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TIL I'm the only one in my shop who still uses a spoke wrench for every wheel.
Everyone else switched to a tension meter years ago, but I find the wrench gives me a better feel for the whole build. I just finished a set of Velocity Blunt 35s for a customer and the lateral runout was under 0.5mm. Am I just being stubborn, or does anyone else think the old way still has its place?
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caseywalker5mo ago
Lol it's just a bike wheel, not a heart transplant.
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bell.jessica5mo ago
That's a perfect example of tools getting in the way of skill. We're taught to trust the digital readout over our own hands and eyes now. The old way builds a deeper understanding that a simple number can't give you.
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the_riley5mo ago
My old shop teacher could true a wheel by ear while smoking a cigarette. He'd pluck spokes and listen, then give the wrench a quarter turn without even looking. Said a meter just gives you a number, but your hands learn the whole story. I still try to do it his way on my own bikes, even if it takes twice as long.
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parker_hall53mo ago
That shop teacher story from @the_riley is a classic, but plucking spoke tension by ear really only works well on wheels where the rim is already reasonably straight to begin with. A meter won't teach you feel, but it's a lot better at catching a loose spoke on the drive side that your ears might miss.
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