A tension spoked cycle wheel is an example of a tensegrity, a mixture of rigid elements and tension elements creating a structure where the rigid elements don't touch each other. I build wheels on a stand with 2 dial tolerance indicators, DTI's, one vertical and one lateral. My target trueness is plus or minus 0.05 mm vertical, lateral and dish. Tension is the last parameter and it usually gives an indication of the accuracy of the join in the rim. Set and chase 0's on the DTI's and tension guage value. I also write inside the rim in spirit marker the build date, The spokes lengths used, The customer, A number from 1 to 10, usually 7 or 8, representing how good I think the build finished. The join being the limiting factor on most new rims.
There are some apps available that will help tension spokes by the tone/frequently when plucked. You set the spoke guage, shape and distance from last cross to hub and then it will approximate tension based on frequency of pluck. Not a replacement for a tensiometer but probably "better than nothing" to help achieve even tension and closer to accurate that guessing. I've evened out several wheels with it and subscribe to the belief that evenly tensioned but maybe all a bit low is better that uneven.
Why rely on an app when there are exceptional tools available that are foolproof. Everybody wants to use electronics and an app for a quick fix... press a button boom! Food is delivered to your door. Press a button and boom! You're on a date. Press a button boom and you can access your bank account (and by the way so can other people you've just been lucky so far...🙄) Relying on pushing a button for a quick fix is the path to mediocrity and dependency. Society gravitates more and more towards the easy way out and forgoes hard work... Society begins to collapse as it is happening in real time. It's unfortunate that the majority of Muppets do not understand what's happening 🤷♂️
Thirty years ago when rims were soft they couldn't usually have even spoke tension all the way around. Once the wheel was straight and round, it was what it was. Modern rims seem very quick and easy to build, but they probably need extra work to even up the spokes. Old, soft rims were out of true with the slightest adjustment.
+@lovenottheworld5723 you ain’t kidding! When I went to DT Swiss training the tolerance single wall steal rims was 2 or 5mm if recall. Tolerance for a modern alloy rim with machined side wall is .5mm!
i need to learn to build wheels , finding decent affordable wheels are becoming impossible ik it will technically cost more than buying pre assembled wheelsets but as someone that earns very little , buyig a wheel in parts is a easyer pill to swallow
+@oreocarlton3343 if the rim is way out you can. I’m a rim brake, with the pad close to the rim, small deviations are easily seen. On a disc wheel, if you can see the side to side movement, your wheel is in seriousness of attention!
@@cyclecrafttv ah yes, because the pads on the rim brakes are a more precise reference point that fork legs. Also rim VS disc brake differences are very noticable in how you have to build a wheel, I miss seeing radial front wheels.
