Vintage wheel build Q's(first-timer)
 

I recently aquired an early 70's Gitane tdf...(posted about it couple weeks ago). The project was coming along well until I decided yesterday that it would be easier to disassemble the original Mavic wheels for cleaning.

I ran to the LBS after tearing-down the wheels to buy new spokes and nipples, but spokes were all I came home with. The reason.....the mechanic said the nipples were wheel specific??? Is this true? I have a greater problem now because the original nipples won't thread to the new spokes.

can anyone shed some light o this?

Aaron

"wheel specific", what's that supposed to mean? If you have deep "V" section rims you might need long nipples, if you have no eyelets in the rims you may need washers...otherwise it's just 2 sizes: 14 ga or 15ga and you probably have a miss-match there. Find a better LBS if they keep talking nonsense.

Okay, that makes me feel better. I'll go back to the shop with that knowledge and ask for new nipples.

This is my first wheel build ever....I'm pretty green behind the ears.

Thanks for the help.

Aaron

Maybe there's some crucial info I'm not aware of, but it sounds fishy. I'm also surprised they'd sell spokes without any nipples, since most spokes are supplied *with* them from the manufacturer...unless they are a shop that custom-cuts to size and rolls threads themselves (in which case they *really* should know better than they seem to). Good luck with the wheel-building, it's a challenge but it'll pay off eventually. I hope you have good instructions (I use the Jobst Brandt book, myself). My first attempt was a total disaster and the shop had to completely undo and redo my lacing, taught me to "read the instructions"...a lesson I keep relearning again and again ;)

Even if they cut and rethread they still came with nipples. Back in the day we'd only stock the longest length DT available and cut them to order.

I'd go back and ask what happened to the nipples the spokes came with. In my eyes this one of the biggest scams in cycling...selling nipples for extra.

Which model Mavic wheels?

These:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...e/IMG_0811.jpg

I'm sorry but the LBS guy is as full of **** as a christmas goose.
that rim uses a standard spoke nipple, it doesn't even need spoke washers.

Marty

That is a Mavic Montlery Championne du Monde tubular rim, and there is no reason a standard 12mm DT Swiss brass nipple and DT Swiss 2.0/1.8/2.0 double-butted stainless Competition spoke won't work perfectly.

Here's a photo of the eyelets on Montlery rim and a current production Open Pro clincher rim.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...prolabeled.jpg

Here's a photo of a DT Swiss Competition spoke and brass nipple.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...andNipples.jpg

Nothing special about those nipples, should be no problem getting some to fit.

If you told the LBS you were 'rebuilding some Mavic wheels' then I can see where some confusion may have occured, as some of the modern Mavic 'factory built' wheels probably do need special nipples. I'd go back and explain that the spokes are for 'old-style' wheels using vintage Mavic rims (maybe bring in the rims), and politely ask for the nipples you paid for when you bought the spokes.

What size of spoke did you get, 14g or 15g, etc.?

It's a long story....I'm going with 14G DB on the front and regular 15G on the back. I'm rethinking things now, so it's hard to say what exactly I'll do regarding the spokes.

Thanks for the help guys.

Aaron