Spoke tension meter
03-29-24, 01:55 PM
#26
Senior Member
I have the Park tool and used it to build a few pair of wheels now and it really does make a difference in how the wheels perform. It's been 5 years now since the last build and I have never had to re-true a wheel.
03-29-24, 02:52 PM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,726
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Mentioned: 140 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5793 Post(s)
Liked 2,592 Times
in
1,436 Posts
Not to start a debate, but don't you think that experience, practice, and skills improvement might also factor into that?
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
Likes For FBinNY:
03-30-24, 04:06 AM
#28
Senior Member
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000048763228.html
This digital one from AliExpress. Cheaper and 100 times better than anything else out there. Only $40 dollars.
This digital one from AliExpress. Cheaper and 100 times better than anything else out there. Only $40 dollars.
03-30-24, 06:30 AM
#29
Senior Member
I doubt that. I had no experience, practice or skill. Maybe by the last pair I did, but not the first two. I don't have a truing stand or dish tool either. My fingers are my feeler gauges.
03-30-24, 06:40 AM
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 1,852
Bikes: Lemond '01 Maillot Jaune, Lemond '02 Victoire, Lemond '03 Poprad, Lemond '03 Wayzata DB conv(Poprad), '79 AcerMex Windsor Carrera Professional(pur new), '88 GT Tequesta(pur new), '01 Bianchi Grizzly, 1993 Trek 970 DB conv, Trek 8900 DB conv
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 759 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 810 Times
in
471 Posts
Please do report back how that tool is performing and how it does versus your calibration check. It would be interesting data and helpful to some.
03-30-24, 06:46 AM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 1,852
Bikes: Lemond '01 Maillot Jaune, Lemond '02 Victoire, Lemond '03 Poprad, Lemond '03 Wayzata DB conv(Poprad), '79 AcerMex Windsor Carrera Professional(pur new), '88 GT Tequesta(pur new), '01 Bianchi Grizzly, 1993 Trek 970 DB conv, Trek 8900 DB conv
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 759 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 810 Times
in
471 Posts
While I don't doubt that skill can sufficiently replace a tensiometer, this discussion reminds me of the old joke..
"I can tell you how to make a million dollars...first, you start with a million dollars and then you invest it in..."
"I can tell you how to make a million dollars...first, you start with a million dollars and then you invest it in..."
03-30-24, 05:29 PM
#33
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: reno, nv
Posts: 2,303
Bikes: yes, i have one
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1139 Post(s)
Liked 1,182 Times
in
687 Posts
sure will. was planning go. got my spokes yesterday and installed the new one. pretty true now. will finish up once the gauge gets here. i am very curious myself how well it performs.
03-30-24, 05:30 PM
#34
Full Member
03-30-24, 05:56 PM
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,240
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 503 Post(s)
Liked 436 Times
in
335 Posts
Does it not come with tables to translate readings to values? If I have to build a calibration jig I might as well make a tensiometer too, sounds like a fun Arduino project.
03-30-24, 07:15 PM
#36
Full Member
Yes comes with a chart but how accurate it is I have no idea, hence the jig, the repeatability is excellent so no issues there
04-01-24, 08:32 AM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,904
Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2604 Post(s)
Liked 1,933 Times
in
1,213 Posts
And of course there's the bike shop owner's lament. How do you make a small fortune running a bike shop? Start with a large fortune.
Likes For pdlamb:
04-05-24, 06:46 PM
#38
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: reno, nv
Posts: 2,303
Bikes: yes, i have one
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1139 Post(s)
Liked 1,182 Times
in
687 Posts
for what it is worth this is what i bought and the following is a demo of the repeatability. i have not had a chance to compare the actual tension measured with a calibrated tool yet.
looks like two spokes need a bit of tightening.
https://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Measu...7YQQQC8L&psc=1
looks like two spokes need a bit of tightening.
https://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Measu...7YQQQC8L&psc=1
Likes For spelger:
04-05-24, 07:16 PM
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,726
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Mentioned: 140 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5793 Post(s)
Liked 2,592 Times
in
1,436 Posts
How do you get 4 significant level of precision?
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
04-05-24, 07:27 PM
#40
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: reno, nv
Posts: 2,303
Bikes: yes, i have one
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1139 Post(s)
Liked 1,182 Times
in
687 Posts
do you mean 2 significant figures after the decimal...? i have very very good eyesight...bugs bunny is jealous.
the gauge only has integer graduations so there is clearly some 1/10 of a unit eyeballing going on. the rest is just because i highlighted the spread sheet and applied 2 decimal places because of the average and standard dev columns. that is all lost in the graph anyway.
the gauge only has integer graduations so there is clearly some 1/10 of a unit eyeballing going on. the rest is just because i highlighted the spread sheet and applied 2 decimal places because of the average and standard dev columns. that is all lost in the graph anyway.
04-09-24, 03:21 PM
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,904
Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2604 Post(s)
Liked 1,933 Times
in
1,213 Posts
04-09-24, 04:20 PM
#42
Really Old Senior Member
Anytime you have electronics involved that convert a voltage to a reading, one really needs to take the temperature coefficient of the tool if expecting "ultra precise" results.
Some may be fine in a laboratory environment, but may differ significantly in the temperature ranges the tool may actually be used in.
I used to build optical oceanographic instruments that used an LED of a specific wavelength for a light source.
LED's tend to have pretty wonky temperature characteristics and it was supposedly "impossible" to temperature compensate one.
It turns out most of the cheap electronics are not too good in this respect. My "free" Harbor Freight voltmeter reads 8% high. That's about 1 volt difference on a 12V battery. That's at room temp- Who knows.....
Put your tool in a baggie and stick in the fridge for a 1/2 hour and test vs. the same tool laying in the sun.
A simple digital display is +/- 1 digit + a % error that varies by the quality of the display.
Not venting on your specific tool, but just in general to people that assume if its digital, it's spot on perfect.
04-10-24, 06:27 AM
#43
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,904
Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2604 Post(s)
Liked 1,933 Times
in
1,213 Posts
