Learning how to tension and true a new CCS wheel

[Reid]

MY negligence. My bad: loose spokes on my 300-mile CCS were noted a few days ago; I had not checked the spokes before.

Negligently, I had not checked the spokes for tension but when I did a check on Tuesday I found one spoke nipple had completely unscrewed itself.

The other spokes on the rear wheel were way-low on tension. Yet, the wheel was running pretty true and had made no noises and no harm had been done.

Factories cannot at this price point ensure perfect quality control. So, it is incumbent (and Juiced Bikes strongly urges all new owners to have their bikes professionally checked over) on the buyer to check tightness of all fittings on the bikes, spoke tension most of all now that we learn that low spoke tension promotes flexure of the spokes and easy breakage.

My bike is blessed with the 2nd CCS production's imported Sapim brand spokes.

I have never spoked a wheel. I have never done but minor truing. Here I had a rear wheel way too loose in tension, so loose that nipples were able to unscrew themselves, that one had already done so.

Observations:

• the rear wheel is dished for the cassette.
• the spokes do not physically touch each other at their crossings. Therefore very easy to tune a clear note (hear the video), indicating the requisite substantial tension. It is very easy to pluck the spokes to guage their relative tension. I am a piano tuner.
• I would like to learn more, and better, from experienced people here.

Just made for this thread, my thoughts so far, FWIW.
Everything I say or write is up for correction:

 

[Andy_in_CA]

I'm interested in learning more as well.

 

[JRA]

I'm interested in learning more as well.

Plenty of pro videos on the subject.....

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

MY negligence. My bad: loose spokes on my 300-mile CCS were noted a few days ago; I had not checked the spokes before.

Negligently, I had not checked the spokes for tension but when I did a check on Tuesday I found one spoke nipple had completely unscrewed itself.

The other spokes on the rear wheel were way-low on tension. Yet, the wheel was running pretty true and had made no noises and no harm had been done.

Factories cannot at this price point ensure perfect quality control. So, it is incumbent (and Juiced Bikes strongly urges all new owners to have their bikes professionally checked over) on the buyer to check tightness of all fittings on the bikes, spoke tension most of all now that we learn that low spoke tension promotes flexure of the spokes and easy breakage.

My bike is blessed with the 2nd CCS production's imported Sapim brand spokes.

I have never spoked a wheel. I have never done but minor truing. Here I had a rear wheel way too loose in tension, so loose that nipples were able to unscrew themselves, that one had already done so.

Observations:

• the rear wheel is dished for the cassette.
• the spokes do not physically touch each other at their crossings. Therefore very easy to tune a clear note (hear the video), indicating the requisite substantial tension. It is very easy to pluck the spokes to guage their relative tension. I am a piano tuner.
• I would like to learn more, and better, from experienced people here.

Just made for this thread, my thoughts so far, FWIW.
Everything I say or write is up for correction:

I met a fellow in Maryland who had done 25,000 miles on his BionX motor. The same motor but second battery. The secret, to such long service life, he said..... "truing his wheel 4 times a year." Every 3 months, he does his own tune up. I think any hub motor owner, if they do this... they will have a great experience with their bike.

 

[Badgerdogmomma]

My CCS developed a little "tic tic tic" sound coming from the back wheel at right around 275 miles. I am pretty sure that it is a spoke. When I am off of the bike, or have all of my weight on the pedals, the noise stops. I felt the tension on spokes when it was new, and they were all tight and taut, and I could not feel a noticeable difference between the drive side and the non-drive side. I wish I had "plucked" them, and listened to the sound when they were new...
Anyway, I have never learned the art of wheel building or truing, so tomorrow I am going to see if anyone at my LBS would like to check them out for me, as I am sure that both sides have loosened up somewhat, with one spoke in particular that I suspect is the culprit. I wonder how often the spokes will need tightening? I may have to learn a new skill...

