Originally Posted by
cyccommute
I disagree with the idea that bike shops are going to have a wide range of spoke nipple sizes. 99.9995% of bicycles are going to come with 2.0mm spokes (14 gauge). 99% of them are going to be straight gauge. Bike shops have nipples for 2.0mm spokes and will probably only have that size. You might be lucky enough to find a spoke nipple for a 1.8mm spoke but that is doubtful. A 2.3mm spoke (13gauge) just isn’t something that you run across all that often in a bike shop.
The Big Wheel: You can find 13 gauge spokes on line for $0.50 to $1 each. Buy several.
You stated the nipple was “made incorrectly” which I disagree with, based on my own recent, actual experience with an identically bent spoke, and broken nipple right out of the box. It was broken during shipping, not mis-manufactured.
That said, I’m no expert but given the very wide (and getting wider every day) array of bicycle types and niche categories these days it’s super unreasonable to expect that all use the same spoke gauge across a very broad spectrum of bicycles.
Any bicycle shop that claims otherwise, or doesn’t anticipate needing/stocking this most basic part variant for a NUMBER of different variations is one which will fail they way of many other B&M shops have, yielding to the internet.
My response that any self-respecting LBS should have a variety of these in stock in different sizes refers to a LBS who intends to remain in business DESPITE pressure from the internet, by providing a value added service on a local level.
OP’s situation is either an LBS which doesn’t “get this” or has an inherent issue with servicing internet products. Or both.