School me on spoke nipples
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
School me on spoke nipples
I have wheels on a bike that was transported through Ohio's salty slushy roads and never washed off in FL when the customer arrived there. That salt dissolved the stock nipples.
Spoke diameter is 2.0 mm. I see all kinds of nipples made from 3 kinds of metals. Brass, "alloy," and steel. What exactly is the alloy? Its not in the disrtibutors description.
I think I only see 2 sizes for the threads, but once again descriptions are vague. I also know that spokes are typically picked by gauge.
I'm hoping you guys can straighten me out so I can get the right ones the first time.
TIA,
-SP
Spoke diameter is 2.0 mm. I see all kinds of nipples made from 3 kinds of metals. Brass, "alloy," and steel. What exactly is the alloy? Its not in the disrtibutors description.
I think I only see 2 sizes for the threads, but once again descriptions are vague. I also know that spokes are typically picked by gauge.
I'm hoping you guys can straighten me out so I can get the right ones the first time.
TIA,
-SP
#2
working on my sandal tan
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CID
Posts: 22,629
Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)
Mentioned: 98 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3871 Post(s)
Liked 2,568 Times
in
1,579 Posts
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,096 Times
in
742 Posts
Brass and steel are obvious. "Alloy" means aluminum alloy and it was probably the material the ruined nipples were made of since salt corrodes aluminum badly.
Brass nipples are most commonly used and are strong and durable. Steel nipples are almost never used on decent wheels. Alluminum nipples are used to save a small amount of weight but are weaker than brass and more prone to corrosion as you have discovered. Buy brass.
A 2.0 mm spoke is also known as 14 gauge so buy matching nipples.
Brass nipples are most commonly used and are strong and durable. Steel nipples are almost never used on decent wheels. Alluminum nipples are used to save a small amount of weight but are weaker than brass and more prone to corrosion as you have discovered. Buy brass.
A 2.0 mm spoke is also known as 14 gauge so buy matching nipples.
Likes For HillRider:
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Pasadena, CA
Posts: 4,848
Bikes: Schwinn Varsity
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1931 Post(s)
Liked 742 Times
in
422 Posts
Some newer alloy is 7000 series and strong. But for Ohio, Florida...... many like brass
I can get away with alloy in So. CA.
2.0 spoke would have thread size of 2.3 I believe...... threads are rolled and larger diameter.
All you need to ask for is 2.0 spokes..... 2.0 nipples.......etc.
I can get away with alloy in So. CA.
2.0 spoke would have thread size of 2.3 I believe...... threads are rolled and larger diameter.
All you need to ask for is 2.0 spokes..... 2.0 nipples.......etc.
#5
Really Old Senior Member
2.0mm will be the far most common size.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
One of my pet peeves but I assume that you're right. If they were iron alloy they would probably call them steel.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
#7
It's MY mountain
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Mt.Diablo
Posts: 10,002
Bikes: Klein, Merckx, Trek
Mentioned: 70 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4338 Post(s)
Liked 2,981 Times
in
1,617 Posts
Aluminum nipples are fine and nice if you're building lightweight wheels that won't see corrosive wet service.
Brass will last much longer if you ride in the rain or slop.
As to your case, if the nipples are that far gone, there's a good chance your spoke threads and maybe the rims are also compromised... at least inspect the threads after you take off a few nipples, and inspect the grommets in the rim spoke holes before you decide to rebuild; might make sense to get new wheels.
Brass will last much longer if you ride in the rain or slop.
As to your case, if the nipples are that far gone, there's a good chance your spoke threads and maybe the rims are also compromised... at least inspect the threads after you take off a few nipples, and inspect the grommets in the rim spoke holes before you decide to rebuild; might make sense to get new wheels.
Likes For DiabloScott:
#8
Senior Member
Yeah but if you call them "aluminum alloy" someone else is probably going to be peeved that you didn't spell it "aluminium" or vice versa, and you're going to get groused at by someone sooner or later. So there's no winning on this one, either way
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mountain View, CA USA and Golden, CO USA
Posts: 6,341
Bikes: 97 Litespeed, 50-39-30x13-26 10 cogs, Campagnolo Ultrashift, retroreflective rims on SON28/PowerTap hubs
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 550 Post(s)
Liked 325 Times
in
226 Posts
Some newer alloy is 7000 series and strong. But for Ohio, Florida...... many like brass
I can get away with alloy in So. CA.
