"Dissolving" Edge spoke nipples...Ergott help!

[DRZRM]

So I have an old pair of Edge 29er wheels built to XTR hubs. They work well on my steel 29er hardtail, and the bike does not see real heavy usage thanks to my FS Ibis Ripley 29er I ride most trails on. I mostly use it for mellow trail runs with the dog, and rides with my kids/family on rails-to-trails paths, but I love the bike (Zanconato) and always enjoy riding it. I recently noticed an out of true wheel that was the result of a broken/missing nipple. I'm running the wheels tubeless with a Stan's strip, so it is sort of a pain to get to nipples. When I took off the tire, strip and Stan's tape, I found a some badly corroded aluminum dust that was my nipple shaking around in the rim, I was amazed at the level of decomposition. I lubed the spoke with boiled linseed oil and replaced the nipple with a new Enve one, the threads were fine. As I had the strip and tape off, I checked the other nipples. One looked to be in just as bad shape, and when I put the wrench on it, it essentially dissolved. Lubed those threads and replaced with new Enve nipple. There are three other that are in bad shape, but they don't seem to be in immediate threat of failure. I dabbed some penetrating oil on their heads, waited, and tried to remove them. All effortlessly stripped (the park tool immediately rounded off the shoulders).

So my question is, is there anything to do, short of either just riding them until each nipple snaps off on its own (that's a lot of Stan's tape if they go one at a time) or cutting off the spokes and replacing both spoke and nipple (which I'd prefer avoiding as I'll have to remove disc and cassette to get them out, but I understand this is likely my best option).

What say you Ergott? Anyway, to grab those stripped and soft nipple heads and get the old Edge nipples off?

[cinema]

contact enve because as i believe these were warrantied. those nipples were alloy NON-ANNODIZED which caused galvanic corrosion. a couple other companies did this bone headed move and they warrantied their rims

[ergott]

The best solution is rebuild. That probably means cutting spokes since you can't get the nipples off. I would give Enve a call and see if they'll assist in any way. Can't hurt.

They now use a brass nipple that's much better. Even anodized alloy would have worked. It was only the raw aluminium nipples that were the problem. I had no wheels (that I have been contacted about) come back to me yet and I assume this is because of the healthy amount of grease I use during assembly. I don't think any wheel builder knew the extent of corrosion that was possible at the time.

[Mark McM]

They now use a brass nipple that's much better. Even anodized alloy would have worked. It was only the raw aluminium nipples that were the problem. I had no wheels (that I have been contacted about) come back to me yet and I assume this is because of the healthy amount of grease I use during assembly. I don't think any wheel builder knew the extent of corrosion that was possible at the time.

I'm a bit surprised by this, as galvanic corrosion between aluminum and carbon has long been known about in the bicycle world. Many of the first carbon tube bicycle frames used carbon fiber tubes bonded into aluminum lugs. This type of frame needs to have the tubes and lugs galvanically isolated (often with a layer of fiberglass), or the joint could fail due to galvanic corrosion. Indeed, many did fail this way if they were manufactured incorrectly. It was not uncommon for a carbon tube bike owner to discover white powder coming out of the tube/lug interface some time before the tube pulled completely out - the white power was corrosion of the aluminum lug. Ask Specialized about this, who had to warranty many of their Allez carbon tubed lugged frames.

[DRZRM]

Yeah, I got them here, so I don't imagine that any warrantee will transfer. So it looks like I'll need to cut out the spokes and rebuild them myself. Not the end of the world.

Folks always say you need to de-tension your nipples before you start cutting spokes. Besides the two nipples that came out that I can take off, I don't think I'll be able to do much in the way of de-tensioning. Any advice besides wearing goggles?

I assume the corrosion being discussed above is limited to the nipples? No likely damage to the carbon rims?

[bshell]

What time period we are talking about here with the nipples on Enve prebuilts?

I have some SES 3.4 clinchers from 2012 and wonder if I should expect this too?

Thanks

[DRZRM]

I think these were the last rims they produced as Edge, not Enve, and that change happened September 1, 2010. I'm not sure when they switched over to the newer nipples, but the ones I have for replacement look very different, they use a square nipple driver not a hexagonal one, and they appear to be brass. A quick look under your tape would tell you if you had them.

That said, I have no idea if there was an interim, galvanized aluminum nipple with a hexagon shaped head. I would assume it would have been fixed by 2012, but maybe someone who actually knows will jump back in.

[LegendRider]

I'm a bit surprised by this, as galvanic corrosion between aluminum and carbon has long been known about in the bicycle world. Many of the first carbon tube bicycle frames used carbon fiber tubes bonded into aluminum lugs. This type of frame needs to have the tubes and lugs galvanically isolated (often with a layer of fiberglass), or the joint could fail due to galvanic corrosion. Indeed, many did fail this way if they were manufactured incorrectly. It was not uncommon for a carbon tube bike owner to discover white powder coming out of the tube/lug interface some time before the tube pulled completely out - the white power was corrosion of the aluminum lug. Ask Specialized about this, who had to warranty many of their Allez carbon tubed lugged frames.

My first road bike was a 1990 Trek 2300 with carbon top, seat and down tubes bonded to an aluminum head tube and rear triangle. Within a year or so the joints started showing signs of corrosion including the white powdery substance.

[cinema]

give em a call you may be surprised. i have been surprised by exceptional customer service by a lot of cycling brands without any proof of purchase

[ergott]

I'm a bit surprised by this, as galvanic corrosion between aluminum and carbon has long been known about in the bicycle world.

I unfortunately was less skeptical of engineers and big companies back then and didn't give it much thought since they supplied the nipples. I figured they were anodized which would have made this a non issue. The nipples were supplied by Pillar. Reynolds used the same nipples at the time.

I knew a bit about the possibility of galvanic corrosion as I like the fact my Colnago C40 had a titanium BB instead of alloy which was popular at the time.

[oldpotatoe]

Might try to find some of these..I think DT makes some too. Basically a inverted nipple w/o a slot.

http://www.sapim.be/nipples/brass/inverted