http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Cracked nipples...? en Sun, 28 Jun 2026 08:06:45 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16630#post-225293 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 09:01:37 +0000 dougal 225293@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJtvjsZU5e0">Innuendo?</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16630#post-225291 Sun, 17 Jul 2016 21:54:05 +0000 Mandopicker101 225291@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks all - I'll be off to my LBS to show them my cracked nipples... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16630#post-225266 Sat, 16 Jul 2016 21:06:32 +0000 rbrtwtmn 225266@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My thoughts... if the cracked ones are separate (not beside each other) and it's only a couple or three then I'd be considering replacing myself. But that's given that I've trued many slightly off wheels in the past. I've never built a wheel, so if there were more than about 3 or the 3 were together, I'd consider this to be so complex a job that the time and risks wouldn't be worth it. I'd use the give-to-bike-shop wave-magic-wand method.</p> <p>Any shop you already trust I think - but ask if they are up to it. </p> <p>Think of it like this - we'd all consider gluing a handle back on a teapot, but not learning the craft of throwing pots on a wheel just to replace a teapot. Buying a new teapot would be far simpler. ! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16630#post-225257 Sat, 16 Jul 2016 19:03:01 +0000 chdot 225257@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If they are shiny, likely to be chrome plated brass (most common sort). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16630#post-225249 Sat, 16 Jul 2016 17:11:22 +0000 Mandopicker101 225249@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Excusing my utter ignorance of wheel building (put rim, hub, spokes and nipples in a big bag, wave wand over to and presto! Here's a wheel), brass nipples would look like...brass? As in shiny gold colour? These are shinyish silver, which make me think...alu?</p> <p>I'm thinking the front wheel has been rebuilt as it's a different hub (black American Classic) to the rear which is on a Shimano, possibly a 105 but I can't make it the lettering add it's been washed off. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16630#post-225248 Sat, 16 Jul 2016 16:53:51 +0000 Cyclops 225248@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Are the spoke nipples anything other than 12mm brass?</em></p> <p>Some wheelbuilders use aluminium nipples as they're cheaper and lighter. They do have a tendency to crumble to dust if ridden through winter in the UK as the road salt causes them to corrode something awful. Quite often you can't even turn the nipples as the corrosion locks them in situ which is normally solved by a big set of bolt cutters and rebuilding the wheel with new spokes and brass nipples. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16630#post-225247 Sat, 16 Jul 2016 16:20:40 +0000 Arellcat 225247@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In theory, you 'just' detension the spokes with the damaged nipples, replace the nipples, bring it back up to tension. In actuality, you'd probably want to detension the whole wheel, fixed the problem and then retension and true it.</p> <p>Are the spoke nipples anything other than 12mm brass? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16630#post-225246 Sat, 16 Jul 2016 16:04:57 +0000 Mandopicker101 225246@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It's my front wheel, not me...honest.</p> <p>Can anyone advise on replacing nipples on a bike wheel? As wheels remain a Dark Art to me, what's the likely cost? Any shops recommended?</p> <p>I bought a pair of Mavic Open Pros from a certain online auction site. The seller noted he <em>thought</em> a few nipples needed replaced but wasn't sure. He noted these had been a spare CX pair so I figured they'd just about measure up to Edinburgh commuting.. </p> <p>In my haste, I popped them on my bike yesterday and rolled off to work. Psychosomatic maybe, but I'd swear I had a livelier ride. Lovely. Cleaning a spot of mud off them earlier today, I remembered the nipple remark. A couple are definitely cracked or thinking hard about it One or two look like part has chipped away. This is all on the front wheel. Rear looks fine.</p> <p>Wheels are pretty true and roll beautifully. Spokes seem evenly tensioned, unlike the CXP22s they've temporarily replaced. </p>