Park Tool Spoke Tension Meter TM-1

A long, long time ago, one of my closest biking friends taught me how to lace up and build wheels. It was hard to comprehend at first but with experience, became almost second nature. Difficult at first, there were a few tools that I had become accustomed to which has taken much of the difficulty out of it. Proper truing stand is a must but to lace up a wheel perfectly, measuring spoke tension is everything. That’s where the Park Tool TM-1 tool comes into play. After years of experience with it, here are my impressions:

Out of the Box:

The craftsmanship of this tool is top notch. Great looking with high quality materials, it doesn’t get much better than this. Not only does it look good, working with the TM-1 is very easy. The tool comes with well-designed handles that allow for great grip with no weird pressure points. The spring is remarkably stiff but not too stiff and hasn’t lost any of its pop, even after 4 years of use.

The thing that really stands out compared to other tension meters is how easy it was to attach, measure, and move on to other spokes. I’ve gotten so quick at it that I can check and adjust the tension of a wheel in less than a minute. Reading the tension of the meter isn’t difficult either. The numbers are pressed into the metal and are very large to see. This means you can see exactly what you’re doing, even if you typically need to wear reading glasses or if you have to work in mal-lit work spaces.

Park Tool claims that the TM-1 is compatible with any kind of spoke. I feel like this is true. There hasn’t been any wheel I really haven’t been able to use it on minus a 12” or 100 spoke BMX wheel.

In addition, Park includes a spoke measuring ring so you know exactly what spoke you’re working will as well as a detailed conversation chart so you know what the tension limits are on the wheel you’re working with. If that gets lost or misplaced, it’s not the end of the world. You can also head to their website and download the chart. There, they also have a tension calculator that could come in handy.

Bottom Line:

If you lace up your own wheelsets or are a fanatical about making sure everything is in tip-top shape, this is definitely a tool to have on your work bench. It’s super high quality and very well designed. All of which would expect me to believe it would be priced at some ridiculous price like some of Park Tools are. But, currently as low as $65 online, it’s totally worth every penny. I would recommend this tool to anyone. 5 stars!