can loose spokes cause poor handling?

motometal

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Sep 3, 2001
2,682
3
People have all sorts of advice on how to lace or true a wheel, but how do you know how tight to tighten the spokes? Advivce on how tight is probably not common because it's hard to quantify spoke tightness. Should we get out our pitch pipes? I have a bad habit of just making the tension on all of the spokes the same, but how do I know how tight this should be? On my new bike, I noticed that the spokes in general are much looser than spokes on my other bikes. What's right and what's wrong? How do you know?

Please don't reply instructing me to buy the fancy spoke torque wrench gizmo. I'm not wishing to spend the money for one of these, obviously 99% of the folks out there get by just fine without one.

I think at dirt week i'll do a quick survey (with a cold drink in hand) to see how my spokes compare to others'.

Anyway, i'm wondering if it's possible to have spokes that ring when you tap on them, and feel relatively snug, but allow the front wheel to flex, causing poor handling.
 

i_955

Member
Dec 18, 2004
265
0
If it goes bong, it is too loose.
If it goes ting, it is too tight.
It is goes bing, it is good.

Poor handling is caused from spokes that are too loose. The rim moves and flexes unnaturally and obviously can cause serious handling issues.
When the spokes are too tight the Hub takes the brunt and cracks or breaks.
 

Bullwinkle58

Member
Apr 23, 2004
119
0
I guess 'snug' would be the best word to describe how I check the tightness. Just make sure all the spoke nipples are snug. If they don't turn easily, I don't try to turn them. I figure if they've bonded with the spoke due to corrosion, I have checked them frequently enough to know it's not loose. Once corroded, I know it's not coming loose. This probably isn't the *right* way, but it's my $.02
 

bpositive

Member
Jul 11, 2005
46
0
i start at a valve stem and go around 3 or 4 times just sugging them, every time i ride no matter what .... spoke savers are suppose to be a good thing ...
 

motometal

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Sep 3, 2001
2,682
3
thanks for the help guys. i'm off to the garage to check for bings and tings.

bpositive-it's great to keep an eye on the spokes like that, just make sure you don't overtighten them, as mentioned above they tend to get dirty/corrode enough eventually that they don't come loose anymore, I suppose they eventually could "stretch" a bit, but not every ride.
 

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