Bicycle Mechanics - Oh no, not the Truing Stand question...

Yes, the Truing Stand question.

I am not out to start any religeous wars here, but I have a trip back to LA and I was thinking of buying myself a Truing Stand while I am there so I can start building wheels at home (Tokyo).

I don't expect to be using the stand more than once a month or so which is why I wanna keep it a bit inexpensive and get a Consumer Stand. I may actually use it to true wheels, too (however, my bike serves okay for that now). :)

I am a sucker for the Park label, but the TS-7 seems to get raked over the coals pretty hard. I am also considering the less costly Performance/Minoura alternative, but I would need to get a Dishing Tool for another $20 so the cost between the two is not so different.

Anyone with experience with both of these stands?

Also, whatever it is, it needs to be portable so that I can carry it back with me on the plane to Tokyo. And my apartment is not luxurious so it can't take up too much space either.

Thanks for any advice.

- Jeff

P.S. Yeah, I know. Get The Bicycle Wheel. I actually have Gerd Schraner's book on order. I expect to look for the other after I get there.

Dishing tool is really not necessary if you keep your trueing stand calibrated (centered). I rarely use my dishing tool. I keep flipping my wheel from time to time on the stand during wheel building to assure both centering of wheel and stand itself.

Yeah. I have heard that, too. Looking in some old Usenet posts, I have found that Jobst Brandt has some pretty strong feelings about failing to use a Dishing Tool (as in -- use one). But he talks in terms of +.01mm. I guess he wrote a (the) book on the subject so I thought I would follow suit.

Any opinions on the stands themselves? My understanding is that cheap ones don't hold their calibration worth a darn either...

- Jeff

Dude,
I haev the Minoura, if you want to show me how to build a wheel from scratch you can borrow it any time. I live in Kawaguchi and work in Hakozaki at the moment but will be moving to Roppongi next month.

PM me if you want some more details.


Simon

Actually, I see nothing wrong with light duty inexpensive units. Self-centering features may not be as accurate but as long as you keep flipping your wheel, it'll build as good a wheel as any other unit that's out there.

I boldly state that I have the TS-7 and it works well. You have to be careful, moreso than with a professional stand, but you can still afford to buy hubs, rims and spokes after you get the TS-7. If you know what you're doing, it will work fine. I'd also highly suggest some literature on wheelbuilding and maintenance. I've learned a lot in terms of technique just from the Barnett's manuals here. There are entire books, many good, on the subject of wheels. It's good to understand the theory before you jump in there.

A dishing tool is standard equipment for any professional builder. Truing stands can speed work by getting a wheel close to dish, but a final check should always be done with a dishing tool. Again, no matter the stand, finish by checking with a dishing tool.

See also Wheel Truing (http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_truing.shtml)

Thanks all for the advice. Like I said previously, I have found posts in rec.bicycle.tech in which both Jobst Brandt and Sheldon Brown were adamant about the need for a dishing tool (or dish stick or centering tool or whatever) so that is on my list of things to get. It is included with the TS7, separate with the Minoura, but the price comes out to about the same so I already know how much I gotta spend. I will probably avoid the Ultimate Truing stand which is also in the price range because Brandt, Brown, and Barnett all seem to agree that one sided stands are not the way to go.

I also have a copy of Gerd Schraner's book waiting for me in the States. Yea!

Quick question-- does anyone know if the TS7 or the Minoura can be used free standing as in on top of a coffee or dining table (I ain't got a whole lot of space in my Tokyo apartment).

- Jeff

The TS-7 can't stand on its own, but I bolted it to the top of a cheap-ola wooden stool. It's small, portable and sits at the perfect level for me to sit in my recliner or on the sofa and true a wheel. You don't need a ton of space, but stability is an issue. I wanted the TS-7 because I knew I could set it up the way I have it now. It can also easily be moved to a workbench in the future.

The Monoura Truing stand is a free standing unit, will work on
any surface, you don't have to buy a seperate stand. The model
that I have has holes in the base for screwing onto workbench
if so desired.

Marty

The Minoura has a very stable table-top compatible base that folds away when being stored - an advantage. I have built wheels by flipping the wheel in the stand, but have since gotten a dishing tool and it makes the process much easier and a bit more accurate. The centering calibration on the Minoura is useless and should not be trusted for building an acceptable wheel. The calibration tool used to be included - I've recently seen it sold as an option. Don't waste your money on it. That being said, with the dishing tool, I find the Minoura to be a perfectly acceptable tool to build and true wheels. I don't doubt that the park is a better quality piece but I doubt if the quality of the wheel it turns out is any better. This obviously does not apply to those building wheels for a living - for that I would get the top of the line Park.

Yeah, my birthday's comin' up and I was thiniking about putting the Park pro truing stand on the list, but I don't think I deserve it just yet. Have to do more than rebuild wheels to use that bad boy. BUt, if you want the ultimate, it's pretty much the shizzle.