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Spoke tightness...any good online advice available?
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 2009-09-09 9:41 PM |
Veteran  135  |  Subject: Spoke tightness...any good online advice available?I was checking the spokes on my wheel I rode a flat on for 5 miles during a sprint Monday. I may be able to use once I get it checked. I found one spoke was insanely loose and may have been the cause for my flat....maybe. How tight should the spokes be and is there any online links that anyone might know? Thanks in advance! |
| 2009-09-09 11:38 PM in reply to: #2398018 |
Expert 2180  Boise, Idaho | Subject: RE: Spoke tightness...any good online advice available? Well, they should be tight enough to hold your wheel in true. Other than that, if you 'pluck' the spokes next to the loose one (on the same side) you'll hear a distinct tonal quality. SLOWLY match the tension of the loose one, careful not to pull the wheel out of true. When the 'note' is the same-you're good. Check the spoke for a couple of days to make sure it's all good. |
| 2009-09-10 3:29 AM in reply to: #2398018 |
Pro 5892  , New Hampshire | Subject: RE: Spoke tightness...any good online advice available? Each rim, hub and spoke manufacturer should be able to tell you the maximum spoke tension allowed. This doesn't mean that you should always use maximum tension though... Tensioning by sound is ok if the general structure of the wheel is in good shape... if you have one of two spokes that are undertensioned, then yes, you can fix that problem by sound, but if you have more than just a few spokes, then the problem is a little more complex. Unless you are comfortable with it (i.e. know what you're doing), drop the wheel off to the LBS and have them deal with it. It's too cheap not to. |
| 2009-09-10 7:19 AM in reply to: #2398018 |
Champion 7036 Sarasota, FL | Subject: RE: Spoke tightness...any good online advice available? The first, and most obvious, piece of advice is not to ride on a flat for five miles. In your other thread you said you trashed your wheel. Were you referring to just the tire or the wheel also? I would suspect there's more wrong with the wheel than just a loose spoke. My suggestion would be to take it to your LBS and have them put it on a truing stand to see how out-of-round it might be. I'd also carefully check for any cracks on the rim, especially around the spoke holes and the joint seam. Mark
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| 2009-09-10 7:44 AM in reply to: #2398018 |
Veteran 135 | Subject: RE: Spoke tightness...any good online advice available? Thanks for the info everyone. I think the best thing is to take to the LBS and have them check it out for me. The tire will need to be replaced. I figured the wheel would have been worse than it was or appears to be anyway. I definitely need to get a tire repair kit just in case it happens again. |
| 2009-09-10 8:58 AM in reply to: #2398323 |
Champion 7036 Sarasota, FL | Subject: RE: Spoke tightness...any good online advice available? I definitely need to get a tire repair kit just in case it happens again. Good plan. Murphy's Law always applies. The only time in the last three years that I didn't take my repair kit and cell phone, I had a flat three miles from home. It was a long walk back. Mark |
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