Any recommendations for a spoke key.

I'm going to try myself to take rear wheel buckle out at weekend. No idea what I'm buying.

Thanks

I use a Spokey 3.25mm...

 

Spa Cycles - Spokey 3.25/3.40

 

the circular hole is really useful for orientation (quarter-turn hole left, half-turn hole right, etc)

 

You'll need to fathom which size to buy - depending on your existing spoke nipples.

I'll try and measure it then. Might be able to look up the wheel online for size

The most important thing is that you get one where the square that grips on the spoke is diagonal and not square, like this one, but it obviously needs to be the right size for your spokes, typically 14g or 13g:

 

Wrong type with square not diagonally orientated:

+1 for spokey.

 

Plus its bright red*, which means losing sight of it is going to be hard.

 

*Chances are it will be the red one, as that seems to be 90% of all nipples

This looks spokey, will order next Halloween (badda-boom!)

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202663161688

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202663161688

 

Your one looks quite useful - especially for Chinese-built hub-motored wheels with heavy-gauge spokes:

 

5 IN 1 SPOKEY SPOKE BIKE TOOL ADJUSTER 13 GAUGE 14G, 15G NIPPLES + 2 SCREWDRIVER

A red spokey for my 14g spokes.

This looks spokey, will order next Halloween (badda-boom!)

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202663161688

 

That is quite an interesting take on the spokey one. I particularly like the insert idea.

 

Not sure why they've included a pozi-drive screwdriver bit though, as pozi-drive is primarily for wood screws.

+2 for Spokey (different colours for different sizes) although I can see the advanages of the 'diagonal' type from Topeak which I've now added to my Crimbo list.

Saw these - a bit thin at 3.8mm, but they're so cheap I suppose I could superglue two together?

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005007046820582.html

 

 

 

I sometimes use this, but it's a bit of a wrench. You wouldn't believe how many computers I've fixed using this. Mine is about 26 years old.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315815921081

 

 

Edited November 5, 20241 yr by guerney

Saw these - a bit thin at 3.8mm, but they're so cheap I suppose I could superglue two together?

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005007046820582.html

 

I'm guessing you've never done any serious wheel building or re-truing as using such spanners would drive you insane - their shape/design would make the task endlessly long/labourious/tedious - just saying.

 

The Spokey and Topeak spoke key designs (and there are many other brands) whereby you can turn the spoke nipple without detaching the wrench are what's needed.

 

I'm guessing you've never done any serious wheel building or re-truing as using such spanners would drive you insane - their shape/design would make the task endlessly long/labourious/tedious - just saying.

 

The Spokey and Topeak spoke key designs (and there are many other brands) whereby you can turn the spoke nipple without detaching the wrench are what's needed.

 

[ATTACH=full]60574[/ATTACH]

 

Yep fiddly and unpleasant, and only when I couldn't locate the Park Tool type mentioned earlier, or the horrible circular roulette type. I have rim brakes, and thats the reason thus far I've needed to true. Ordered these the other day to try, which should be an upgrade to zipties... but I may spring for a truing stand at some point...

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005006354758587.html

 

 

...maybe the West Biking:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145782980939

 

 

Edited November 6, 20241 yr by guerney

[mention=33660]guerney[/mention]

 

If you look at the customer review pictures of those spoke keys they look thick.

 

Good buy those

 

 

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EwUUEHX

[mention=33660]guerney[/mention]

 

If you look at the customer review pictures of those spoke keys they look thick.

 

Good buy those

 

[ATTACH=full]60579[/ATTACH]

 

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EwUUEHX

 

Hey that's thicker than the dimension I saw on ebay. The similar to Bic biro I just measured = 7.4mm.

They are sold separately.

I need to measure mine and order one.

Ooh, that West Biking truing stand looks good value if it's any good that is and much cheaper than Ali Express too - maybe another item on my Crimbo list?

 

On the other hand, I only build or true a wheel a couple of times a year and I currently use a home made truing stand the design of which I got from a downloaded PDF book (link HERE) which is well worth the £9.00 of anyone's money who fancies a go at wheel building, although I do understand its not for everyone.

Yose power front hub wheel is 12g

My rear wheel is 13g

 

I have these spoke keys but not recommended correct?

 

Yose power front hub wheel is 12g

My rear wheel is 13g

 

I have these spoke keys but not recommended correct?

 

[ATTACH type=full" alt="60581]60581[/ATTACH]

The one on the left is better than the one on the right. I've used both types many times. The ones on the right seem to vary in size. when I've selected the 13g slot for my 13g nipples, sometimes they're nice and snug, other times they're too loose so they round the squares.

 

13g nipples are around 3.5mm, which is the largest slot in the one on the left. The one on the right will have a 12g slot, but you have to try it to see how well it fits. 12g spokes often give problems - mainly coming loose. Are yours OK?

Had terrible buckle in the yose 12g out the box. Got worse over the first couple of weeks and a local shop did what they could to straighten. Been ok.

 

13g rear has a buckle now after 2000 miles for some reason..

I can't wait 4 days for a shop to fix as it would mean i need to take the bus every day so going to have ago myself at fixing

I advise buying a set or at least measuring very accurately.

Common mistake is believing all nipples to be sized by wire (spoke) gauge, no longer true, even if it was when bicycles were made in England to English sizes.

These nipples are all 14 gauge, one fits red, one fits green the other black ! , only a few thousands of an inch between them but it does matter.

 

 

My old circular spoke key, “marked in G” for comparison, all three “real” 14 g keys are sized between the 13 and the 15, from tight as a nun’s to waving a pencil in the Albert Hall !

Use the right tool

The Spokey and Topeak spoke key designs (and there are many other brands) whereby you can turn the spoke nipple without detaching the wrench are what's needed.

 

It'd be even better if you didn't have to lift the spoke wrench away from the nipple. There's at least two ways to make an adjustable ratcheting spoke wrench I can think of, but thus far the interwebs haven't yielded any results to my searches for a product.

That is quite an interesting take on the spokey one. I particularly like the insert idea.

 

Not sure why they've included a pozi-drive screwdriver bit though, as pozi-drive is primarily for wood screws.

 

Seems a bit of an unnecessary addon (plastic sleeve, of course I wouldn't try to undo anything tight), but I'm sure you and I have other hexagonal screwdriver bits which would fit. Why wait for next Halloween to get spokey? I'll order one, as it's half the spokey price of a genuine spokey.

Edited November 6, 20241 yr by guerney

Why did I think this'd be smaller? Spokey coloured packaging is a ruler. Not too spokey to use when the plastic truing wotsists arrive.

 

 

 

Probably ABS, feels sturdy, the "14G" fits tight around nipples well (the bike's, not mine), easy to turn. Double dong screwdriver bit is held captive by a sprung ball bearing. Inserts are easy to swap over. Inserts must be pushed into the slot right way up ie printed face down. I'm bound to lose track of where this spoke tool is too. Is this as spokey as a real spokey? I'll never know because I won't be paying £12+ unless at gunpoint.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 10, 20241 yr by guerney