Had a customer tell me my spoke tension was way off. He was right.

Last summer I had this older gentleman come in with a vintage touring bike. He asked me to true his rear wheel and I handed it back feeling pretty good about myself. He took one look at it and said "son, you've got three spokes singing a different tune back there" and pulled out his own tensiometer. I was a little embarrassed but I watched him show me how to check each spoke individually instead of just going by feel. Now I use a Park Tool TM-1 on every wheel build and I haven't had a single wheel come back since. Has anyone else had a customer teach them something that changed their routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_kevin16d ago

Learned that lesson myself. Pride has a way of humbling us all.

coran6316d ago

Man, that's a solid lesson right there. @the_kevin knows what I'm talking about - I had a customer call me out for using too much grease on a bottom bracket once. Guy told me to wipe it clean and start over with just a thin coating. Still do it his way ten years later.