2.0 spoke would have thread size of 2.3 I believe...... threads are rolled and larger diameter.
All you need to ask for is 2.0 spokes..... 2.0 nipples.......etc.
I can get away with alloy in So. CA.
2.0 spoke would have thread size of 2.3 I believe...... threads are rolled and larger diameter.
All you need to ask for is 2.0 spokes..... 2.0 nipples.......etc.
Don't address galvanic corrosion and you can have seized nipples even in the San Francisco Bay Area.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,887
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6972 Post(s)
Liked 10,971 Times
in
4,692 Posts
If the nipples are all corroded to hell, it's a safe bet that the hubs and/or rims have problems, too. Inspect carefully before replacing the nipples.
Likes For Koyote:
#11
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,368
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6221 Post(s)
Liked 4,221 Times
in
2,367 Posts
But the problem here is that we don't have a common name an aluminum alloy like we do for iron and carbon mixtures other then to call it "alloy". It's not really proper to call it "aluminum" either. It's a mixture of elements. It's just a short hand and shouldn't really bother you.
If you really want to be bothered check out the meaning of the word "salt". Hint: it's not just sodium ions and chlorine ions that form "salt".
Or the difference between a "balance" and a "scale". One measures mass and can be used anywhere in the Universe. The other measures weight and is only valid on the surface of Earth.
Or the difference between weight and mass.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Last edited by cyccommute; 07-17-19 at 03:44 PM.
#12
Senior Member
A similar situation exists for, say, "ice." In most circumstances it refers to frozen water, but if an astronomer tells you about "ices" on the surface of some distant moon, you should check what it's actually composed of before you try to make snow cones out of the stuff.
#13
Senior Member
Depends on the conversation. In a culinary context, "salt" generally means an edible substance consisting almost entirely of sodium chloride. In a chemistry context, salts are a much broader category.
A similar situation exists for, say, "ice." In most circumstances it refers to frozen water, but if an astronomer tells you about "ices" on the surface of some distant moon, you should check what it's actually composed of before you try to make snow cones out of the stuff.
A similar situation exists for, say, "ice." In most circumstances it refers to frozen water, but if an astronomer tells you about "ices" on the surface of some distant moon, you should check what it's actually composed of before you try to make snow cones out of the stuff.
Ketchup is actually a generic style of sauce preparation and can be made with lots of stuff besides tomatoes (strawberries, bananas, even oysters). Same for salsa, relish, etc.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 5,932
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1821 Post(s)
Liked 1,696 Times
in
976 Posts
I have wheels on a bike that was transported through Ohio's salty slushy roads and never washed off in FL when the customer arrived there. That salt dissolved the stock nipples.
Spoke diameter is 2.0 mm. I see all kinds of nipples made from 3 kinds of metals. Brass, "alloy," and steel. What exactly is the alloy? Its not in the disrtibutors description.
I think I only see 2 sizes for the threads, but once again descriptions are vague. I also know that spokes are typically picked by gauge.
I'm hoping you guys can straighten me out so I can get the right ones the first time.
TIA,
-SP
Spoke diameter is 2.0 mm. I see all kinds of nipples made from 3 kinds of metals. Brass, "alloy," and steel. What exactly is the alloy? Its not in the disrtibutors description.
I think I only see 2 sizes for the threads, but once again descriptions are vague. I also know that spokes are typically picked by gauge.
I'm hoping you guys can straighten me out so I can get the right ones the first time.
TIA,
-SP
#16
Senior Member
I have wheels on a bike that was transported through Ohio's salty slushy roads and never washed off in FL when the customer arrived there. That salt dissolved the stock nipples.
Spoke diameter is 2.0 mm. I see all kinds of nipples made from 3 kinds of metals. Brass, "alloy," and steel. What exactly is the alloy? Its not in the disrtibutors description.
I think I only see 2 sizes for the threads, but once again descriptions are vague. I also know that spokes are typically picked by gauge.
I'm hoping you guys can straighten me out so I can get the right ones the first time.
TIA,
-SP
Spoke diameter is 2.0 mm. I see all kinds of nipples made from 3 kinds of metals. Brass, "alloy," and steel. What exactly is the alloy? Its not in the disrtibutors description.
I think I only see 2 sizes for the threads, but once again descriptions are vague. I also know that spokes are typically picked by gauge.
