Are anodized nipples superior to non anodized?

[Tony]

Having a wheel built, I like the look of the silver non anodized nipples. If I remember correctly I read somewhere that anodized nipples are superior to non anodized. Is this correct?

[buldogge]

Just say no...

Use brass.

-Mark in St. Louis

[11.4]

I believe, at least with one of the major manufacturers, that they are all anodized, whether clear anodized or colored. I have heard that alloy nipples are hardened and also that they aren't -- hardened and thus don't deform but break more easily, aren't so they don't break as easily. Go figure. Color anodizing doesn't necessarily have to correlate with a hardening process.

One can build good wheels with alloy nipples, but as noted above, brass nipples are more durable and the brass has a lubricity that allows it to tighten up more smoothly during truing, whether or not any lube is applied to the nipple.

We must be deep into midwinter somewhere.

[joosttx]

Are brass nipples anodized?

[Dead Man]

Are brass nipples anodized?

No, but they're frequently nickel plated.

Anodized nipples seem to be one of those things ..... only use them if you don't need to solicit advice about them.. 'cause nobody is ever gonna suggest doing it

[joosttx]

No, but they're frequently nickel plated.

Anodized nipples seem to be one of those things ..... only use them if you don't need to solicit advice about them.. 'cause nobody is ever gonna suggest doing it

That's great advice

[Tony]

No, but they're frequently nickel plated.

Anodized nipples seem to be one of those things ..... only use them if you don't need to solicit advice about them.. 'cause nobody is ever gonna suggest doing it

True, I should have known better.

[ergott]

'cause nobody is ever gonna suggest doing it

Nah, the majority of wheels I build are with alloy nipples. Their track record for me has been excellent.

[Louis]

Tony, are you asking about brass (which is nickel-plated) vs aluminum (which is anodized), or are you talking about anodized vs non-anodized aluminum (which I've never heard of).

I believe the bottom line is that AL saves you a few grams at the risk of maybe not being quite as reliable long-term.

[Tony]

Nah, the majority of wheels I build are with alloy nipples. Their track record for me has been excellent.

Aluminum nipples have been around for many years and will continue to be used by many good wheel builders.

[Tony]

Tony, are you asking about brass (which is nickel-plated) vs aluminum (which is anodized), or are you talking about anodized vs non-anodized aluminum (which I've never heard of).

I believe the bottom line is that AL saves you a few grams at the risk of maybe not being quite as reliable long-term.

Louis, I was asking about anodized vs non-anodized aluminum. I like the silver but could not find on Sapim's wed site the silver nipples were anodized. I have always thought anodizing was for color and the process make for a better nipple?

FWIW I have two wheelsets with alloy nipples over 15 years old, MTB wheels, so they've seen lots of action over the years

[11.4]

Nah, the majority of wheels I build are with alloy nipples. Their track record for me has been excellent.

And I'll add for anyone not familiar with Ergott that he is one of the best wheel builders in the business, and his wheels have a most vaunted reputation here on this forum and elsewhere. There are a few tricks to using any component in a wheel and alloy nipples are no different. Eric has them figured out well, and at that point they are quite reliable. He's a great builder.

[buddybikes]

Anyone ever try them? Saw aussie company used to make them and ebay has some.

[Bstone]

Are aluminum nipples more likely to seize?

[Dead Man]

Nah, the majority of wheels I build are with alloy nipples. Their track record for me has been excellent.

You're not soliciting advice about it. ;)

[ergott]

And I'll add for anyone not familiar with Ergott that he is one of the best wheel builders in the business, and his wheels have a most vaunted reputation here on this forum and elsewhere. There are a few tricks to using any component in a wheel and alloy nipples are no different. Eric has them figured out well, and at that point they are quite reliable. He's a great builder.


Thanks so much for the kind words!

[Tony]

Are aluminum nipples more likely to seize?

I just checked one of those 15 year old wheels, seems the aluminum nipples
(at least the two I tried) have seized.

[11.4]

I just checked one of those 15 year old wheels, seems the aluminum nipples
(at least the two I tried) have seized.

How were they prepped? That, plus how you treated the rim (or ferrule, if it's ferruled) make a big difference. As I said above, there are tricks to using alloy nipples well and it's a learning curve.

[Tony]

How were they prepped? That, plus how you treated the rim (or ferrule, if it's ferruled) make a big difference. As I said above, there are tricks to using alloy nipples well and it's a learning curve.

I should of added this one wheelset has seen lots of overniters on the roof of my vehicle along the coast in the Mendocino area. I wonder if brass nipples would have fared any better. The wheelset was built by Colorado Cyclist and has ti spokes, steel on the drive side.

I did check the other mtb wheelset built by Dave at speed dreams around the same time, wife's. This time I added a little drop of lubricant to the nipple and let it sit before turning it, no problem. This wheelset has seen less time along the coast.

[Lewis Moon]

Nah, the majority of wheels I build are with alloy nipples. Their track record for me has been excellent.

Same here. The only time I've ever had a nipple fail is when I grabbed the wrong spoke wrench and rounded it off. That was MY mistake.

[Ronsonic]

IINM, aluminum nipples are typically anodized, either clear (silver) or some color. I've had a lot of old wheels and don't find the corrosion on them I'd expect of unanodized aluminum.

I've had a couple break on me on older wheelsets of unknown history and ancestry. Most have lasted just fine. I've had a lot that froze to the spoke, but letting a drop of something soak in and work fixed that.

Brass nips are generally nickel plated.

[11.4]

I should of added this one wheelset has seen lots of overniters on the roof of my vehicle along the coast in the Mendocino area. I wonder if brass nipples would have fared any better. The wheelset was built by Colorado Cyclist and has ti spokes, steel on the drive side.

I did check the other mtb wheelset built by Dave at speed dreams around the same time, wife's. This time I added a little drop of lubricant to the nipple and let it sit before turning it, no problem. This wheelset has seen less time along the coast.

Sitting out like that lets grit into the threading a little, and it can jam things up. Some lubricant usually helps, but condensation cycles on bike equipment left outdoors is just hard on everything -- as bad as sitting by the seashore, and you did that too. Brass nipples night hold out a little better but because the lubricity of the brass means they can turn even with a level of resistance where other metals will simply stop. It isn't that the brass nipples will resist stripping or corrosion that much better.

And not to knock Colorado, but their wheel builds are on average ok but I haven't seen great ones there, and sometimes they get a builder who has a bad day and has to get the wheels out so it isn't as good a job. Often they simply don't have the amount of experience needed to deal with producing the best wheels from potentially non-standard components.

[jischr]

Tony regarding your original question, anodizing is a way of making a 'hard' oxidized layer on the aluminum bit. New aluminum also oxidizes when exposed to air, speeds up a bit with moisture, and is soft. This is the type of oxide layer that rubs off on your hand, e.g., old school lawn furniture, or your brake surfaces if they're worn. Anodizing makes an oxide layer that is more cubic, compact, dense. On new aluminum it would appear silver, toss in a dye and it can be most any color.