i just finished my first sapim cxray build this AM, and then rode it in to work. i used whatever short AL nipples wheelbuilder.com decided to send with the spokes, and they seem to work fine. i did have to pinch each spokes to get it to stop twisting, while adjusting its tension. it wasn't too bad though. in fact, seeing the twist made the wheel super easy to true up - no twist means no reseating when stress relieving the wheel. also, the cxrays seem to impart incredible lateral stiffness (compared to their vertical compliance), even starting from a low tension (400N). the build was for my roadie {dura ace fh, 32 3x black sapim cxray, black al nipples, black velocity deep-v}. i just need to take the rim stickers off, and i'll be very happy with it...