spoke tensionometer: overkill?

"deegan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Do i really need one of these things? I start truing with the wheel as

loose

Quoted message said:

as possible, and keep stressing the wheel. When i get the wheel round and true and there is no
further movement after stressing, i'm done. Right? I stress it relatively strenuously, so do I
really need a tensionometer? Jobst, you out there? Regards Buz

Jobst doesn't hang here with us smelly mtb'ers. You can find him over at rec.bicycles.tech.

IMO. No you don't really need one. I use a Wheelsmith one because it makes it easier to obtain even
tension throughout a wheel which is the key to building a wheel that 'stands'. You can use the
pluck and tone method as well to gauge tension. Hell, you don't even need a truing stand and
just use your frame to build a wheel but havig a stand makes it easier and more comfortable.

I've found the tensiometer is useful too in truing wheels as it helps you decide which spoke to
tighten or loosen. Or if a rim is [censored] because it takes such wild variations in tension to
get it true.

BTW, If you go over to wreck.bike.teck you'll want to spell 'tensiometer' correctly if you want to
get positive attention from Jobst. ;^)

Mike

RE/

Quoted message said:

When i get the wheel round and true and there is no further movement after stressing, i'm
done. Right?

My rationale for buying one was that you can still overstress the eyelets by putting too much
tension on the spokes - even or uneven, to much is still too much.
--
PeteCresswell