A spoke wrench is an itty-bitty wrench with a funny handle designed so it can rotate freely in the small space between bicycle spokes. Aside from forcibly mangling the rim (which is sometimes necessary when a wheel is badly damaged), adjusting the tightness of the spoke nipples is the only way to adjust the properties of a wheel. Strictly speaking, a crescent wrench will also perform this function, but you run the risk of stripping the nipples, and that's the least of your worries when you start messing around with spoke tension.

The most common spoke wrenches are made by Park Tool. They have colored Pringle®-shaped handles that represent the size of the wrench and come in four varieties, listed below:

Black 3.22mm / .127 nipple
Green 3.30mm / .130 nipple
Red 3.45mm / .136 nipple
Blue 3.96mm / .156 nipple

Other Related Tools:

On using a spoke wrench: Albert Herring informs:
Sources
http://www.parktool.com/

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.