Spokes...

[jayg]

I have seen a lot of mention about checking spoke tension. How do I check for loose spokes and is there a torque or tension I need to set if I find any to be loose?

[forchetto]

A quick way is to "ping" them with a heavyish screwdriver or similar, that is, hit them one by one and listen to the noise they make. It should sound "musical" and not a dull "thud".
Any that you find loose can be tightened using a special spoke spanner preferably, or if not a good-fitting normal open end one.
You turn the nut near the wheel rim anticlockwise as you look at it from the normal vantage point beside the wheel.
If the spoke is very loose turning this nut too much can cause the sharp end of the thread to poke out and pierce the rim protecting tape within the tyre and puncture the inner tube. In this case the tyre has to be removed and the end of the surplus thread ground off level with the nut.

I don't think there's a torque setting as such. When retightening the ideal would be that the sound they make when pinged is more or less the same. The human ear is very sensitive to changes in tone.
In practice is best not to overdo it, both for the reason explained earlier, and because the wheel can get "out of round" and then we're in trouble...only a skilled wheel builder can sort that out.

Spoke spanner obtainable from bicycle shops: