Originally Posted by
rm -rf
Hmm, I just tried my Park meter on CXray ovalized spokes. I tried releasing the tool instantly and slowly releasing. I got readings within .5 of the number scale every time, and usually within .25 of a number--and .25 is effectively the smallest usable increment. Both at the 15 mark for the drive side, and the 7 mark on the non-drive side.
I got the same readings on any part of the ovalized area of the spoke, middle or ends.
Interesting. I wonder what's causing the difference between mine and yours? (I'm not making it up either, I've done the same test with 3 or 4 different types of spokes, I just make sure to always release the handle in the same manner to get consistent readings.) Those readings seem super low though, are those spokes very thin in the "short" direction? A reading of 7 is below the scale for most of the spokes on the conversion table sheet that comes with the tool.
http://www.parktool.com/assets/doc/p...conv-table.pdf
I've only ever used steel round spokes (sometimes butted) so my readings are more often up ~20 on the scale.(For fronts or DS) Then again, I'm a beginner wheel builder so I may be tensioning the hell out of my spokes, but when I tried lower tension I just lost the wheel true after a week or so of riding and the spokes started to loosen.