I love the amount of controversy that has emerged over replacing a broken spoke!

As a former bike mechanic and shop manager I can attest that the "right tool for the right job" is always the default position in a professional setting. However, as a long distance tourist, and a guy that rides to places where often the right tool is several days away, being creative around a repair is not only satisfying but a downright necessity at times.

I had a friend who was often so astounded at my ability to improvise a remote repair that he used to claim I "made my own tools" after I'd fashioned some kind of temporary fix from a discarded beer can found by the side of the road.

That said, a truing stand makes the job go faster, more exact and will ultimately give me a somewhat better/more reliable build than working without one. I've built wheels for a tandem (without a stand) that lasted for years but I know that at some point, at the first opportunity, I threw those wheels in a stand and got the tension and dish even more accurate.

The perfectionist in me wants a stand and dishing tool the improviser wants to mount pencils or chalk on an old fork in a 2x4 and bench vise and true away. It ultimately does come down to the skill level and patience of the builder.

BTW, for those without perfect pitch- there's an app for that.