Claudencal

In my infinite ignorance, I bought a load of red spoke nipples off ebay yesterday thinking I'd jazz the wheels up a bit on my newly acquired race bike. Told my mate and he laughed - then told me wheel building is quite an art. I figured I'd just take the tyres off and change the nipples!

Is it as specialised a job as my friend has suggested? Or can I do it myself?

Thanks.

johnknappcc

Don't do it!!!!, get some monkeylights to dress it up or something like that. You'd be at least in for a full re-truing/dishing, and they might not even fit the spokes.

HillRider

Wheel building is a combination of mechanics, science and art. It's a lot more than just threading nipples onto spokes between a rim and a hub.

If you do what you propose, even assuming the nipples are the right threading and length, you will then have a major truing, tensioning and dishing job ahead of you. If you aren't sure what all of these terms mean and what they imply, don't even think of touching your wheels.

Claudencal

Noted! That's the end of that idea then!

Anyone want to buy 50 red nipples? Size unknown!!

Panthers007

Nessism

Changing the spoke nipples is not hard. Silly idea but to each their own. A truing stand will help; replace one nipple at a time and bring the wheel into lateral true. Simple for people with only one thumb per hand.

PlatyPius

Assuming they're aluminum, I wouldn't touch them. Aluminum nipples = bad.

operator

And here is the bad advice of the day post.

Tabor

OTOH, if the wheels are machine built then completely de-tensioning them and then re-tensioning them would probably result in a net gain.

Panthers007

You could find out what spokes they are made for. Get these spokes in the proper lengths. Get a rim and a hub. And learn how to build wheels. That's a win~win as you get to use your red nipples, and you learn a valuable skill at your leisure.

Claudencal

Nice idea Panth, got enough on my plate for the time being what with buying/building the rest of the bike! Perhaps when I'm done, and I'm hooked on bike mechanics, I will give it a go!!

PlatyPius

I'd just string them on a piece of shift cable and make a bracelet or 5 out of them. Then sell the bracelets to n00bs. That's the best use of alloy nipples.

Wordbiker

Win~Win~Win when he gets to rebuild the wheel again once the alloy nipples strip and fail.

Frankly, that does depend on how they are utilized, but unless you're going for record lows in wheel weight, damning reliability in the process...I'd avoid alloy nipples. Too susceptible to corrosion and fatigue.

Nessism

Okay, I give up. Why is replacing one spoke nipple at a time bad?

HillRider

For someone who has at least some experience with wheel building or truing, it's not bad advice. For somone who has no knowledge, experience or the appropriate tools, it's likely to lead to more problems.

Panthers007

If they don't split apart and cause the wheel to go out on the OP, they'll at least turn pink from the sunlight bleaching the red dye or whatever.