msheron

Anyone have this particular model and could shed light on the trueness indicators. There is no meter to show how far in the indicator has gone. Looks like you eyeball it. I also assume you almost......but don't quite touch the rim to rotate the wheel for truing?

New at this and want to know how it is done right. The only thing that came with the stand was a diagram of the parts and names. Nothing as to how one uses it. I have Zinn's most recent repair book to shed some light, but wanted feedback here.

Thanks.

TallRider

I've got the stand and I like it. It's self-dishing, meaning that you don't need a seperate dishing tool - there's a dishing indicator built into it. The trueness indicators don't need to have measurement on them - I'm not sure what you're asking there. All it needs to do is stay without moving to give an indicator of where the rim is wavering closer to or further from it.

The stand folds up, and I've carried it onto an airplane as a carry-on (yes, they did ask questions). I'm pretty pleased with it for the price.

Peek the Geek

I've got that truing stand, and no you don't need measurements on the feelers. It's basically trial and error, where you pick a side and move the indicator closer and closer with the wheel spinning until you find the biggest rim protrusion. Adjust spoke tension to true the rim in that spot, then move the indicator in bit by bit until you find the next-most out-of-true spot. True, then repeat. After doing this three times, switch to the other side of the wheel.

I'm probably not doing a great job of explaining the process, but you said you've got the latest Zinn book. There are a couple of sections in that book that spell it out for you step-by-step, in very easy to understand terms. In the early chapter on wheels, and in the later chapter on wheel building (I think).

Once you follow those instructions and try it yourself, you'll be surprised how easy it is.

As to timcupery's comment about the stand having its own dishing indicator... be careful using it if you didn't buy the separate alignment tool, because the dish indicator might be inaccurate. Right out of the box, my truing stand's dish gauge was over 1/4 of an inch off. If you don't have the alignment tool, you could align the stand with a wheel you know to be dished properly.

msheron

Thanks guys.............real helpful. Yes I saw the alignment tool. Probably my next buy. I assume you can build a wheel set using the stand as well?

borderline

I have found that by flipping the wheel after adjusting for lateral trueness and round, I can determine if the wheel is centered (if not, the wheel will be offset from the initial position in relation to the feelers). I never got the alignment tool...

TallRider

Yeah, even if your stand isn't self-dishing, you can use a truing stand to dish the wheel by flipping it and seeing if the centering changes.

And yes, you can use this stand to build a wheel. I just did one for my brother, using this stand, over Christmas.

Peek the Geek

Very true. I just like to warn people that they shouldn't automatically trust the dishing gauge on the stand, because I don't recall the instructions that come with the stand mentioning that the gauge needs to be calibrated.

Timcupery,
Do you use a tension meter for your builds?

TallRider

Nope, I don't use a tensionmeter. I pluck the spokes to see if tension is comparable between them, and make the necessary adjustments. I figure out max tension by feel more than anything - that's the main part where a tensionmeter would be nice. But plucking works perfectly to compare tension of spokes that are next to each other.

Peek the Geek

Yeah, I've been using the pluck method to make sure tension is even throughout the wheel, but I have no idea how ideal that tension actually is. I thought I could compare it to other wheels I have, but all my other wheels were machine-built and have tensions all over the place.

TallRider

Machine-built wheels are not good at bringing the wheel up to tension, or keeping similar tensions between the spokes. Best to "top off" a machine-built wheel by hand-finishing the tension - both to add tension and to equalize between spokes.

Peek the Geek

Exactly. Which is why I'm considering picking up the Park tension meter. Not because I need it, necessarily, but because it'd be another nice toy to have. Isn't this a great hobby?

TallRider

Totally a fun hobby. My career is entirely life-of-the-mind (which isn't to imply that these things don't matter), and bike mechanic stuff (not as a job) gives me some physically-oriented work. And of course, all the exercise-related stuff that I do...

coyotecrust

one thing to watch out for if you do get a tensiometer, is don't overuse it! it was almost the end of me.

oh yeah, and i have the park one and i like it alot. i've also seen it in some shops and they seemed to be pleased with it. ive heard it compared with much more expensive ones and folks like the park one better. i barely use it. i use it for troubleshooting certain spots, and for checking general even-ness of tension in the final stages. at first i used it too much and it was hell.