My old shop foreman said my wheel builds felt "dead" and I argued with him for 2 weeks

Fiona Foster · 2026-09-24T13:20:02.89524+00:00

I was tensioning spokes to the same number on every wheel, which felt safe and repeatable, but he kept saying my wheels rode stiff and gave no warning before they flexed. After 2 weeks of arguing I tried squeezing pairs of spokes by hand and listening for the pitch, and the very first wheel I built that way felt livelier on the road. Do you tension by feel and sound, or do you still trust the gauge over everything else?

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My old shop foreman said my wheel builds felt "dead" and I argued with him for 2 weeks | Bicycle Mechanics - Vivisector