I have built about a dusin of wheels over the years and I have allways > oiled the threads on the spokes to ease the tightening - and I made > some nice strong wheels.> The former wheel I made half a year ago - a randonneur front wheel with > a Schmidt dynahub - was built very tight - with 2,0/1,5 butted spokes - > and in a few instances I unfortunately rounded the edges of the > nipples because of the great force that had to be applied to overcome > the friction between nipple, spoke and rim.>

For the new mountain climbing rear wheel that I built last weekend, I > again chose 2,0/1,5 spokes and alu nipples - and I went a step further > to reduce resistance in tightening the nipples: I applied a slash of > hub grease between the nipple and the rim and hub grease on the threads > of the spoke - and I was surprised how very effortless it was to make a > very, very tight wheel.> So far no problemas. The new wheel looks and sounds beautiful. Still, > it hasn't been tested under rough conditions.>

However I noticed, that the manufaturers of spokes and nipples, DT > Swiss and Sapim, both produce and market nipples with glue in them, > evidently designed to make the nipple stick in its place after the > wheel has been trued. Now the grease I put in, has the opposite > effect, right? So now I am concerned that the thoroughly greased > nipples will loosen, when I rattle down the mountain.> Should tightening the nipples not be made too easy?.> Should I take out the grease and put in glue to make a stronger wheel?>

Thanks in advance for any advice or opinion.>

Ivar Hesselager> Denmark, Europe>

I have built about a dusin of wheels over the years and I have allways > oiled the threads on the spokes to ease the tightening - and I made some > nice strong wheels.> The former wheel I made half a year ago - a randonneur front wheel with a > Schmidt dynahub - was built very tight - with 2,0/1,5 butted spokes - and > in a few instances I unfortunately rounded the edges of the nipples > because of the great force that had to be applied to overcome the friction > between nipple, spoke and rim.

However I noticed, that the manufaturers of spokes and nipples, DT Swiss > and Sapim, both produce and market nipples with glue in them, evidently > designed to make the nipple stick in its place after the wheel has been > trued.

Thanks to all of you for reassuring me, that I did the right thing.> Still it puzzles me, that well known spoke & nipple producers like> DT Swiss and Sapim make glued nipples if their only relevant use is> in poorly build wheels.

Because many wheel building machines cannot build a tight wheel, on> where the spokes do not repeatedly slacken in use. These people need> something to stay in business and the wheels they build will work for> most riders.>

I was there when Wheelsmith realized this many years ago, when their> wheelbuilding was part of the bicycle shop here in Palo Alto next to> Sierra Designs (aka North Face). It was then that Spoke-prep was> introduced to keep their wheels from falling apart. They were using> an early Holland Mechanics "Robot" and I watched what happened when> they turned the tension up. The machine went nuts as it twisted> spokes back and forth with no change other than twisting spokes.>

As I said, this should all go away if both Holland Mechanics and BMD> include a spoke tension relaxing pneumatic plunger at the spoke being> adjusted. I've been harping on them about it for many years and at> the last InterBike trade show there was interest in the concept.> We'll see.>

http://www.bmd.nl/>­ http://www.hollandm­echanics.com/>

Jobst.Brandt@stanfo­rdalumni.org

jobst.brandt@stanf­ordalumni.org Wrote: >> Ivar Hesselager writes:>>

One reason why I don't use aluminum nipples.

IMO this is an attempt to compensate for a poor build. A well-built wheel> will not loosen, a poorly-built one will. Better to build it properly the> first time than use loctite to keep it together.>

I always use oil on the nipples.>

hardly. locking nipples are very relevant for wheels that are built> not> to exceed the rim manufacturers tension spec. wheels with very high> dish have very slack spokes on the non-drive side - spokes that are> easy> to make completely loose with lateral loads. in that situation,> self-locking nipples are pretty much essential.>

of course, if the concept of modern technology is distasteful, you> /could/ exceed recommended spoke tensions, but that negates your right> to bleat about rim cracking. or you could just ride a virtually> undished 5-speed rear and avoid life as the rest of the cycling world> experiences it. tough call.