[font=Times New Roman]I’ve recently gotten into lacing my own wheels. I have a PARK TS-2 truing stand and a spoke tension meter. For practice I’ve put together a front and a rear wheel so far using excess parts from around the garage. I used an on-line spoke length calculator and Sheldon Brown’s (RIP) lacing directions. The wheels are radial and laterally true. Dishing is good. Spoke tension relative and average kg force is good. The wheels ride good. I think I’m ready to purchase new components and build some 'new' wheels. But, here’s my question. Regarding spoke tension. I know how to measure it based on the type of spokes in use, but how do I know what it’s suppose to be? In the case with the two wheels I build from the parts around my garage…if I get a rim, hub, spokes, nipples, etc…what kg force do I use for as the average and relative spoke tension? I keep asking people in forums on other websites and everyone says Sheldon’s site has good instructions, or the card that comes with the spoke tension meter lists deflection readings and kg force ratings. But nothing says how those numbers are determined.[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]I’ve recently gotten into lacing my own wheels. I have a PARK TS-2 truing stand and a spoke tension meter. For practice I’ve put together a front and a rear wheel so far using excess parts from around the garage. I used an on-line spoke length calculator and Sheldon Brown’s (RIP) lacing directions. The wheels are radial and laterally true. Dishing is good. Spoke tension relative and average kg force is good. The wheels ride good. I think I’m ready to purchase new components and build some 'new' wheels. But, here’s my question. Regarding spoke tension. I know how to measure it based on the type of spokes in use, but how do I know what it’s suppose to be? In the case with the two wheels I build from the parts around my garage…if I get a rim, hub, spokes, nipples, etc…what kg force do I use for as the average and relative spoke tension? I keep asking people in forums on other websites and everyone says Sheldon’s site has good instructions, or the card that comes with the spoke tension meter lists deflection readings and kg force ratings. But nothing says how those numbers are determined.[/font]
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100 kgf for rear, right side and front. Good rule of thumb.
[font=Times New Roman]Dan[/font]
100 kgf for right rear and front, regardless of spokes, rim or lacing, generally speaking. Aluminum rims.
Maximum spoke tension is usually limited by the rim. You should contact the manufacturer or distributor to obtain the maximum specified tension for your rim. As the other poster said, 100kgF works safely for most rims. Clearly, with a dished wheel, the side with the longer spokes cannot be brought to the same tension as the dished side.
