Spoke Tension

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I can wheel true without issue - had to learn that on tour in the middle of nowhere when my OH broke too many spokes and I therefore have several spoke tools...
it is just how I judge the tension to be even vaguely correct on this front wheel. will work with sound which seems sensible for the moment.

thanks all

 

[Davidc]

I can wheel true without issue - had to learn that on tour in the middle of nowhere when my OH broke too many spokes and I therefore have several spoke tools...
it is just how I judge the tension to be even vaguely correct on this front wheel. will work with sound which seems sensible for the moment.

thanks all

Join the club!

 

[ushills]

As others have said you can get the correct tension by tone, tension gauges are only a guide anyway.

When I built my wheelset I set roughly by tone then trued the wheel, ensure to release torque in the spokes by stressing.

 

[andrew_s]

Sound is good for relative tension, assuming you aren't tone deaf, but absolute pitch will depend on spoke thickness and length between rim and crossing point as well as tension.
As an indication only, I can squeeze a pair of spokes just outside the cross enough to move the crossing point about 5mm before it gets too uncomfortable on the hands (soft office work hands, 36h 3x, 2.0/1.8mm double butted spokes)

 

[Manonabike]

You can do it by tone, pluck the spokes and compare their pitches. Roger Musson uses this technique on most of the wheels that he builds. Or you can use a tensionometer to give you a numerical value for each spoke's tension.
You are aiming for an equal tension in each spoke ±20%. If they are within those parameters your wheels should stay true.

If the tone for a spoke length and thickness at the correct tension is known then you could use tone.

If I remember correctly, Roger Musson uses tone to true a wheel and to equalise spoke tension on each side of the wheel but he uses feel to judge final tension. Tone is good to tell when one spoke has more tension or less tension than another spoke and that is why the method is so effective when truing a wheel and also when equalising the tension on all spokes of the same side.

If you have a similar wheel which is properly tensioned then you can squeeze a couple of spokes and see what that feels like then you need to replicate the same feel on the wheel you are building. At least that is what I understood from the Roger Musson book.

I aim for a semitone tolerance which is about 5% - I use a tension meter to confirm my judgement as a quick test.