Calibrating a Spoke Tension Meter
Tools in a bike shop can lead a difficult life so occasionally checking their calibration is a good idea. Each gauge will be calibrated a little different so always check with the manufacturer for the specifics of your gauge but the general concept is the same on every gauge. Apply a known load to the spoke you are calibrating the gauge for and see if the reading on your gauge matches the load you applied to the spoke.
Applying load to a spoke can definitely take creativity if you do not have a tool like our spoke tension meter calibrator. If you happen to have access to gym weights, you can rig a way to hang your weights from a spoke and take the measurement on your spoke after it is holding up the weight.
If you notice your spoke tension meter does not match the weight, you will need to make some adjustments. Thankfully on the Park TM-1, that is extremely easy. You simply move the screw supporting the spring to increase or decrease tension on the tension meter spring until you get your gauge within range. It will usually take a few adjustments to get it dialed in but it is a quick process.
Broken Park TM-1 Spring?
If your Park tension meter gets a lot of use, sometimes the spring will eventually break from fatigue and need to be replaced. You can ship your gauge back to Park and have them replace the broken spring and recalibrate your gauge for $15 plus shipping. They do a great job but their lead times are usually around 2 weeks so if you are looking for a quicker turn around, we are happy to provide this same service at the same price but we are able to get your gauge turned around much quicker. Just shoot us a message below to get that set up.
Easily calibrate your spoke tension meter to your preferred spoke and keep your spoke tension meter consistent. Our calibration tool allows you to mount any j-bend spoke you like so you can calibrate your meter exactly to the spokes you use most!