What have you done to your bike today?
- Thread starter Chris(NJ)
- Start date
Paul H
Fearless OOS Poser
Did you have all the specific tools for the wheel build?
Any aspect you feel that could have been hacked?
Wanna try this at some point but the tools are so freakin expensive...
Karate Monkey
Well-Known Member
-Upside down (or right-side up, with a work stand) bike/zip ties = truing stand
-known good wheel to compare plucked tone to (with the understanding that spoke length must be close to be accurate). Even tension is more important than high tension.
-make a spoke driver by grinding the webs off two sides of a Phillips screwdriver. A nipple inserter can be made from a 2 or 2.3mm spoke; grind/sand a gentle taper into one end, cut it off about 5cm after that, and test for fit into the slotted end of the nipple. You should be able to pick it up after some slight downward pressure, and spin it on the spoke to receive it.
-a dish stick can be substituted by a level table, and standing the rim off the table with stacks of quarters. The distance between the table surface/locknut should be the same on both sides.
-don't scrimp on your spoke wrench.
-oil the nipple threads/seat when installing nipples. No special tools/supplies required, but they help speed the process... Which you shouldn't be doing on your first build, anyway.
Magic
Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
The only thing I wish I had was a spoke tension gauge to make sure that is ok. I was just using my old wheels to gauge it by hand.
I used an old spoke to feed the nipples through so they didn't get lost inside the rim. Dipped the spokes with nipple into some Linseed oil before screwing them on the actual spoke. A small flathead screwdriver made for faster tightening of the nipple slack from the outside, the rest was done with a Park spoke wrench on a borrowed truing stand. I used the truing stand to dish the wheel centered as well since the rear hub is a flip flop so the front and rear are both centered.
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I bought a tension gauge and never ever use it. 25cent guitar pick and a good ear. Good squeeze above the cross and stress the spokes during the last few tension rounds. I kept my broken Mayor for 170mm rear hubs and use my existing 197mm frame doing the zip tie because I haven't gotten the extensions for my park true stand.
Paul H
Fearless OOS Poser
Guitar pick? Interesting... I'm going to try and see.... or hear what kinda pitch my current wheels make.
I'm assuming the pick should be thick? I think I have a 1.5mm pick somewhere.
Paul H
Fearless OOS Poser
Went out to the garage and tried the guitar pick. Tried on the roadie since this is rim brakes and assume it would be most trued set of wheels. This is a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elite. Within 1 wheel, the pitch was different. There were couple of spokes with the same pitch but overall, they were different. Went over to a set of Ksyrium Equipe which I had trued and kept it hanging as back up. Same here and pitch was different. Tried on the Trance where the stock wheels are fairly new and in my possession for less than a month. Same thing. What's the dealio yo?
Paul H
Fearless OOS Poser
So theoretically, if I can "tune" all the spokes to the same pitch and get the correct tension... the wheel should be perfectly straight and dished correctly?
Never thought cycling and playing guitar would relate... lol
aren't some longer than others unless radial laced?
so no to tension/tune method. same length, same note maybe.
and they can be the same tension, and in total misalignment -
jackx
Well-Known Member
Yeah on Mavic Ksyrium Elite, non-drive side spokes on rear wheel are longer. Maybe those flat Mavic spokes would be harder to pluck 'n tune.
Karate Monkey
Well-Known Member
Tone as a measure of absolute tension is not so great, due to spokes of any sort not being music wire (and laying on top of each other, which affects tone quality). You need a fairly sophisticated tuner to cut through the garbage and find the fundamental. That said, as a general "in the area" measure, it works.
The best way to use tone is to quickly compare the spokes on the same side of the wheel in tension without measuring every spoke with the tensomitor.
Karate Monkey
Well-Known Member
Also, outside of [some] engineered materials (aka, carbon fiber composite), rims aren't perfectly straight, so there is no way that you could build a theoretical perfectly tensioned wheel.
02camaro
Well-Known Member
Added E13 lg1 chain guide/bash guard. Upgraded my beat xt derailleur and shifter and went with xtr shifter and derailleur and xt 11-46 cassette. I think I'm going to swap out the 32 tooth chain ring for a 34 since I have the ultra granny gear now.. The 46er seems pointless pedaling on the road but maybe the trails will be different
qclabrat
Well-Known Member
I've had two chain guards and didn't like either, for me it made the pedaling feel mechanical for some reason. Let me know what you think of it
btw: I like the shima matchy matchy
02camaro
Well-Known Member
I've had it for a couple rides now, just posted it today. But yes I agree, mechanical is a good way to describe it. But I'll take it over the chance of dropping a chain. Even though that was rare before.
qclabrat
Well-Known Member
I used to drop chains all the time, after switching to NW chainrings and clutch rear. You must be doing some insane hits and drops
02camaro
Well-Known Member
I ran a narrow wide with a clutch and it never dropped. But shifting with no clutch is smoother so I turned it off and dropped the chain hence the want for a guard