Check the nipple head side of things.

If you can see that the end of the spokes are within a millimeter of the screwdriver flats of the nipples - then that's a pretty good indication that the spoke has penetrated the thickness of the rim seat.

...i.e., no need to worry.

But if that is not the case - then eventually given time and depending upon the quality of the nipple - long or short - nipple barrels will start to crack and separate from the head of the nipples. Head gets lefts on rim seat - barrel slides up and down the spoke like a cheap wheel decoration.

Switching from short to long nipples does not solve the problem...

Sad thing that I am seeing a lot of nowadays is colorful mass produced single-speed/fixie wheels using long nipples to hide 10mm threaded spokes that are purposely cut to just the edge of the rim eyelet. This is done to both reduce scratching of the colored rims during assembly while also avoiding running out of threads in the nipple. (Properly sized spokes will be 2-3mm longer and increases the risk of rim scratching by an assembler in the factory who is working quickly...)

I'm seeing two failures as a result:

1. Barrel snaps...head resides in rim...barrel on spoke.
2. One or more spokes loosen enough such that the nipples pop loose - and somehow flip sideways and get lost inside the rim in the vicinity of the hole that it resided in.


So far the fixes are simple:

1. Relace with spokes that are 2-3mm longer with 10 or 12mm nipples.
2. Relace with spokes that are 2-3mm longer and threaded in spoke machine with 12mm threads for use with 16mm nipples. A lot of folks seem to want those long nipples - especially in black brass and colored alloy.


Night!