Spoke tension

[MattHB]

When conducting a thorough clean the other day I noticed that one of my spokes was (really) loose, which explained why my rim had gone slightly out of true.

My question is.. Is there any way of (besides true'ing the rim) making sure you have the right tension on the spokes? Or is it just a case of spinning the wheel to ensure true and making sure they're properly tight?

Cheers

 

[PpPete]

I'm not quite sure why you would want to achieve "the right tension" on a spoke without trueing up the wheel?
There is no single right tension anyway.... the important thing is that tensions be even.

Bearing that in mind, and assuming you don't have a spoke tension gauge, this article may be of interest.

 

[MattHB]

I'm more meaning that if all your spokes were of equal tension, but too loose/tight then it would be bad right?

Cool article thanks

 

[PpPete]

Pretty unlikely to find any too tight spokes on a factory-built wheel.
And spokes break because they are too loose, not because they are too tight.

Get tightening !

 

[upsidedown]

There was a part in Mark Beaumont's book where he was having a wheel rebuilt in Poland(i think), the wheel builder said he kept breaking spokes because they were too tight. He explained that tight spokes were fine for racing wheels, but for anything else, especially loaded touring, the spokes needed to be loose to let the wheel flex and give.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

There was a part in Mark Beaumont's book where he was having a wheel rebuilt in Poland(i think), the wheel builder said he kept breaking spokes because they were too tight. He explained that tight spokes were fine for racing wheels, but for anything else, especially loaded touring, the spokes needed to be loose to let the wheel flex and give.

If you are interested, firstly Jobst Brandt's excellent book on the subject is imho the best source to explode such anecdotal hogwash myth. Secondly, an online source that will also explain scientifically why PpPete is right is here. Finally, one can simply go pluck the spokes of some new high-end wheels to feel what the tension is like.

 

[PpPete]

Too tight spokes will just fubar the rim - long before they break spokes.

 

[dellzeqq]

ask the manufacturer of the rim what tension is recommended and by a tensionometer. Simples

 

[Ian H]

If you're just retensioning a loose spoke, it's properly tightened when the rim is true. If it and/or others keep coming loose, then's the time to consider re-tensioning the entire wheel, or perhaps even rebuilding it.

 

[upsidedown]

If you are interested, firstly Jobst Brandt's excellent book on the subject is imho the best source to explode such anecdotal hogwash myth. Secondly, an online source that will also explain scientifically why PpPete is right is here. Finally, one can simply go pluck the spokes of some new high-end wheels to feel what the tension is like.

ah ok cheers. I just thought that the fact that he rode the rest of the way around the world on it gave his story some credence.

 

[amaferanga]

ask the manufacturer of the rim what tension is recommended and by a tensionometer. Simples

Quite an investment for a single lose spoke - about £60 for the cheapest tensionmeter. Many people, myself included, build wheels without a tensionmeter. Its debatable whether one is really necessary, though perhaps for low spoke count and/or carbon rims it'd be worthwhile.

 

[CamPhil]

ah ok cheers. I just thought that the fact that he rode the rest of the way around the world on it gave his story some credence.

As that Polish? wheel-builder had no way of knowing what the original tension in the wheels had been, I think it's more likely that what Mark started out with was a wheel which hadn't been stress relieved, and which he (Mark) gradually made worse while replacing spokes and re-truing (he admitted himself in the programme that he was a bit unsure of himself in that regard).
A rebuild will almost always be better than that state of affairs.

 

[Freddyflintstone]

I use what I call the "Harp" test after sorting out spokes
I pluck each spoke in turn and listen for the same note. If is duller is slightly less tensioned
if sharp its too much.
It does me (I ain't a professional and can't afford their gear)