Removing and replacing spokes?

Is it a big deal? Any tips? Is there a spoke tightener, like a
cheap simple little wrench that bends slightly when the spokes are
tight enough? Otherwise, how is correct tightness determined?

A pointer to a decent spoke removal and tightening tool sold
online (USA) would be appreciated.

Thanks.





--
My inline skating unicycle push stick project might require some
metalworking on the axle, and that would be much easier if the
wheel were removed.

On 3/18/2011 1:21 PM, John Doe wrote:
Is it a big deal? Any tips? Is there a spoke tightener, like a
cheap simple little wrench that bends slightly when the spokes are
tight enough? Otherwise, how is correct tightness determined?

A pointer to a decent spoke removal and tightening tool sold
online (USA) would be appreciated.

Thanks.

The following article should answer most of your questions:
http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

On 3/18/2011 1:21 PM, John Doe wrote:
Is it a big deal? Any tips? Is there a spoke tightener, like a
cheap simple little wrench that bends slightly when the spokes are
tight enough? Otherwise, how is correct tightness determined?

A pointer to a decent spoke removal and tightening tool sold
online (USA) would be appreciated.

Thanks.






If you have a wheel built (or buy the parts to build it yourself) it's a
good idea to get a few extra spokes.

This is because you can replace a broken spoke with the exact same type,
and just tighten the replacement until it sounds the same as the others
when struck lightly.

-----

Also in my experience spoke wrenches tend to chew up nipples. I've had
cheap wrenches and better ones, and both have done it. What is a lot
safer is to remove the tire, tube & rim strip, and use a flat
screwdriver in the spoke butt to build/true the wheel initially, and
only use spoke wrenches for adjustments out on the road.

Also if you are building a bike wheel that you want to look absolutely
perfect, doing it this way entirely avoids any marring on the visible
parts of the nipples.

On Mar 18, 6:21*pm, John Doe wrote:
Is it a big deal? Any tips?

No, it's not a big deal. Tip: Don't bother.
The big question is why? The only reason I would possibly replace a
set of spokes is if I couldn't otherwise replace the wheel parts but
wanted to run a different, possibly thinner gauge spoke.

Is there a spoke tightener, like a
cheap simple little wrench that bends slightly when the spokes are
tight enough?

A Spokey. The plastic disc bends a bit, usually before you get to
disastrously high spoke tension, but I have not handled a modern one,
so this may not apply any more..

Otherwise, how is correct tightness determined?

Riding the wheel. Too low a tension and the wheel does not track well
over rough road. Too high a tension makes the wheel uncomfortably
hard.


A pointer to a decent spoke removal and tightening tool sold
online (USA) would be appreciated.

With good spoke tension any spoke nipple key that fits will serve.
There are specific designs which permit excessive spoke tension to be
made (or removed) without destroying the nipple, but I feel these are
probably best avoided for destroying the nipples is an absolute sign
of overtensioning, as is cracking the rim. It's easier and cheaper to
replace a nipple than a rim, so stick with the simple slot type
tool.


Thanks.

--
My inline skating unicycle push stick project might require some
metalworking on the axle, and that would be much easier if the
wheel were removed.

On Mar 18, 6:39*pm, Tºm Shermªn™ °_° ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
On 3/18/2011 1:21 PM, John Doe wrote:

Is it a big deal? Any tips? Is there a spoke tightener, like a
cheap simple little wrench that bends slightly when the spokes are
tight enough? Otherwise, how is correct tightness determined?

A pointer to a decent spoke removal and tightening tool sold
online (USA) would be appreciated.

Thanks.

The following article should answer most of your questions:
http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html.

I second that.

Other advice: Don't miss the part about lubricating spokes and
nipples in that article. That greatly reduces the odds on the spoke
wrench tearing up the nipples.

Correct tightness is determined by checking to see that the wheel is
properly straight and round. No excessive side-to-side bends, no
"hops" or "dips." Round.

