What tension should road bike spokes be?
Before measuring spoke tension, it’s a good idea to determine what ideal tension should be. Consulting with your rim’s manufacturer is a great place to start. Most rims have suggested ranges from 100 to 120 Kilograms-force, or 980 to 1177 Newtons.
How do I know if my spokes are tight?
If spokes are laced, pluck them where they cross. You will then be listening to the sound of two spokes at once. If the tension of two laced spokes is very different, you will hear a dull thud. Pull the spokes across each other with your fingers to see which is looser.
Should drive side spokes be tighter?
Always bring the drive side spokes up first. I make it a rule never to tighten more than 3 full turns at a time (for each wheel revolution). It’s important to note that the total quality of a wheel build isn’t due to lateral wheel trueness but rather the overall quality of the build in general.
How often do spokes break?
You may break a spoke with these wheels every 5 or 6000 miles, but that’s not because the spokes wear out. And that seems fairly frequent to breaking spokes on average, especially for a rider of your weight. There would have to be something going on with the spoke or wheel to cause it to break.
Can You overtighten bike spokes?
You could easily overtighten the spoke and pull the rim out of round by using the tap and ring method. Using the correct setting for your wheel on a torque wrench will prevent over-tightening damage. Keep in mind that adjusting spokes is not the same as truing a wheel.
What are the spokes on a bike?
Bike spokes are a small but significant part of your bicycle. Their purpose is to support the weight to the center of the wheel. It’s a balancing agent that suffers from the occasional fatigue and craps out on you.
Are the spokes in a wheel in tension or compression?
On a bicycle wheel, the spokes are thin pieces of wire. They can’t support (very much) compression , without buckling and collapsing. They can however support lots of tension (stretching). Bicycle wheels are built to take advantage of tension rather than compression.
What is a spoke tension meter?
Spoke Tension Meter. The TM-1 Tension Meter accurately and reliably measures the absolute tension of each of the spokes in a wheel, as well as the relative tension between all the spokes in a wheel. Easy to use and priced affordably, the TM-1 works on nearly any bicycle spoke—no matter what the diameter, material, or shape.