I'm hoping you guys can straighten me out so I can get the right ones the first time.
TIA,
-SP
A metal that is made by mixing two or more metals, or a metal and anothersubstance:
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
#17
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,368
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6221 Post(s)
Liked 4,221 Times
in
2,367 Posts
Just a note on brass vs aluminum: Both are susceptible to corrosion by the salts (sodium and magnesium) used for ice melting. Aluminum is more reactive but both will corrode.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#18
Old fart
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,790
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3590 Post(s)
Liked 3,401 Times
in
1,935 Posts
Steel nipples offer no advantage.
Use aluminum nipples only if your weight-weenie tendencies are enough to outweigh the inevitable problems.
Brass has no disadvantage beyond being slightly heavier than aluminum.
Use aluminum nipples only if your weight-weenie tendencies are enough to outweigh the inevitable problems.
Brass has no disadvantage beyond being slightly heavier than aluminum.
#19
Senior Member
The brass for nipples is an alloy of copper & zinc? Brass generically is thousands of alloys of copper + zinc + /tin/lead/iron/alumin(i)um . When we finally got wise to lead states limited the lead content of brass for plumbing or other uses that end up in our stomachs.
Brass disinfects itself through the oligodynamic effect: bacteria and fungus that land on it die eventually (about an hour for untarnished brass, as long as 7 for tarnished brass). Shower heads harbor bacteria, as a microbiologist found when he sent all his students home for Christmas break with kits to collect what was on them there. (https://scienceblog.com/25118/daily-...boulder-study/ ) I switched to a raw brass shower head. Copper's even better (silver better yet); some organizations provide copper water vessels to people who live in poor areas, fetch their drinking water and store it at home. Copper's too soft for plumbing fixtures, though I did see a copper spigot in the kitchen at Monet's home in Giverny - worth a trip if you're in Paris. There's a commuter train to Vernon; it's a mile walk to Giverny.
Brass disinfects itself through the oligodynamic effect: bacteria and fungus that land on it die eventually (about an hour for untarnished brass, as long as 7 for tarnished brass). Shower heads harbor bacteria, as a microbiologist found when he sent all his students home for Christmas break with kits to collect what was on them there. (https://scienceblog.com/25118/daily-...boulder-study/ ) I switched to a raw brass shower head. Copper's even better (silver better yet); some organizations provide copper water vessels to people who live in poor areas, fetch their drinking water and store it at home. Copper's too soft for plumbing fixtures, though I did see a copper spigot in the kitchen at Monet's home in Giverny - worth a trip if you're in Paris. There's a commuter train to Vernon; it's a mile walk to Giverny.
Last edited by Arthur Peabody; 07-22-19 at 03:27 PM.
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,909
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4806 Post(s)
Liked 3,932 Times
in
2,557 Posts
Bring one of the spokes to the shop and try on the nipples. Not all threads are alike. You didn't say how old this bike is but the old French and Japanese spokes used different threading.
Ben
Ben
#21
Old fart
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,790
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3590 Post(s)
Liked 3,401 Times
in
1,935 Posts
Source: Sutherland's 4th Edition
#22
1/2 as far in 2x the time
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Northern Bergen County, NJ
Posts: 1,746
Bikes: Yes, Please.
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 499 Post(s)
Liked 285 Times
in
222 Posts
Generations, you had to say it.
Jeezus, I'm squinting at the screen cause I just ran in from the thunder shower, and my reading glasses are all steamed up... for this? I'm gonna go back out and hold my Vitus 979 forks over my head
Last edited by Last ride 76; 07-22-19 at 02:48 PM.
#24
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Its hilarious how a thread can get so many odd replies as well as correct info. I am appreciative of all who participated.
Take it to the shop?? I AM THE SHOP!!
There are so many strange alloys out there, with the scariest being low quality zinc mixes. They should just say ALUMINUM, instead of alloy. I just had to make sure what I suspected was correct.
The salt appears to have only attacked the nipples. I can unscrew whats left by hand easily.
Time to order parts and get to work on this job too.
-SP
Take it to the shop?? I AM THE SHOP!!
There are so many strange alloys out there, with the scariest being low quality zinc mixes. They should just say ALUMINUM, instead of alloy. I just had to make sure what I suspected was correct.
The salt appears to have only attacked the nipples. I can unscrew whats left by hand easily.
Time to order parts and get to work on this job too.
-SP