I've had a Spin Doctor truing stand for a long time. $79 at performance now. The photo hides the center radial feeler.

I like the independent feeler probes. I twist and push in one side at a time, until the plastic tip touches the high spots on that side. I can hear when it's contacting the rim, and I work on the highest spots: locate the high spot, jog the wheel back and forth to localize it, then adjust the nearby spokes. There's often another, similar high spot farther around on the rim. Make just a small spoke adjustment, often even less than 1/8 turn, on a pair of spokes at a time, one from each side of the hub. Or it might be the pair on each side of a spoke near the top of the offset, usually turning the center one twice as much as the two offsetting side spokes.

Then pull that feeler away, and work on the other side's high spots. Repeat until done.

Turn the spoke wrench more than your target amount, then back partway, to limit spoke windup. On flat spokes, I cut off a $1 screwdriver handle, then slotted it with a fine hacksaw blade, to turn the spoke blade back to the plane of the wheel.

I can get a reasonable centering test from the centering piece. I usually use a couple of pieces of masking tape to line up with the edges of the rim. I'll carefully flip the wheel, and use a similar amount of force on the quick release, then compare if the rim matches the previous tape marks.

My experience with heavily used shop stands is that they are only an "accurate" (note quotes...) gauge when you insert the wheel in one direction. For some reason, unbeknownst to me--mostly, not caring--inserting the wheel the other direction won't show opposite dishing. This is after adjusting the stand carefully to Park's instructions. Happens with my personal one, too.

As others have stated, a dish stick is required, not optional.

And, get yourself a dishing tool and spoke tension gauge - worth the money to eliminate frustration and enjoy the process more. Some folks find these tools to be unnecessary, but as a novice I found them indispensable.

The Park WAG-5 dish gauge and Park TM-1 tension meter work well and will only set you back about $100 total.

Yes, the tension meter is very helpful for a newby like me. Truing is simple, but I have no experience on getting a reasonable tension.

I suppose that 32 or 36 spoke wheels are more forgiving, but tension is quite critical on low spoke wheels.

Although I have a 50-year-old VAR truing stand, I generally just true wheels on the bike, using the brake pads as guides. I also like the "braille" system of putting a thumb against the end of the brake pad for stability, then feeling the high spots (either laterally or radially) as I spin the wheel.

I use the tension meter for two purposes:

1) To not undershoot or overshoot the target tension value on any spoke.

2) To compare the relative tension values of DS and NDS spokes , especially on the rear wheel. I like to map the value of each spoke on the entire wheel 2 or 3 times as I sneak-up on the target value.

I find that if I don't rush and keep an eye on true/round as I progress, the tension values seem to take care of themselves.

The Park Prof. has its faults and have experienced like those mentioned above. But I'm learning and always listening to the experts on wheel building, dealing with idiosyncrasies. Regardless the Park is a robust and quality made truing stand.

One issue I've been dealt with this last year are 29er high tension factory built wheels with through axles. I'm considering the single side arm from Feedback Sports.

I've turned (pun) away two riding buds in repairing their wheels. Both are aggressive, big fellows and don't ride lightly, breaking bikes and wheels is normal. Anyways, replacing a single spoke for lower spoke count high tension type are kind of like playing with fire. Hehe

I had a broken spoke on a Fulcrum Racing 5 rear wheel. After waiting for the ridiculously expensive spoke kit to arrive, all I did was pull the old, put in the new, and when the "ting" of the plucked spoke sounded like the ones to either side, I put it on the bike, and spun it... perfect without any trying. so my limited experience with these high tension, low spoke count wheels is "no problem, easy peasy"! YMMV as they say

also FWIW, i have never seen the utility of, or used a spoke tension gauge. i have always gone b feel, the way I was taught!

I've done a couple of roadside repairs of straight-pull spokes. The advantage is no need to mess with removing the cassette. :)

Of course, the issue is that it is much more difficult to roadside true the wheel enough to get home on one less spoke, I think.

I did a century ride a couple of years ago on a 31 or 35 spoke wheel. It broke early in the day, just trued it up, and kept going. Of course, when I got home to fix it properly, whew, that truing was a MESS!!!! But, at least I got home in one piece. :)

I broke two spokes on the rear riding home from work. The wheel was 36 spokes. The wobble was too bad to let the wheel spin through the chain stays. Luckily I had a spoke wrench, and I was able to get it straight enough to spin. Otherwise, it would have been a long, uphill walk with the heavy bike on my shoulder.

And yet, I once broke a spoke on super light 24-spoke rear wheel. I didn't have to do anything to get home except pedal. I don't know why the 36-spoke wheel deformed more than a 24-spoke wheel. It's probably because of differences in rim stiffness.

I personally do not use a dishing tool. I just flip the wheel over. Been building my own and truing since 1992 with a TS-2. I did mount some dial indicators on them but mostly just use the adjustable guides. I also do minor adjustments right on the bike using the brake pads as a lateral guide.

I also find it hard to understand how you built but did not true. Also bought a Wheelsmith spoke tension meter but mostly just pluck the spokes to determine tension and uniformity.

I have always flipped the wheel in the stand as well.

One thing to look for on a part TS stand is that the pivot bolts aren't too loose. If they are, it can cause it not to be centered except for one width. The pivot bolts should be tight enough that the uprights don't have any slop

Been using the original Park truing stand since 1970. As with any tool, buy the best you can reasonably afford. For occasional home use, it doesn't have to be extravagant. My grandfather and dad built and trued thousands of wheels for many years using only old bicycle forks to hold them in place, their fingers for gauges, their calibrated eyeballs and the tone of plucked spokes for tension.

I don't have your kind of patience. I measure around three spokes and get a feel for the average. If that is where I want it, I simply ping my spokes with the spoke wrench until they are close to the target. Probably put the tension meter on fewer than a dozen spokes on a build. I can go around one side of the wheel pinging in the time it takes to measure one with the Park tool. Now if I couldn't hear or was tone deaf, that would be another story.

Ben

I went with the DIY approach and built a stand from the plans in Roger Musson's book.

It sort of turned into a woodworking project... Made it from Birch and Walnut veneer. Making the dishing tool today.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...26da505499.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...37128e6b4f.jpg

Excellent solution - nice work and it looks sturdy.

Very nice, probably a market for that. ;)

Thanks-- I finished up the dishing tool. Built the wheels last night, so now I can take a shot at truing them.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...110253009a.jpg

For a moment I felt I was the only one that though that. Why? Unless you're doing it for hire -- or I suppose some guys just love "scanning for lifeforms?"





Honestly, I once tried feverishly to true my wheel and after days (weeks actually) of mediocre trial and error results I threw in the towel and took it to my LBS. The mechanic there did in an instant what I couldn't do in days and the wheel was tack perfect ever since.

I have the Feedback Sports truing stand that goes with their bike stands.