Customer Reviews

Park Tool TM-1 Spoke Tension Meter

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I've spent most of my life racing and riding bicycles, worked in a number of shops as head mechanic (when I was in school), and built quite a few wheels. So my perspective on the TM-1 is based on this background.

It is of course true, as a few reviewers have suggested, that it's possible to build/maintain bicycle wheels without a spoke tension meter.

However, it is easier and requires less experience and knowledge to handle that task WITH a spoke tension meter. Also, with modern lower spoke count wheels that need to have higher spoke tension, precise tension is more critical to maintain if the wheel is to remain reliable. In this sense, a spoke tension meter is more a must-have tool now that it would have been in the past, much as a small torque wrench is now requisite for anyone who uses carbon fiber components/frames but even a few years ago, few mechanics were using them.

The Park TM-1 is arguably the best combination of high design/build quality and relatively low price compared to any of the various other spoke tension meters available. It is durable, consistent in its measurements over time, and can be re-calibrated.

As an example of the value in using this item, I recently changed the rims on a custom set of wheels that had been built by a prominent wheel builder in the Netherlands. The spoke tension on the original wheels, according to the Park TM-1, varied from about 17 to 22, with most spokes in the 19-21 range. When I re-built the wheels, I did all the usual things to maximize true, roundness, and dish, but also spent some time getting the spoke tension extremely even--with all spokes virtually at 21. Once the spokes were all so evenly tensioned--and of course also at the CORRECT tension--the two wheels basically fell into true and roundness without any additional truing, and the wheels have stayed like that. There is almost no detectable variance in the true or roundness--all in all, these wheels are built to a more precise standard than any of my other custom wheels, and it was relatively easy to achieve because I used a tension meter.

As a second example, Rich Sawiris, the owner of wheelbuilder.com, currently one of the most well-regarded wheelbuilders in the U.S., and also the guy who builds wheels for a number of pro cycling teams in Europe, credits the quality and reputation of his wheels to better evenness and management of spoke tension.

Here's a quote from Rich in Velonews dated April 5, 2011: "Anybody can lace a wheel and true it by tweaking individual spokes, chasing hops and wobbles around until the wheel is true," says Sawiris. "But that doesn't usually result in even spoke tension." Instead, Wheelbuilder.com builders bring all of the spokes up to a proscribed (based on the rim, spoke count and type) and even tension first, checking each and every spoke repeatedly with a tensiometer. Then, the builder goes around and adjusts the elbow bend and the crossing intersections on every spoke before going back and re-tensioning all of them again. Only then is the final truing done, which requires very little tweaking to get the wheel perfect."

So I would argue that a current best practice in wheel building would be to use a tension meter, whether for professional mechanics, or for cycling enthusiasts who wish to do most of their own bicyle maintenance. The Park TM-1 would be a one time only investment. There are more expensive tension meters (which are also more complicated), but I think none that actually perform better.

I have to say that when I was being trained in wheel work, tension gauges were frowned upon. Tension is important, but the problem is that it is only one variable among many, and concern was always that mechanics would try to apply it in simplistic fashion. The problem is this - if you know wheels, you don't really need a tension gauge. If you don't, using one isn't going to help out much, and can actually hurt you, especially in wheel repair. Gauges are most useful in building new wheels with pristine components, and when building to a production standard. That's not a very good description of home wheel work and not even for shop work.

The gauge itself is decent. Instead of buying it, however, my advice is to take a wheel building and repair workshop at a good local shop instead.

The TM-1 Spoke Tension Meter works very well. I commute by bike every day to work, and among my three road bikes that I rotate through (set up differently for weather and load), was popping spokes to the tune of about 1 or 2 a month, mostly due to what I perceive to be overtorque on some of the spokes. Now I have torqued my spokes at the lower end of the recommended range and have yet to pop a spoke, and it is reassuring to know that they all are torqued to the same value. It does take a little bit of give and take to get the wheel trued, but with just a little bit of effort you can adjust the tension to the correct range, then make minor adjustments of individual spokes to get the wheel to spin true. You end up with a much more consistent torque range throughout the entire wheel, which eliminates overstress (hot spots) on overtorqued spokes.

I guess I'm what you call a "book learned / internet learned" home wheel builder (as opposed to having been mentored in a shop environment), and on my first half-dozen builds over many years, I got along just fine without a tension gauge. The most important factors in building a reliable wheel have proved to be sufficient, even tension. (It took me only one attempt to figure out how horribly unreliable an undertensioned wheel could be!) But... with that number of wheels to my name, I was always curious what tension I was ultimately stopping at. So I've had this meter at my side for maybe about five years now.

If you're the least bit neurotic or OCD, this tension meter will simultaneously be the best and worst friend in your toolkit. It's possible, for instance, to perform your initial lacing to a low tension value, rather than driving the nipples to where the spoke threads just disappear below the nipple. Possible, but a huge time waster.

It's possible to go around and around and around and around again, a quarter turn tighter here, a quarter turn looser there, in an attempt to achieve "perfect" uniform tension as indicated the the Park's scale. Again, a huge time waster.

Here's how I prefer to use the tension meter: leave it in the box initially. Lace the wheel, lightly tension, stress relieve the spokes, build the tension and true with care. All the while, pluck the spokes and listen to the tone. Pull the tension meter out to verify final tension, but then trust your ears while plucking your way around the wheel looking for noticeably high pitched (over tensioned) or low toned spokes.

This meter is great as a final check, and a neat and somewhat inexpensive toy in that respect, but when you're comparing successive spokes in a fully-built wheel, the plucked tone they generate is going to highlight the problem areas far more quickly and just as reliably as this meter.

