TIL I'm the only one in my shop who still uses a spoke wrench for every wheel.

Everyone else switched to a tension meter years ago, but I find the wrench gives me a better feel for the whole build. I just finished a set of Velocity Blunt 35s for a customer and the lateral runout was under 0.5mm. Am I just being stubborn, or does anyone else think the old way still has its place?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseywalker18d agoMost Upvoted

Lol it's just a bike wheel, not a heart transplant.

bell.jessica18d ago

That's a perfect example of tools getting in the way of skill. We're taught to trust the digital readout over our own hands and eyes now. The old way builds a deeper understanding that a simple number can't give you.

the_riley19d ago

My old shop teacher could true a wheel by ear while smoking a cigarette. He'd pluck spokes and listen, then give the wrench a quarter turn without even looking. Said a meter just gives you a number, but your hands learn the whole story. I still try to do it his way on my own bikes, even if it takes twice as long.