Truing a wheel is not easy for many people. Handle a spoke wrench
with care, and take things to a bike shop if you can't figure it out
pretty quickly. I had a friend who started with a wheel that was
slightly out of true, and ended up with something that looked like a
potato chip.

Finally, understand that some posters have crazy theories about spokes
and wheels, so don't believe everything you read here. It's best to
go to sources with good reputations. Sheldon Brown's website is
widely known to be one of the best, if not _the_ best.

- Frank Krygowski

On 3/19/2011 11:32 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
[...]
Finally, understand that some posters have crazy theories about spokes
and wheels, so don't believe everything you read here.[...]

Trevor aka "thirty-six" may be correct for his universe, however, but
not ours.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

On Mar 20, 4:32*am, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Mar 18, 6:39*pm, Tºm Shermªn™ °_° ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI

$southslope.net" wrote:
On 3/18/2011 1:21 PM, John Doe wrote:

Is it a big deal? Any tips? Is there a spoke tightener, like a
cheap simple little wrench that bends slightly when the spokes are
tight enough? Otherwise, how is correct tightness determined?

A pointer to a decent spoke removal and tightening tool sold
online (USA) would be appreciated.

Thanks.

The following article should answer most of your questions:
http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html.

I second that.

Other advice: *Don't miss the part about lubricating spokes and
nipples in that article. *That greatly reduces the odds on the spoke
wrench tearing up the nipples.

Why do you persist in calling a nipple key a spoke wrench? It seems
to me you wish to instill that the instrument is meant to "tighten
till it breaks and back off half a turn", not for the real purpose of
adjusting the effective length of the spoke.


Correct tightness is determined by checking to see that the wheel is
properly straight and round. *No excessive side-to-side bends, no
"hops" or "dips." *Round.

Rims tend to come like that, you better leave the wrench alone.


Truing a wheel is not easy for many people. *Handle a spoke wrench

There ya go again. There is no truing to make things difficult if
spokes are at good tension. Bent rims need straightening or
scrapping. Wobbly builds remain wobbly builds.

with care, and take things to a bike shop if you can't figure it out
pretty quickly. *I had a friend who started with a wheel that was
slightly out of true, and ended up with something that looked like a
potato chip.

Not surprising with your advice. Drop the spoke wrench and use a
nipple key.


Finally, understand that some posters have crazy theories about spokes
and wheels, so don't believe everything you read here. *It's best to
go to sources with good reputations. *Sheldon Brown's website is
widely known to be one of the best, if not _the_ best.

It is incomplete for wheel knowledge.

- Frank Krygowski

On Mar 18, 12:21*pm, John Doe wrote:
Is it a big deal? Any tips? Is there a spoke tightener, like a
cheap simple little wrench that bends slightly when the spokes are
tight enough? Otherwise, how is correct tightness determined?

A pointer to a decent spoke removal and tightening tool sold
online (USA) would be appreciated.

Thanks.

--
My inline skating unicycle push stick project might require some
metalworking on the axle, and that would be much easier if the
wheel were removed.

If you are breaking spokes, the rim is deformed, the spokes are
probably OK. Need to replace the rim.

Park, VAR, Pedros all make decent spoke wrenches.

Correct tension is determined by a tensionmeter.

On Mar 22, 7:07*am, thirty-six wrote:

Why do you persist in calling a nipple key a spoke wrench?

For the same reason you persist in calling a spoke wrench a nipple
key.

- Frank Krygowski

On Mar 18, 1:21*pm, John Doe wrote:
Is it a big deal? Any tips? Is there a spoke tightener, like a
cheap simple little wrench that bends slightly when the spokes are
tight enough? Otherwise, how is correct tightness determined?

A pointer to a decent spoke removal and tightening tool sold
online (USA) would be appreciated.


A five buck universal wrench is great for beginners, since you
probably don't know your nipple size. A tensionometer is nice to have,
as is a truing stand. That said, I've built wheels using a bike frame,
rubber band, pencil, and my ear that are as good as ones I've built
with the proper shop tools.