[nightnerd]

Hi guys,
First of all, happy New year to all of you! May 2010 be a year of peace, happyness and safe riding.

Like a lot of us, I have plenty of time to spend on this website(there is about a meter of snow outside). I bought a wheelset from crc in november(hope II/mavic 823) and have the impression that the spoke tension is too high. I am reading that the maximum tension for these rim should be 90 Kgf. Right now, The spoke are really really stiff. Since I have ruined a previous wheelset by "working on it" I prefer to ask prior to work on that one.

If I want to uniformly reduce the spoke tension on this wheel(front, 20 mm axle), can I just unscrew every nipple by lets say one quarter turn at a time? Will that affect the trueness of the wheel?

Thanks for your input,

Night

 

[One Pivot]

crc builds good wheels, with tension meters. chances are they got it right. you can always borrow your lbs's spoke tension meter and check, but definitely dont guess!

 

[Squash]

Don't go by how....

the spokes SEEM! Touch, feel, or the way the spokes sound when plucked is a HIGHLY inaccurate way to determine spoke tension. It takes many years of experience to be able to even half way estimate spoke tension without a tensiometer.

As One Pivot noted, CRC builds good wheels, they are built by hand and done right. I doubt very seriously that the wheel is over tensioned. They are likely tensioned very close to max, but I doubt they are over. I'd say leave them alone, or have a competent wheel builder check them for you. But DON'T simply start lowering the tension on the wheel without a valid reason, i.e. you are positive that they are seriously over tensioned. And do keep in mind that many builders will slightly over tension the spokes on a new build to compensate for the spokes bedding into the spoke holes of the hub with use.

As to your original question. Yes you can detension a wheel without affecting the true by loosening each spoke the exact same amount in sucession. But it is always best to check it on a truing stand when the deed is done. Even a profesional wheel builder will check a wheel for true after tension adjustments are made, or anyother adjustment involving nipple movement for that matter.

Anyway, I'd say leave em alone. But if it worries you have them checked by a competent wheel builder.

Good Dirt

 

[honkonbobo]

if you consider the facts which are...

...I have ruined a previous wheelset by "working on it"

and CRC has built many many wheelsets successfully with good reviews...

you should really leave them alone.

that doesnt mean that they never make a mistake but i would ride them first and if you still have concerns down the road, take Squash's advice and get a wheel builder/shop to double check them.

cheers.

 

[nightnerd]

Hey guys,
I'll take your recommandation. I will learn from my first mistake! I think someday I'll buy a truing stand, dishing tool and a tension meter in order to be able to fix or even build my wheel in the proper way.

Again, thanks for your answer and have a great year 2010.

 

[One Pivot]

with a simple truing stand, its pretty easy to get a dramatically better wheel by rebuilding machine built, sloppy wheels without a tension meter. ive done it to all my wheels with very great success.. except my crc wheel, it showed up damn near perfect.