My wife’s 26” wheel on her recumbent bike uses 1.8mm stainless spokes. I was checking spoke tension the other day (4 years since purchase) and I am finding the spikes to have 50% of max of 1.8mm spike spec. Whether I do it myself or take into the LBS, shouldn’t the spoke tensions be much closer to max rating?
by GlovePlane6923
1 Comment
How were you determining tension?
Most affordably tools are bunk, especially if not calibrated against that particular spoke type in a preload gauge.
Subjective feel and pluck determinations typically do as well in practice.
The utlimate goal it to:
1. Ensure no spoke falls close to or through zero tension (loss of preload) when rolling through the contact patch, as this leads to flex, fatigue, and breakage at the elbow
2. Ensure no spoke has such an excess of tension that it cracks (or more reversibly tacos) the rim