hubs, spoke butting and number of crosses, so it's unlikely that two wheels will sound the same.

If you have a lesser quality rim (most trials rims then) then you may have to tighten some spokes more than others to get a true wheel, this isn't ideal but it's just what happens, in this case the spokes won't all sound the same.

Just concentrate on turning all the spokes evenly to start with, then see how true the wheel is looking and go from there. If the wheel is fairly true then you can work on getting a bit higher tension in the spokes, if it's all over the place, get it true (by tightening AND loosening the nipples) and go from there. I have access to a Parks spoke meter, but I rarely use it as it usually tells me what I already know from the feel and sound of the spokes while building.

[weebryan]

I agree with you Ali have trued a lot of wheels on past but that was built by a really good wheel builder and had a good tension to go by on good spokes

but theses, i think a turn back and I could do it by hand really loose just need a base torque to start from to get a feel and then do rest

Edited April 15, 2012 by weebryan

[weebryan]

Well had a go at tighten spoke, feels way better no flex around corners and feels more sold and a better drive.

Mr Ali your dead right about tensions being different some are looser than others and if I correct them it makes the wheel wobble so defo by feel and ping/squeeze spokes of a rough idea to what ones thanks !

[Maxx]

Another question about spoke tension, which one is better :

- have very tight spokes in order to have the best transfer of energy

- have a bit less tight spokes in order to have more rebound

?

[Matt Vandart]

Wheel building isn't some black magic thing and stories of cassettes with the correct note for "some" wheels doesn't help shake it.

If you have a good quality rim then all the spokes should sound the same, don't worry about getting them to a certain note or pitch, wheels vary from rims, hubs, spoke butting and number of crosses, so it's unlikely that two wheels will sound the same.

If you have a lesser quality rim (most trials rims then) then you may have to tighten some spokes more than others to get a true wheel, this isn't ideal but it's just what happens, in this case the spokes won't all sound the same.

Just concentrate on turning all the spokes evenly to start with, then see how true the wheel is looking and go from there. If the wheel is fairly true then you can work on getting a bit higher tension in the spokes, if it's all over the place, get it true (by tightening AND loosening the nipples) and go from there. I have access to a Parks spoke meter, but I rarely use it as it usually tells me what I already know from the feel and sound of the spokes while building.

This but also try and pringle you wheel on your lap every now and again to stress relieve it while building.

[N.Wood]

Another question about spoke tension, which one is better :

- have very tight spokes in order to have the best transfer of energy

- have a bit less tight spokes in order to have more rebound

?

Have them normal tightness, it won't make a slight bit of difference. If they are loose it'll feel like shit.