Remember when we used to true wheels by feel alone?

I got into bike mechanics back in the late 90s, working at a shop in Portland. Back then I'd true a wheel just by spinning it and listening for rubs, no dial indicator or anything. It worked okay but man, I'd spend 30 minutes chasing wobbles that I couldn't hear. Now I use a Park Tool tension meter and a truing stand, and I can knock out a perfect true in 10 minutes flat. The tension meter alone was worth $70, saved me so many headaches. When did you guys first switch to measuring tension instead of just feel?

3 comments

3 Comments

sandrat241mo ago

bennett.noah that chasing silent wobbles is pure torture, drove me crazy for years until I finally bought a tension meter.

bennett.noah2mo ago

Chasing wobbles I couldn't hear" - that's the real issue nobody talks about.

lindab492mo ago

Oh man, you hit the nail on the head. I spent three weeks straight once trying to fix a weird vibration at highway speeds. Turned out it was a loose license plate frame the whole time. My mechanic was not amused when I finally rolled in. Felt like Sherlock Holmes solving a mystery nobody asked me to solve.