How to tighten a bike spoke [GUIDE] Here’s the tool you are missing

My wheel is sitting off my bike because I am dealing with a bike spoke challenge right now. One of the main things that I learned from this issue (in short – my bike spoke nipples are pulling through) is how important a bicycle spoke is to the wheel of the bike. When I first tried to retighten my wheel, I looked at the wheel and started to pull out my toolset only to realize that I really didn’t know how to tighten the bike spoke to help re-true the wheel.

In this post, the main thing that we will go over is how to tighten a bicycle spoke. It is important if you happen to break a spoke, have a spoke loosen on you, or if your spoke breaks and you need to replace it while on the road.

How to tighten a bike spoke:

The correct way to tighten a bicycle spoke is given below. It is the same way as tightening a screw – as long as you have the right tool. If you are like me and do not want to wait an extra couple of days to get a tool, then we have the solution for you below – though you may still elect to get the tool after reading the solution – again what many bicycle riders have done.

Tools you’ll need:

The main thing that you will need is a spoke wrench. Most normal bicycles will use this spoke wrench here. Park tools parts are the standard for bike tools. I spend the extra $3-$4 for them because I know they’ll work. It is not great to get a receive a tool that doesn’t work which holds your repair back another couple of days. Most generic tools do work though. But when they don’t it can lead to some frustration.

• Spoke Wrench
• Spoke Holder (This holds all spoke types)

Aero Wheels and Race Wheels

If you have a road bike with aero wheels, racing wheels, or anything that is supposed to be lighter, faster, slimmer, and sleeker than other wheels then you will have an internal spoke. You will need two items:

• Internal Spoke Wrench (See size guide below)
• A Clamping Spoke Holder (This holds all spoke types)

The purpose of the clamping spoke holder is to keep your spokes from spinning as the wheels are turning.

To find out what tool you will need, you will need to:

Note: Chances are your rim tape is nylon if they are aero ties. What this means is that it will snap back into its previous size after stretching it out. Simply take a pair of needle nose pliers or an old credit card and peel the tape up. Remember to wear gloves as I am typing this with a cut pointer finger that is still healing.

1. Take off your tire and innertube.
2. Take off your rim tape.
3. Now look inside your rim.
4. Example of my internal wrench: There are variations in size. See photo below.

From step 3 you should be able to deduce the type of wrench that you need. Here is a park tool guide for the full range below. Keep in mind that there is a real possibility that it is a normal torx key which may be in your closet as well and you do not need to buy a new tool. (If it is a torx key, do not use a hex wrench. No matter how close it is, forcing a hex wrench into a torx keyhole will strip the nipple and you will need to replace the bicycle spoke and nipple. 

Do I really need a spoke tool?

If you are like me and like to find creative ways to get something accomplished, then welcome to the team. Yes, you do really need a spoke tool. There are other options for creating your own spoke tool, though it is far more difficult in my opinion and may still damage your spoke afterward more than the amount that the tool costs. If you damage the nipple, you will have to cut off the bike spoke and replace both the nipple and the bike spoke.

Can you tighten a spoke without a spoke wrench?

So you’re still curious on how to create a bike spoke wrench? The way to create a bike spoke wrench is to make your own by using these three items.

• An old key
• A small saw
• A clamp

You clamp the key down so that it is stable on a table, and then you saw a slot into the key that is the exact same size of the spoke nipple. Believe me, I have tried, and although I have the tools, it did not go as well as planned. It left me wishing that I had my bandsaw from my earlier days when I made guitars.

Your other option is to try using a monkey wrench, though I promise this will not go well and you will find yourself damaging the rim, tires, spokes and making the nipple not usable because the edges are now stripped.

How do you tighten a bike spoke?

You use the bike spoke tool to tight the tool. If you have a normal wheel, you can tighten the bike spoke from the outside of the wheel. If you have an aero wheel, you will remove the tire and rim tape, and then tighten the spoke via the outside of the rim with your specialized internal spoke tool or torx key.

How do you tighten bike spokes and true the trim?

Anecdotally, across the team, it took about 2-3 times of practice with professional guidance until we felt competent that we could true a wheel that was given to us without assistance of someone else, so if you are having troubles, then you are not alone. It can always be helpful to ask for pointers at your local bike shop when they are tuning up your bicycle the next time.

The way to tighten a spoke nipple and true the trim is to use a Bike wheel true stand. Many of the true stands are fine, though it is not recommended to use the lowest priced true stand. I have used low value stands and they bring far more frustration than joy.