In a nutshell: This works, and will give you a numeric value to tension to, but *won't* give you a more reliable wheel than what you're capable of building without it. So by all means, pick one up if you're curious and don't mind the investment, but don't add it on your "essential items" list, as it's not a substitute for care and patience and understanding, and definitely not a crutch for inexperience.

If you work with your wheels at all with spoke tensioning, truing, building, etc., this is a must. As this product was arriving, I did a test and trued a 28 spoke road wheel with round spokes as best as I could. I'm not a bike mechanic, just an enthusiast. The wheel was spot on. When I got the Park Meter, I checked all the spokes. All where within tolerance, but two where 2/3 of what they should have been. It is also a great way to get a start on a good wheel true. Once you know the spokes are in the ballpark, you can start to true from there. Why bother if you don't have a baseline. I go thru and get them all close, not paying too much attention to true, then go back and get true, round, and dish spot on. Amazon is the absolute cheapest anywhere for this product. You can get very quick using this product after little use. In addition to the instrument you purchase, there are two more things in the box -- a reference chart, and a spoke gauge tool. The theory is that you look up what the tension should be for the type and thickness/diameter of spoke on the wheel, then cross reference the range of generic number that reads on the tool. The needle on the tool doesn't have units (because of diameter, blade thickness, and type), but when you look up what type and size spoke you are working with, the number on the meter just becomes a reference point. Don't just true your wheels on your bike using your brake pads, etc. If you don't start out with a real truing stand, get an old bike fork and drill a hole in a block of wood, mount the fork up-side-down, and use a spring clamp with a blade of plastic or aluminum strip/plate as the index. To work with a rear wheel, use the Q/R skewer to clamp it outside of the fork like you would on an inexpensive one-armed truing stand. Then save up for that $200 truing stand you want.

Park Tool Tension Meter TM-1 is a COOL TOOL!

Ordered directly from Amazon and recieved quickly! Good Deal!

I strongly recommend this tool. It's sturdy, reliable and simple to use! The instructions are perfectly clear and not complicated. It takes less than 3 minutes to test each spoke in a 36 spoke wheel. Can be used on the bike, or off. The trouble of it is, that it's so easy to get your wheels to factory specs, it makes you think you know what you're doing:)

I cannot perceive why anyone would pay more for a spoke tension meter. There is a 40% leeway in adjustments, so splitting hairs is not necessary! (-20% to +20% of ideal tension)

I see talk on bicycle blogs about re-calibrating the tension meters, and meters costing $600! If you're not working for NASA or a scientific laboratory, don't be concerned with splitting hairs. This meter can be re-calibrated, but once you use it, you'll see that re-calibration will probably never be necessary.

Point of this report is that you will enjoy much less trouble (down time) because your wheels are factory strong at all times. Under-tensioned spokes cause spokes to break. One can have ALL SPOKES SOUND THE SAME and all spokes can be under-tensioned, so the 'sound technique' is not a valid way to judge true tension of your spokes! So I recommend that you don't go for the sound! Go for known specifications and your spokes will stop breaking!

I was paying a bicycle shop to replace the spokes on my mountain bike and I learned with this tool that the bicycle shop did not check the tension on my other spokes and that their work was a nightmare! No wonder the spokes kept breaking! Now, I ride the trails and my bike is in one piece at the end!

Do yourself a favor and get this tool! You'll be passing the guys on the trail that are limping back with broken spokes that use 'music notes' to tension their spokes! Let'em make music slowly, while you conquer the trail!

This tool will help you build evenly tensioned wheels. It is very quick and easy to use. I have not tried any other tensiometer but this one works fine. The tool itself is marked with a numeric scale. An included card shows the tension that corresponds to each number for a given spoke gauge. Once you determine the number you are shooting for you can test a spoke in a few seconds. There is an adjustable calibration screw but without a spoke of known tension you have no way to calibrate it. Using the factory setting the readings seem to be within the range I would expect when testing wheels built by expert wheel builders.

A very good tool. Very useful for home wheel maintenance.

Just a couple of minor points that could perhaps make the tool better:
-The spoke gauge (that is necessary, and included with the tool) could perhaps be incorporated into the tool itself; removing the need for a separate item.
-If possible it would be good if once the spoke gauge were known the reading could be incorporated into the meter, rather than having to refer back to the spoke table. That said, such a change might make for an overly complex and expensive tool.

Overall a good tool, that is relatively simple in its design, construction and application. Good quality implement that is much more cost effective that many others that are available.

I've built several wheels using this gauge and I think it's essential if you want to build strong wheels that will last. Lots of people will tell you that you can feel the difference in spoke tension or that you can pluck the spokes to determine by the pitch how tight the spokes are. Maybe with a lot of experience that's a talent that can be developed, but if you want to build good wheels from your very first attempt, this is the way to go. I had built a couple of wheels before I received this gauge and then checked them after it arrived. Although the wheels were both laterally and radially extremely true, the spoke tension was far too high. If I had ridden these wheels I would have probably broken some spokes and damaged the rim. I completely detensioned the wheels and then retrued and tensioned them to the correct level and they have been excellent for several hundred miles. It's super easy to use and costs about the same as a tank of gas and will last you forever if you take care of it, plus you'll be the envy of your friends, I mean how many people have a spoke tension meter!?!

Much as another reviewer said, I've concluded you are better off using your non-meter skills in tuning and tensioning. I found I've done a better job on my wheels with this thing left in the tool chest. Frankly, even in use it's rather clumsey and the readings seem a little untrustworthy to me...but I obviously don't like the thing.