Spoke key

[Voltsnamps]

I advise buying a set or at least measuring very accurately.
Common mistake is believing all nipples to be sized by wire (spoke) gauge, no longer true, even if it was when bicycles were made in England to English sizes.
These nipples are all 14 gauge, one fits red, one fits green the other black ! , only a few thousands of an inch between them but it does matter.


My old circular spoke key, “marked in G” for comparison, all three “real” 14 g keys are sized between the 13 and the 15, from tight as a nun’s to waving a pencil in the Albert Hall !
Use the right tool

 

[guerney]

The Spokey and Topeak spoke key designs (and there are many other brands) whereby you can turn the spoke nipple without detaching the wrench are what's needed.

It'd be even better if you didn't have to lift the spoke wrench away from the nipple. There's at least two ways to make an adjustable ratcheting spoke wrench I can think of, but thus far the interwebs haven't yielded any results to my searches for a product.

 

[guerney]

That is quite an interesting take on the spokey one. I particularly like the insert idea.

Not sure why they've included a pozi-drive screwdriver bit though, as pozi-drive is primarily for wood screws.

Seems a bit of an unnecessary addon (plastic sleeve, of course I wouldn't try to undo anything tight), but I'm sure you and I have other hexagonal screwdriver bits which would fit. Why wait for next Halloween to get spokey? I'll order one, as it's half the spokey price of a genuine spokey.

 

[guerney]

Why did I think this'd be smaller? Spokey coloured packaging is a ruler. Not too spokey to use when the plastic truing wotsists arrive.

 

[guerney]

Probably ABS, feels sturdy, the "14G" fits tight around nipples well (the bike's, not mine), easy to turn. Double dong screwdriver bit is held captive by a sprung ball bearing. Inserts are easy to swap over. Inserts must be pushed into the slot right way up ie printed face down. I'm bound to lose track of where this spoke tool is too. Is this as spokey as a real spokey? I'll never know because I won't be paying £12+ unless at gunpoint.

 

[sjpt]

Why did I think this'd be smaller? Spokey coloured packaging is a ruler. Not too spokey to use when the plastic truing wotsists arrive.


View attachment 60637

Looks like false teeth with a fitting kit. Spooky rather than spokey.

 

[guerney]

Before buying the Park Tool knockoff (good tool), I rounded one nickel plated brass spoke nipple using the crap circular roulette type, it's nice to have a better tool for the job. Fits snugly around nipples, seems quite accurately made. I've got to true wheels presently on my bike, and a replacement rear wheel (old new stock from the amazing Bankrupt Bike Parts shop) needs truing, and possibly more doing to it. Will see how the existing spokes on that rear wheel cope with potholes.

 

[AndyBike]

P.S.
I'd avoid those types that have multiple options, as in Wayners post, or even the double ended ones giving 4 options.
Reason being spoke keys are prone to being dropped, and its going to be a right pain in the bum trying to find the exact slot you were using.

 

[thelarkbox]

P.S.
I'd avoid those types that have multiple options, as in Wayners post, or even the double ended ones giving 4 options.
Reason being spoke keys are prone to being dropped, and its going to be a right pain in the bum trying to find the exact slot you were using.

tape to close off all but the single useful opening on a multi size tool will save hours, I only twigged on the last fit of my wheel build

 

[guerney]

Good tip re: tape!

I don't think the slots of my particular circular nipple roulette type have perfectly parallel sides. Also, there appears to be nipple erosion. I haven't even used this tool all that much! I should throw this away. I expect there are well made nipple roulettes, but this aint one of them. Just one of the many shoddy disappointments my crook of a local bike shop owner has sold me or offered, everything in fact. Not worth buying local to my gaff. He's a million years old at least, knows a lot about bike repair and dispenses great advice, just sells crap.

 

[Bikes4two]

Ooh, that West Biking truing stand looks good value if it's any good that is and much cheaper than Ali Express too - maybe another item on my Crimbo list?..........

So I was indeed looking to add the truing stand to my Xmas wish list but whilst trawling Amazon I saw the one below at just over £20 which looks the same as those from other Amazon sellers at around £45-£50 so I've ordered one and if it's 'pants' then back it'll go.

 

[guerney]

So I was indeed looking to add the truing stand to my Xmas wish list but whilst trawling Amazon I saw the one below at just over £20 which looks the same as those from other Amazon sellers at around £45-£50 so I've ordered one and if it's 'pants' then back it'll go.
View attachment 60995

Sorry to say, as usual it's cheaper on ebay vs Amazon, with free delivery from somewhere. You could have bought cake with the money saved.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/356262670238



I'd like to hear how you get on with that truing stand. I decided against it because I'd need to make spacers for 74mm, and because it looks rickety. Width between columns of the West Biking truing stand can be narrowed.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145782980939




I was considering trying my hand at brazing together my own truing stand. It would have fallen apart of course.

 

[Wayners]

I was thinking about a spoke tension meter?

 

[guerney]

I was thinking about a spoke tension meter?

Thanks for the reminder, they're cheaper than they have been at the mo. I've never used one, I pluck spokes a third or 2/3rds of the way along like guitar strings, and listen for any which sound much higher pitched than the ones either side.

 

[Bikes4two]

@guerney, I'll certainly feed back on the truing stand. Amazon isn't always the best or even near it but their returns regime is very good and for items like this it is reassuring to be able to send it back.

I've mixed views on a spoke tensiometer - I've tried one and have found it useful to getting the wheel fairly close to true but pinging the spokes with a fingernail has also worked for me too but does require a keen ear.

Tensiometers are cheap though so always worth a punt and as I've said before, I'm far from a regular wheel builder, so hardly experienced.

 

[guerney]

Would plucked spokes sound audibly different with a slight twist, than without? I'll listen out next time I true a wheel. When a spoke is tightened, a small twist is introduced, which if you have brass nipples, works it's way straight when you ride the bike lengthening the spoke slightly, because brass is self lubricating... which is why it's best to loosen/untwist a little bit after tightening.

 

[Bikes4two]

Would plucked spokes sound audibly different with a slight twist, than without? I'll listen out next time I true a wheel. When a spoke is tightened, a small twist is introduced, which if you have brass nipples, works it's way straight when you ride the bike lengthening the spoke slightly, because brass is self lubricating... which is why it's best to loosen/untwist a little bit after tightening.

Now you're getting into the realms of wheel building often referred to as stressing (or de-stressing) wheel tension. As is typical, searching the internet shows more than one way of doing this and of course, critics of some of the methods.

I have my way of de-stressing which I'll not go into because someone will undoubtedly come along and counter/criticise it, and life's too short to argue the point AND I'm no expert.

All I know is, is that the methods I use, gleaned from other wheel builders are proven in that I do not experience the spoke twist/untwist issue you describe and I've toured hundreds of bike-loaded miles on my own built wheels.

However, I do need to periodically true wheels and I've had the odd spoke break, so undoubtedly my wheel building could be better but hey, trueing up is part of the fun and I really have no problem with the occasional need to do it.

 

[guerney]

I have my way of de-stressing which I'll not go into because someone will undoubtedly come along and counter/criticise it, and life's too short to argue the point AND I'm no expert.

I'm intrigued. Is your method weird? Do you destress/distress your wheel by tumbling in one of those large tumble dryers at the laundromat, on a "Cool" setting? They don't call me "20 minute tumble Guerney" for nothing.

Or do you hurl frozen Black Forest Gateaus at your wheels repeatedly? I've seen dudes on Youtube standing on wheels to destress. Looked distressing.