A reel for use with a lacing system for tightening an article comprising: a housing having an interior region; a spool positioned within the interior region of the housing and rotatable relative thereto, the spool having an annular channel formed therein; a knob rotatable relative to the housing and operably coupled with the spool to cause the spool to rotate within the interior region of the housing ; wherein: incremental rotation of the knob in a first direction relative to the housing causes a corresponding incremental rotation of the spool within the interior region of the housing that incrementally gathers a tension member in the annular channel formed in the spool ; and incremental rotation of the knob in a second direction relative to the housing causes a corresponding incremental rotation of the spool that incrementally releases the tension member from the annular channel formed in the spool ; characterized by a stop mechanism that is configured to prevent rotation of the spool in the second direction in response to a tension of the tension member being reduced to a tension threshold or beyond the tension threshold, the knob being rotatable in the second direction while rotation of the spool in the second direction is prevented via the stop mechanism. a housing having an interior region; a spool positioned within the interior region of the housing and rotatable relative thereto, the spool having an annular channel formed therein; a knob rotatable relative to the housing and operably coupled with the spool to cause the spool to rotate within the interior region of the housing ; wherein: incremental rotation of the knob in a first direction relative to the housing causes a corresponding incremental rotation of the spool within the interior region of the housing that incrementally gathers a tension member in the annular channel formed in the spool ; and incremental rotation of the knob in a second direction relative to the housing causes a corresponding incremental rotation of the spool that incrementally releases the tension member from the annular channel formed in the spool ; characterized by a stop mechanism that is configured to prevent rotation of the spool in the second direction in response to a tension of the tension member being reduced to a tension threshold or beyond the tension threshold, the knob being rotatable in the second direction while rotation of the spool in the second direction is prevented via the stop mechanism. incremental rotation of the knob in a first direction relative to the housing causes a corresponding incremental rotation of the spool within the interior region of the housing that incrementally gathers a tension member in the annular channel formed in the spool ; and incremental rotation of the knob in a second direction relative to the housing causes a corresponding incremental rotation of the spool that incrementally releases the tension member from the annular channel formed in the spool ; characterized by a stop mechanism that is configured to prevent rotation of the spool in the second direction in response to a tension of the tension member being reduced to a tension threshold or beyond the tension threshold, the knob being rotatable in the second direction while rotation of the spool in the second direction is prevented via the stop mechanism. <EOS>