Truing a wheel is an art more than a science, and the first couple of times, you may mess up and need to bring the wheel into a bicycle repair shop to true the wheel ($20).

If you want to continue here are the steps. I find it easier to deflate the tire or take off the tire, though it is not completely necessary.

1. Spin the wheel until the edge of the rim catches on the stand
2. When the rim catches on the stand, you do two things
   • If the rim catches on the left side, then tighten the two spokes. You will tighten one spoke above where the rim grinds against the stand and one spoke below. The two spokes that you will tighten are the spokes that are pulling the wheel towards right hub. Only tighten in one quarter turn increments. Test your wheel for trueness.
   • If the rim catches on the right side, then tighten the two spokes. You will tighten one spoke above where the rim grinds against the stand and one spoke below. The two spokes that you will tighten are the spokes that are pulling the wheel towards left hub. Only tighten in one quarter turn increments. Test your wheel for trueness.
3. Repeat these steps until wheel is true.

FAQ for the Curious

For those that are curious about bike spokes we have many questions to help you understand the purpose of a bicycle spoke.

In this section we will answer all questions from what are bicycle spokes to how far you can ride with a broken bicycle spoke. These will help you understand how a bicycle spoke functions.

What is a bike spoke?

The main purpose of the bike spoke is to transfer the load equally from the hub to the rim and all around the rim. It keeps the tire stiff and allows for a smooth ride if the wheel is trued. They are typically thin and steel and connect the hun to the edge of the rim. They are very thin and individually fairly brittle. Though once tightened and combined with many others, they are very strong.

Can I ride my bike with a loose spoke?

Practically, at route one cycling, we tend to make it a point to carry a spoke tool in our bag while riding, though we realise that not all people do that.

Yes, you can ride your bike with a loose spoke. Did your spoke get loose while you were on your 50 mile ride around town? Fear not, you are able to ride the other 25 miles and then go home. If you do ride too long with a loose spoke, then you may shorten the life of your wheel or tire.

Our other option when a spoke gets very loose is to try to go directly back home, because if the spoke becomes too loose then the wheel will go out of true and make it more difficult to ride the bicycle.

Many folks ask this question, if you can re-use a chain after it breaks to ride home, and wonder why their bicycle slowly deflates air. These are all common questions and happen to many cyclists.

How do I know if my spokes are loose?

There is a more scientific way to do this which involves a set of tools such as a bike spoke tension meter. However, I will make this very easy on you. The easiest way to tell if your spokes are loose is if your wheel is out of true.

This means that you should turn your wheel and look for any bend in the rim as it is turning. If your wheel is out of true, this means that there are 1 or more of your spokes that are too loose. If your wheel is not doing an incorrect curve while spinning, then your bike spokes are tight enough.

If you absolutely need to know how tight your Bicycle spokes are, then you are able to get a bicycle spoke tool, though it may not be necessary. The only time that it is absolutely necessary to use a bicycle spoke tool is when you are re-building a bicycle wheel.

How tight should bicycle spokes be?

If you are retightening one specific spoke, then there is no need for a specific tension for the spoke. Bicycle spokes should be tight enough that the spokes feel stiff to the touch. If you try to move them with your finger, they will be completely stiff. If you would like to get all your spokes professionally tightened, then take them into your local bike shop.

What Happens if your spoke is too loose?

If your spoke is too loose, you will notice that your bike wheel frame will not be straight. This is because all the other spokes are now placing uneven tension on the tire and pulling on it. If you spin the wheel and look at it directly from above, it will make an “S-curve.” This is a sign that the wheel is out of true and is caused based off a loose spoke. 

Is it safe to ride with loose spokes?

It is in the riders’ best interest to carry a spoke wrench with them on longer rides. If a spoke were to break, they can tie the broken spoke off to another spoke and retighten the other spokes to get the wheel back to a working level of trueness. If you have one loose spoke, you can ride for a short distance (to get home), but the spoke ought to take the time to replace it. If you do not replace it, you will begin to put uneven strain on the bicycle wheel and either the wheel could collapse, or a second spoke will break – and they will continue to break until the wheel itself fails.

Conclusion

Learning how to tighten a bike spoke is very simple. You just need the right tool. Repairing a bicycle is very simple in many ways if you have the right proprietary tool. Working with a bicycle spoke without the correct tool although involved can be done if you have the correct tools to make a tool for yourself.