Lets talk spoke tension

TommyF

TommyF

Well-Known Member
My rear Reynolds carbon wheel's spokes "sing" to me every now and then on the power stroke of the pedal. Sounds like lose spokes, but a simple hand test of tension has me convinced they are all nice and tight. The wheel is 3 years old, never re-tensioned. This only happens every now and then, I could go 3 - 4 weeks with a quite wheel, then it sings, then it's quiet again. I've put lube on the nipples and where the spokes cross, that quiets them down instantly. So the question is, do you check spoke tension, if so how often and do you use a tension meter to set it? I'm tempted to bring it to my LBS for a quick once over, but also tempted to tweak it myself, possibly purchasing a tension meter. The wheel is perfectly true, was noisy on Sunday, washed the bike after Sundays ride and it's now quiet again without lubing. So what's your spoke maintenance routine?
 
I use the Park TM-1 to check spoke tension but definitely not on a regular basis. I think it's accurate enough for most applications, although the hardcore wheel building nerds would likely disagree. I've also experienced similar noises on my road bike, although I've never gone to any real lengths to troubleshoot since it's infrequent.
 
Checking and adjusting tension with a meter is fairly easy if you are mechanically inclined, but ideally you want to do that in a truing stand so you don't through it out of true. The cost of all that may be more than having the LBS just do it.
 
JonF said:
Checking and adjusting tension with a meter is fairly easy if you are mechanically inclined, but ideally you want to do that in a truing stand so you don't through it out of true. The cost of all that may be more than having the LBS just do it.
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Ahh the truing stand, didn't factor that in. I can use the bike and some zip ties as the truing stand but you do have a good point regarding costs.
 
JonF said:
Checking and adjusting tension with a meter is fairly easy if you are mechanically inclined, but ideally you want to do that in a truing stand so you don't through it out of true. The cost of all that may be more than having the LBS just do it.
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Yup, that's the rabbit hole I ended up in. I broke down and got everything, re-built my rear wheel, feel accomplished.

Also, tension is more important than true (relative to condition of spokes, nipples, and rim).
 
I have never messed with spoke tension. As long as they seem pretty evenly tight and the wheel is true everything is ok with me.
 
Just to update this a bit, I'm headed to the Lake George area on Thursday for 3 days of MTB. Just did a test ride this morning and the rear wheel is silent. Mind you, no lube was used, the only difference is the bike was washed on Sunday afternoon after the noisy ride. Do spokes like being clean? :shrug:
 
Maybe temperature is a factor? I had a set that would ping in the warm summer months but not in the winter. I figured the tension changed when the spokes warmed and expanded so i retensioned them in the summer.
 
JonF said:
Maybe temperature is a factor? I had a set that would ping in the warm summer months but not in the winter. I figured the tension changed when the spokes warmed and expanded so i retensioned them in the summer.
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Do I? Yes. How often? When I suspect something is wrong :)

Really, though, I do not typically pull a tensiometer out after the initial build process, unless there is something bizarre going on...which usually indicates something like a cracked flange/rim.

How old/many miles are on the wheel? After time, the crosses 'polish' themselves, and can even wear grooves, given enough time. This is what is chirping/ticking, assuming no other problems. The remedy is replacement. You can lube intermittently, but the only way of getting rid of it permanently is younger spokes.
 
Karate Monkey said:
After time, the crosses 'polish' themselves, and can even wear grooves, given enough time. This is what is chirping/ticking, assuming no other problems. The remedy is replacement. You can lube intermittently, but the only way of getting rid of it permanently is younger spokes.
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So just to update this a bit, I was up in Saratoga Springs riding Daniels Road state forest with a group this past weekend. Awesome network BTW !! The wheel had been quite since last week, first day out with the group and those spokes were singing again. I lubed them up and once again they were quite for the rest of the trip. So I'm in agreement with the above and the wheel is going in for a rebuild this week.
 
TommyF said:
the wheel is going in for a rebuild this week.
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If you are the original owner of the Reynolds wheels, you can send them back to Reynolds (Hayes Bicycle) and they'll rebuild the wheel with new spokes and nipples for $99.

I just did this, as the Reynolds Black Label Enduro wheels (also about 3 years old) I'm running began breaking rear spokes. I set up a return with Reynolds, shipped the wheel to them on my own dime, they rebuilt my wheel, and 2-dayed it back to me.

The bonus for me, as the original owner, was they gave me a new rim, under the lifetime warranty. I didn't ask for it, but they must have decided the rim was compromised enough to be replaced.
 
@ChrisG good info on Reynolds, unfortunately I'm not the original owner. Just dropped the wheel off at my LBS, waiting for a call back from a tech with my options. I'm leaning towards a full rebuild.
 
Spoke nipples are frozen, bearings are rough, spokes are worn where they cross, it's a total wheel rebuild at this point. Going to wait until my new tires come in and give them the bike for a complete tare down and rebuild with all new suspension bearings.
 
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