Alum nips - never again!!

[tristan]

I'm always fascinated by the hatred towards aluminium nipples. I think historically they might not have worked as well as brass but in today's world they're just as good and sometimes better. 99.9% of the issues with aluminium nipples are related to the wheelbuilder or wheelbuilding process and NOT the nipple.

I've got some 8 or 9 thousand wheels out there with aluminium nipples and we seen practically zero issues.

Hence my question about where exactly the nipples broke.

[xjoex]

I have had great luck with alloy nips on my CX wheels and my mountain bike wheels. I have a set of Mavic 217 laced to XT with alloys nips that are on my commuter, never broke a nip from a 15 year old set. They spent their first 8 years on my main mountain bike, before being relegated to commuter wheels.

I also have these horrible Specialized wheels that came on my 2013 Stumpjumper. I have broken 4 rear nipples , a 13% failure rate.

I say the fault lies with the builder.

-Joe

[Likes2ridefar]

thousands and thousands of miles on numerous wheelsets with Al nipple wheels and no problems.

nipples on wheels are simply something i dont think about.

personally i could care less if they are Al or brass.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by tristan

I'm always fascinated by the hatred towards aluminium nipples. I think historically they might not have worked as well as brass but in today's world they're just as good and sometimes better. 99.9% of the issues with aluminium nipples are related to the wheelbuilder or wheelbuilding process and NOT the nipple.

I've got some 8 or 9 thousand wheels out there with aluminium nipples and we seen practically zero issues.

Hence my question about where exactly the nipples broke.

Hate is pretty big word...I don't hate them, just don't use them. On only about 2/3 of the number of wheels tho.

In the trenches of the bike shop, of the wheels that came in with a 'broken spoke', if they had aluminum nipples, 99.9% were just a broken nipple head, not spoke. Lots made by pretty good wheel builders, not some hack. If ya like 'em, groovy but they really add nothing to the reliability or performance of the wheel. IMHO of course.

Yes they do come in pretty colors.

[pbarry]

Originally Posted by Anarchist

"... approaching..." ???????

Joe Young is the master, probably built more wheels than every other builder combined.

Do you know who Spence Wolf was? Not taking anything away from JY in my comments: Pretty sure he'd like the comparison to SW and PC.

[aosty]

Then there's the problem of galvanic corrosion of aluminum nipples when used with carbon fiber rims.

[beeatnik]

Originally Posted by tristan

I'm always fascinated by the hatred towards aluminium nipples. I think historically they might not have worked as well as brass but in today's world they're just as good and sometimes better. 99.9% of the issues with aluminium nipples are related to the wheelbuilder or wheelbuilding process and NOT the nipple.

I've got some 8 or 9 thousand wheels out there with aluminium nipples and we seen practically zero issues.

Hence my question about where exactly the nipples broke.

How about a combination of all three scenarios? I bought a wheel set from a "builder" who would occasionally contribute here (see him more on VS these days). A23s laced to CK R45s, 20/24 2x, alu nipples. On a short power climb (10% average) with my weight at 150, I broke a nipple on the rear wheel, cracked in half. Had the spoke replaced and brass nipple used. On the next ride I broke another rear alu nipple on different short power climb. Found out later that the builder had used nipples from the late 90s/early 00s to a save a few pennies. True story.

[weiwentg]

In my case, I decided that the extra peace of mind is worth 20-30 grams. And so my 20 spoke front/24 spoke rear wheelset (Alchemy first gen hubs and SL23s) has brass nipples. If I were getting a custom set of carbon wheels, I'd still go brass nipples.

[Mark McM]

For what it's worth ...

I too have had my share of problems with aluminum nipples. Plenty of breakages and corrosion issues (even when built with properly sized spokes and using coatings and lubricants). Aluminum nipples on my wheels that have seen wet conditions (such has commuting or off-road) have been especially problematic.

But I'm not sure all aluminum nipples are the same. I have found that DT aluminum nipples are especially troublesome. However, Wheelsmith aluminum nipples appear to be more reliable, and I have had little problem with these. The Wheelsmith aluminum nipples appear to be made from a stronger alloy, and have more robust finish treatments.

[Tony]

All my wheelsets (8 total) have Alum nipples with on problems except one set that's on a mtb that has spent lots of time on the coast. Coastal conditions not good for Alum nipples!