 

[Reid]

My CCS developed a little "tic tic tic" sound coming from the back wheel at right around 275 miles. I am pretty sure that it is a spoke. When I am off of the bike, or have all of my weight on the pedals, the noise stops. I felt the tension on spokes when it was new, and they were all tight and taut, and I could not feel a noticeable difference between the drive side and the non-drive side. I wish I had "plucked" them, and listened to the sound when they were new...
Anyway, I have never learned the art of wheel building or truing, so tomorrow I am going to see if anyone at my LBS would like to check them out for me, as I am sure that both sides have loosened up somewhat, with one spoke in particular that I suspect is the culprit. I wonder how often the spokes will need tightening? I may have to learn a new skill...

Please consider to first try doing it yourself? There is a plethora of DIY truing videos on YouTube.

But let me bold this point: I have yet to find a properly fitting spoke wrench for the CCS spoke nipples. Does anyone know of a wrench (please provide link) that fits right without modification?

I bought a universal wrench through Amazon but had to very, very carefully widen a slot with a precision grinder to make a good, safe fit by which to turn the Sapim nipple without risk of rounding it off.

A basic, two-flat contact, in order not to round off the flats, has really has to be very snug!

No three-contact wrench is specifically available for Sapim, as far I can easily see.(Link Removed - No Longer Exists).

None of these three-contact wrenches, for instance, will fit at all.

 

[harryS]

They're supposed to use (or they should use) different length spokes as needed so that all the spokes can have similar tensions when dishing a wheel.

 

[Chris Hammond]

Please consider to first try doing it yourself? There is a plethora of DIY truing videos on YouTube.

But let me bold this point: I have yet to find a properly fitting spoke wrench for the CCS spoke nipples. Does anyone know of a wrench (please provide link) that fits right without modification?

I bought a universal wrench through Amazon but had to very, very carefully widen a slot with a precision grinder to make a good, safe fit by which to turn the Sapim nipple without risk of rounding it off.

A basic, two-flat contact, in order not to round off the flats, has really has to be very snug!

No three-contact wrench is specifically available for Sapim, as far I can easily see.(Link Removed - No Longer Exists).

None of these three-contact wrenches, for instance, will fit at all.

Reid, I ordered this tool kit with a spoke tool from Amazon because the spoke tool looked identical to the one on Juiced's site, and Juiced was out of stock at the time. It fits and works perfectly. You also get a pretty decent bike tool kit with it, all for the same price as just a spoke wrench. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075SS3QHK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
However, I just looked at your links and it looks like the one you have. Wonder if the one you got was just slightly out of spec??

 

[harryS]

BTW, liked your video, Reid. Well made.

Learned how to true my wheels almost 60 years after I first tried to do it with a crescent wrench as a boy. Once I got the hang of it (keep track of spoke position, only turn1/4 or 1/2 turn, and remember which way to turn), I've built a few wheels (didn't save money) and all the wheels are straight. The bikes with v-brakes works so much better.

 

[Reid]

Reid, I ordered this tool kit with a spoke tool from Amazon because the spoke tool looked identical to the one on Juiced's site, and Juiced was out of stock at the time. It fits and works perfectly. You also get a pretty decent bike tool kit with it, all for the same price as just a spoke wrench. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075SS3QHK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
However, I just looked at your links and it looks like the one you have. Wonder if the one you got was just slightly out of spec??

Thanks! Yes, that looks like the tool I bought on the cheap. My cheap tool is cast steel and it is hardened. The many sizes on it are mostly inapplicable. I chose two, opposite slots that were a skosh too tight, and hand-relieved them with a moto tool abrasive wheel to be a very, very snug fit to the Sapim nipple.

Warning: this multi wrench is only a two-flat contact wrench. It is very possible to round off and ruin your nipple if the two-flat wrench is not a good, snug fit.

You will be putting considerable tension on spokes. Pluck them for tone to get into the ball park. Be sure the wrench mentioned here or Chris' wrench is fully deep seated on the nipple, as close to the bottom of the nipple as its flats allow.

Thanks, Chris for the link to a good nipple wrench, albeit it must fit snug because it is only two-flat contacting.

For instance, I bought a nice set of three-face-contact nipple wrenches. Figured one would fit. Nope. And Sapim does not help us: they neither furnish a nipple wrench nor recommend one that will fit.