Chat with a retired courier in Portland made me rethink my spoke tension approach

I was at a shop on Hawthorne last Tuesday and this old guy who used to ride for the Postal Service came in. He watched me tighten spokes and said I was going too slow and even all around, but he said real wheels are built with intentional looser spots for shock absorption. I’ve been doing it the textbook way for 12 years, and now I’m wondering if I’ve been making wheels that are too stiff. Anyone else heard of building in deliberate soft spots?

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oscar7438h agoMost Upvoted

Real wheels are built with intentional looser spots" - wait, that's a real thing?