Spokes that have too much tension can result in deforming and/or cracks near the nipple holes of the rim, as seen in the image below. Notice crack at red arrow. Too much tension can also lead to failure of the hub flange.

Are bicycle spokes in tension or compression?

On a bicycle wheel, the spokes are thin pieces of wire. They can’t support (very much) compression, without buckling and collapsing. They can however support lots of tension (stretching). Bicycle wheels are built to take advantage of tension rather than compression.

What tension should my spoke be?

Spoke Tension – Front and Rear Wheels On front wheels the tension should be equal on both sides. On rear wheels the tension will be higher on the right side, or drive side of the wheel. Therefore proper spoke tension should be measured on both sides, but set to the right side spokes of rear wheels.

How do I know if my spokes are tight enough?

Once the rim is free from blips and serious flat spots, check the tension of the spokes. Put your thumb around one spoke and your fingers around the spoke next to it and squeeze. The spokes should feel tight and firm. They should have just a little give when you squeeze them fairly hard.

How do you know if spokes are tight enough?

Get things pretty darn tight Looking down, you’ll be turning the wrench counterclockwise. Hard to describe the tension precisely without a tensiometer, but it should be very tight on the tighter side.

What are the stresses acting on the spokes of a bicycle wheel?

Therefore, spokes are subjected to tensile stress. At high speeds, there are additional tensile stress on spokes due to the centrifugal force offered by the wheel rim.

What are the forces and stress that act in the spokes of the bicycle wheel?

Compression is a force that acts on the spokes on the bottom of the wheel at any given time. Tension is a force that acts on the spokes on the top of the wheel at any given time. Shearing is a force that can warp the wheel.

How tight should spokes feel?

How do you tighten spokes on a bicycle?

Tighten or loosen the spokes so that you have even tension all the way around the rim. Spin the wheel in the truing stand or on the bike to see if it spins true and doesn’t wobble. If the wheel wobbles out of true, tighten the corresponding spokes to establish a smooth motion.

How to tighten bike spokes?

Flatten the tires. Before you begin,you have to empty the tires.

Can You overtighten bike spokes?

Can you over tighten spokes? Yes, you can but it is rare for the spokes to be too tight, but it is very common for spokes to be too loose. However, tightening the loose spokes may cause the wheel to bend even more if you tighten in the same direction. Instead, you should tighten the opposite.

What is spoke tension?

Spoke Tension. Tension is simply the load applied to spokes by tightening the nipples. Consider each spoke to be a long slender bolt connecting the hub to the rim with a fastening nut called the nipple.