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I've just built my first wheel. Yay! Dt240 hub, DT XM481 Rim with DT Comp spokes. Appear to be a bit of a DT fanboi!
However, as I am waiting for some rim tape to arrive I thought I would check something I know I missed. When tensioning the wheel I didn't really pay any attention to spoke twist. I just got a bit carried away and forgot the guide mentioned this. Visually I can't see that anything is amiss and I destressed the spokes by squeezing the parallel pairs of spokes before a final tension. Is this likely to cause me any issues? Do I need to detension and do it again before I ride? The guide says to afix a bit of tape to each spoke and observe how much the spoke rotates and then undo the nipple by this amount.
Cheers.
clean new parts and a dab of oil on the threads ? - I'd not worry. If you've got the tensions about right and you've had a good old squeeze at the spokes, that's pretty much all your end point needs to be anyway and you've probably untwisted them quite a bit in the squeezing
Everything was brand new. Hopefully the tensions are about right but I don't have a gauge to tell for sure. They are pretty even per side (drive is noticibly taughter than non drive) and feel roughly as per my existing wheel so fingers crossed. I'm a bit nervous about actually riding it! An easy trip round the block for starter 🙂
I wouldn't worry too much, if you start getting too much spoke twist spokes tend to discolour around the area that's twisting (if black spokes), you also destress the wheel pretty hard, don't be gentle, the way i do it is pretty much standing on the wheel whilst it's on a cushion.
Just ride it, don't be gentle again, and if it goes out of true then retrue, forget the round the block stuff, get it off kerbs, put stress through it, worst that will happen is spokes will settle and the wheel will go out of true, or if any spokes/nipples are too stressed they may pop, doubt you're at risk of a wheel collapse doing this.
Oh yeah, was the 240 J bend or straight pull?, straight pull would be even less at risk of spoke twist i would say
Place the wheel vertically on the floor (protect with carpet) and press down firmly on the rim using your body weight - turn the wheels a bit and do it again until you've gone right round. If you have any wind-up in the spokes, you may hear some pinging - re-check true.
Cheers. Spokes are J bend. Also now doubting how much tension I actually have. Might be a bit looser than my existing one. Will give it a good rough housing later and maybe a bit more tension. Should probably have used some cheaper components for a first attempt.
For the first one, just see if you can borrow a tension meter, that way you get a feel for the required tension, if you're anywhere near Bristol i can lend you one to check the wheel
Birmingham I'm afraid but thanks for the offer. Will see if I can find a wheel builder or LBS up here that I could get to give it a once over.
My lbs wasn’t interested in checking my first wheelset for me - they either said pay them to build it or so it myself. They said as long as your tensions feel broadly even (drive side usually higher tension than non/ driveside) and the wheel is true then just go ride it and see how it goes.
If you find it goes a bit out of true then you’ve either had spoke wind up or you haven’t de-stressed it brutally enough. I tend to lie my wheels down with the hub on 2 or 3 layers of thick cardboard and bounce my foot on each pir of spokes. I saw it on a video of a wheel builder who does World Cup DH wheels. So far so good - all my wheels have stayed pretty true.
Tempted to build my own set of wheels for my next build, will be good for practice on the inevitable future buckles and required truing. Did you use a truing stand? Any decent-but-not-2nd-mortgage priced ones about?
Yeah but borrowed it from a mate. Don't think he ever used it or would be asking him for advice! They seem pretty expensive to buy. The guide I used (Roger Musson) has instructions on how to build one. Has certainly made it a lot easier than trying to use the bike frame. Would really recommend the Roger Musson guide though. Was really well explained.
Twist not much of an issue with new parts tbh, except for bladed spokes where you want them to look perfect and even a little bit of twist is ugly. If you're really worried, you can try just slackening and loosening each spoke by half a turn or so, if it's twisted in either direciton then when you turn it against the twist, it'll probably not tighten/slacken but will just have the nipple turn in the rim and the spoke relax its twist a little.
There may be proper words for that, I don't have 'em.
mechanicaldope
Full MemberCheers. Spokes are J bend. Also now doubting how much tension I actually have. Might be a bit looser than my existing one.
As long as it pings, it's fine. Ting might be OK, might be too tight. Pong is too low.
As long as it pings, it’s fine. Ting might be OK, might be too tight. Pong is too low.
Why didn't Roger write that in his book?! The perfect explanation 🙂