Just wanted to know how many people actually use spoke tensiometers/tension meters when building their wheels. Or by contrast, how many tension by hand. Thanks.

Or pluck, whatever it is you do.

We already had this flame fest a week ago. No need to start it again.

I tension by hand. My wheels hold up just fine.

Oops sorry.

I tension by hand and ear for most conventional wheels and I also use a tension gauge to double check my work or when I am building unconventional wheels (radials).

If I don't have a tension gauge at hand when I am building a conventional wheel I don't fret it... the last wheel I built was for my friend's touring bike and I finished the build the night before he left while sucking back a few cold one's on my patio.

6000 km of loaded touring later and the wheel is still true to within 5/1000 and it was built using the bike's fork as my truing stand.

I have a set of mtb wheels that are rolling around under my 240 pound friend and these wheels have never needed to see a spoke wrench... I used the tension gauge and had these dialled in to a tolerance of < 2/1000 and they have not changed.

Getting even / high tension is much more important that getting maximum tension in a wheel and I usually build just below the advised maximum (90% to allow for any adjustments)... if the spokes are so tight that you are rounding off the nipples or destroying the rim you are doing it wrong.

I encourage my customers to bring their wheels back for a free inspection as I like to inspect my work but very few do as they tell me their wheels remain as perfect as they were when they were first built.

I tension by hand, and from time to time use a tension meter to "calibrate" my fingers, especially when doing unusual builds with spokes or rims I'm less familiar with.

Unlike many others I don't use tension meters to compare tension in various spokes within the wheel, but only to sample tension to get an idea of overall tension. I ensure even tension by the methodology of my building & tightening procedure, and spot the occasional oddly tensioned spoke by hands, eyes and ears.

im sure, not to discredit anyone who builds wheels on here, that everyone will say that they do. who would come into this thread and say that they don't and expect business.

I always use a tensiometer. I only build occasionly and feel that this is the best way to get a constant build.

I think you might be wrong here. Many top wheel builders do not use tension meters, or use them as I do, as a cross check of their sense of feel. Some of those take pride on their non-reliance on tension meters. A skilled builder will produce an evenly tensioned wheel the same way top builders always have, using reliable methodology coupled with good feel, born of experience.

It's skill, not better tools that makes for the best wheels.

I have built countless wheels. Not only do I not use a tension meter, I haven't even seen one in the flesh (or metal). I don't pluck spokes for sound, either.

The wheels I build are durable. I once built a wheel for a tandem that took a long tour with heavy luggage. The customer came back after the tour and told me that his wheel was still as straight as an arrow. On all other tours he took, he destroyed the wheel, every time.

Hmm, surely you use some sort of reference to build your wheels upon?

I gauge overall tension by feel and relative tension by sound. I've been doing it for five decades and it hasn't let me down yet.

Oh yeah, I have calibrated fingers.

My knuckles crack at the correct torque.

Are you the same Mike T. that created that wheelbuilding article?

That would be me. I'm guilty of motivating many people to attempt to build their first wheel. Almost all of them do it with the bare minimum of equipment too.

Yes let's just pass on gospel and bad technique and never actually use tools designed to help you build better wheels. You think you can commit to memory the proper spoke tension for different size spokes, round, bladed and ellipitical? And then further divide that into recommended spoke tension for different rims and 'exotic' OEM wheelsets.

You do a disservice to future wheelbuilders by not even mentioning a tool that helps build better wheels, faster, more accurately and more consistently. When you can match my DT tensionmeter in accuracy for every single spoke on a wheel with your hand or by 'plucking', i'll eat my words.

Get with the times grandpa, your techniques are deprecated and so is your knowledge and you'll never be a better wheelbuilder with the attitude portrayed in your article. Good mechanics evolve with the times. You seem to be stuck in the good ole days.

I'm not going to argue or even discuss with you as I've seen your posts before. You're well known around here. You must be a very bitter person. Who cares what you think.

Whom indeed? Most of the regular bike-wrenches around here that make up the inner-core of these forums. That would be who cares. You may not like his personality, but his information is top-notch most of the time. And I happen to agree that using a spoke tension-meter, which today are available for pretty cheap, will result in better-built wheels for those just starting out.

I used to tension by hand and never had a problem building conventional builds, but after I started getting into lower spoke counts and thinner spokes, a tensiometer's need became evident.

I use one, believe they are very helpful but not essential. I think less experienced people have more to gain by using a tension meter by avoiding mistakes that experienced builders would not make.

Al

"Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often convincing."
Oscar Wilde

I’ll throw my .02 in here. You can build a wheel that is true and pluck & listen to the sound as your only variable for tension. However, even crappy built wheels will remain true under normal use, it is long term use that is subject to spoke fatigue and the uneven tension eventually leads to spoke breakage, then your problems just begin.

If you want to build a reliable, true wheel with even spoke tension, you have to use a tension meter, period. The tension meter is not just used to make sure you have achieved proper tension, it is also for balancing the tension as well, something many simply ignore.

+1

Oh, and since this could be another long one, I also brought popcorn for you and Operator.