Bicycle Mechanics - ss spokes?

Hi All,
I went down to the LBS this morning (in Mérida), to check out spoke options. When I asked whether the nipples were aluminum or brass, she told me they were stainless steel. I asked are you sure, and she assured me they are. Are there ss spoke nipples out there? Or was she confused?

Stainless steel spokes? Of course. SS nipples? Never heard of them. Guessing the lady just didn't know what she was talking about. They're almost certainly brass which do look shiny like SS.

Nipples are available in:

Brass w/ Nickel Plating (Most Common)
Alloy (2nd Most Common)
Steel
Nickel (Pretty rare nowadays...)

Just about everything has been tried in the past - Brass, Alloy and Steel are pretty much it.

=8-)

if not aluminum. the nipple will be brass, nickel plated.

someone once tried to sell Titanium nipples , never was a commercial success.

I would have asked to to see them. Be careful how you ask it tho.

someone once tried to sell Titanium nipples , never was a commercial success.
Someone also sold (still sells?) titanium spokes. Dreadfully exensive and the benefits were never really explained.

Someone also sold (still sells?) titanium spokes.

Dreadfully exensive and the benefits were never really explained.

If you think about this for a while, you
will realize that you have answered the
benefits question in your statement.

Or was she confused?

She was obviously confused.

Whether she was confused enough to let you see her
nipples is kinda up for grabs..........................:o


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frd53vbCHLg

Stainless steel nipples have long been an option on motorcycle spokes these start at 11 gauge. It is possible someone is making them for bicycles if so I would like to buy some.

I would have asked to to see them. Be careful how you ask it tho.

Brahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!

OH sure lime you never ran into a guy working in shop who didn't know a Victory shifter from a Triomphe shifter. :rolleyes:

Well for what it is worth. I have a French Vintage 1970 10 speed with Berg-Union spokes and Brass Nipples with "S S" stamped on them. The nipples are nickel plated brass.

Someone also sold (still sells?) titanium spokes. Dreadfully exensive and the benefits were never really explained.

Are they as expensive as bladed spokes? I did a rebuild on a couple of bontrager race X lites and tried to stick with near original white bladed. I was appalled at how expensive they were ($3-$5 per spoke)

seedsbelize writing from from Mérida, Yucatán, November of last year,

might be a language problem, you ask in Spanish , English , Haiti French-Creole,
or Brazilian-Portugese?

The conversation was in Spanish. They were regular spokes, @ ~30 dollars for 72 spokes. Interestingly, about a week ago, I was visiting my bike guru, asking about too long drive side spokes(he eventually cut them down and re-threaded them for me) and there in the debris along the curb were the remains of cut spokes, with nice, shiny nipples on them. As I was collecting the nipples, I asked what they were made of, and he told me they were plated steel. This guy knows his stuff. I'll cut one open and get back to you.