How do you tighten spokes on a bicycle?

1. Prepare your tools: You'll need a spoke wrench, a truing stand or a dishing tool, and possibly some grease.

2. Center the rim: Ensure the rim is centered between the jaws of the truing stand or dishing tool. This ensures the wheel will be true once you've tensioned the spokes.

3. Choose a spoke: Start with any spoke but avoid spokes located directly across from each other.

4. Turn the nipple: Insert the spoke wrench into the nipple of the chosen spoke and turn it clockwise (tighten) to increase the tension. Tighten the nipple about 1/4 to 1/2 turn at a time. Some spoke nipples have left-hand threads, so check your bicycle manual if the nipples aren't tightening as expected.

5. Check the tension: Once the nipple is tightened, you can check the spoke's tension. You should hear a higher pitch "ping" sound when you pluck the spoke.

6. Tighten other spokes: Move to a spoke that's in the opposite direction from the one you just tightened. This helps distribute the tension evenly. Repeat this process until all spokes have the same tension, and are roughly an equal number of turns from fully clockwise.

7. Adjust: If the wheel needs dishing (centering) adjustment or truing (side-to-side), tighten spokes on one side while loosening spokes on the other side to bring it into alignment.

8. Check tightness: Repeat the entire process until all the spokes are evenly tensioned and the wheel is properly aligned.

Remember to increase tension gradually and use the same amount of turns for each spoke to ensure even tension distribution. If the spokes become too tight, loosen them slightly to avoid potential damage.