My new xf07 hub wheel has a bit of spoke noise. I think it's creaking where they crossover cause noise. Something I should worry about or ignore? Wheel is fine and true
Spoke rub
- Thread starter Wayners
- Start date
You have not done your wheel building youtube homework have you??
all the spokes should be under fairly equal tension, any loose need attention..
special tension tools can be sourced but the poormans solution is the twang a plucked spoke rings with.. twang your spokes and tighten any that 'sing' below a taught pitch
btw im basing this on my own limited wheel building homework..
all the spokes should be under fairly equal tension, any loose need attention..
special tension tools can be sourced but the poormans solution is the twang a plucked spoke rings with.. twang your spokes and tighten any that 'sing' below a taught pitch
btw im basing this on my own limited wheel building homework..
They shouldn't creek. You need to tighten them. You don't need a tension tool. I've never used one. You can feel with your hands by grabbing a couple about three or four inches apart and squeezing, like you're testing the firmness of a breast. As you run round the wheel, you'll find some looser than the rest unless they're all hopelessly loose. Make sure you understand about wheel truing first.
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Only if they're all equal tension, which they probably aren't. Do the squeeze test.
If they are all equal tension or looseness, Keep doing Half a turn until some become difficult to turn, then true the wheel by only adjusting the ones you can turn.
@Wayners, there are many informative videos on YT regarding building or just truing up wheels. I've just been refreshing myself in this respect and I found a guy called ryanbuilds wheels easy to listen to. The 4th part of his 'lesson' covers truing and straightening a wheel and whilst lesson 4 is a follow-on from a complete wheel build tutorial, it is useful to watch what he does to gain an appreciation of how important spoke tension is and how to get the wheel true when tweaking the spokes (LINK to lesson 4).
He's often recommended as a supplier of spokes and other wheel-related bits.
I used him once, he was very efficient.
RyanBuildsWheels - Handbuilt Bicycle Wheels
Obsessively Perfect Handbuilt Wheels for road, mountain, gravel, cyclocross and beyond. Browse the shop or get in touch your new custom bike wheels.
www.ryanbuildswheels.co.uk
I ordered spokes from him too. He's very helpful and efficient, and the spokes don't cost much. What more could you want from a supplier?He's often recommended as a supplier of spokes and other wheel-related bits.
I used him once, he was very efficient.
RyanBuildsWheels - Handbuilt Bicycle Wheels
Obsessively Perfect Handbuilt Wheels for road, mountain, gravel, cyclocross and beyond. Browse the shop or get in touch your new custom bike wheels.www.ryanbuildswheels.co.uk
In Episode 4, Ryan applies oil to spoke nipples: Does oil dissolve inner tube?
In Episode 5, he reveals this is the music he trues wheels to:
In Episode 5, he reveals this is the music he trues wheels to:
No it doesn't and in any case only a tiny amount of oil is used and then surplus is wiped away after building is complete and then the wheel rim tape provides separation from the nipples.
As well as squeezing breasts , oops I meant spokes . One can also pluck the spokes , loose ones will give a very dull tone compared to the other tighter ones.
I always start at the valve and move C/W .
Don't go mad with tightening , a 1/8th turn to 1/2 turn for any loose sounding ones then once back at the valve go around the wheel again and check the spokes tones, one may still have to tighten some by an 1/8th or 1/4 turn still.
I always start at the valve and move C/W .
Don't go mad with tightening , a 1/8th turn to 1/2 turn for any loose sounding ones then once back at the valve go around the wheel again and check the spokes tones, one may still have to tighten some by an 1/8th or 1/4 turn still.
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I would recommend viewing something like the YT vid I linked to to understand the relationship between getting the spokes correctly tensioned and keeping the wheel true in all three dimensions i.e. side to side play (aka lateral trueness), that the wheel remains round (radial trueness) and that the hub remains in the centre of the wheel (dishing).
After adjusting spoke tensions one should ensure that the lateral and radial trueness remains withing acceptable limits (for you at least).
When building a wheel from scratch, the lateral trueness is first to loosely aim for then radial trueness then dishing and then repeating all again until progressively all three dimensions are within acceptable tolerance but mixed in with this itterative working is the 4th parameter of balancing spoke tension.
Now that may sound far too complicated for some but you will see it is a straight forward and logical approach if you watch (for example) the vid I linked to. Providing you are not in a rush, building and truing wheels is quite a pleasurable passtime and very rewarding wheel done.
After adjusting spoke tensions one should ensure that the lateral and radial trueness remains withing acceptable limits (for you at least).
When building a wheel from scratch, the lateral trueness is first to loosely aim for then radial trueness then dishing and then repeating all again until progressively all three dimensions are within acceptable tolerance but mixed in with this itterative working is the 4th parameter of balancing spoke tension.
Now that may sound far too complicated for some but you will see it is a straight forward and logical approach if you watch (for example) the vid I linked to. Providing you are not in a rush, building and truing wheels is quite a pleasurable passtime and very rewarding wheel done.
Quick and dirty truing:
Release a bunch of spokes by a quarter turn at one part of the wheel, and tighten their opposites by the same amount.
For centering, do a group of four consecutive spokes. For truing, do two or three consecutive spokes on the same axle side.
For adjusting dishing, tighten all spokes on the side you want to move towards.
Check using eye against frame reference mark.
This will give an imperfect but useable wheel.
When you realise how good the result is and how easy and quick, you will decide to do better, you'll have a basic understanding of how, and the confidence to develop your skill.
Release a bunch of spokes by a quarter turn at one part of the wheel, and tighten their opposites by the same amount.
For centering, do a group of four consecutive spokes. For truing, do two or three consecutive spokes on the same axle side.
For adjusting dishing, tighten all spokes on the side you want to move towards.
Check using eye against frame reference mark.
This will give an imperfect but useable wheel.
When you realise how good the result is and how easy and quick, you will decide to do better, you'll have a basic understanding of how, and the confidence to develop your skill.
I was shown on new built wheels to place the rim/wheel on a solid surface and press down hard on the edge of the rim, working your way around it. Makes a pinging noise, and then you 'tweak' the nipples if theres any play in them.
If you dont do this and just fit the wheel you'll initially hear this 'pinging'(or clicking) noise when you first ride it, but it shouldnt I would think last that long. Just I would think the bits settling in.
If you dont do this and just fit the wheel you'll initially hear this 'pinging'(or clicking) noise when you first ride it, but it shouldnt I would think last that long. Just I would think the bits settling in.
The guides i followed said the same. - its still surprising that the nuts n bolts of this 'Dark Art' can be explained in a 10-15 min youtube..
That reminds me of when I was a Quality Manager. I did very many company assessments and had many discussions about how processes were controlled, mainly after things had gone wrong, and when they told me it was a black art or the guy running the process was a majician and he was the only guy in the world that could do it, I simply told them to start learning the science and start reading the manuals and/or do some experiments to figure it out until they knew how it worked.
Obviously;y theres more to it than a simple vid can show, other than the basics. Dishing is one issue you'll need to get right.
But as you say it is possible with a bit of practise to learn it. You really just need to get hands on
After all ... some of these shop mechanics ...
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