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stripped nipple

Old 05-31-09, 07:58 PM
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stripped nipple

How does the threading of a nipple become stripped while ridding?

I just got back from ridding and when I was walking my bike I realized the brake was rubbing the rim. I spun the wheel and saw it was way out of true just in one spot. I checked out the spokes and one is completely not tensioned. So I attempted a quick true just to get the wheel somewhere until I can take it to a truing stand. I kept turning the nipple and nothing happened, so I concluded the nipple is stripped.

[edit] ^^^poor wording, I can turn the nipple but the spoke does not get tensioned.

I guess I'll take it to the bike shop tomorrow after school, but that means a 14 mile commute basically missing a spoke. Is this ok or should I just take the bus? Anyway, how could this have happened?

Last edited by hairnet; 05-31-09 at 09:01 PM.
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Old 05-31-09, 08:22 PM
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Aluminum nipple?
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Old 05-31-09, 09:01 PM
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Old 05-31-09, 09:35 PM
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It's possible that the spoke broke at the threads but there is enough of the spoke still inside the unthreaded portion of the nipple that it seems like it's all one piece still.

If you can open the brakes far enough to ride the wheel, you shouldn't do much harm assuming you don't go hopping any curbs or slamming into potholes (not that you should do that anyway). When I first started out, I did plenty of rides with a terribly tensioned rear wheel and it never fell apart on me.
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Old 05-31-09, 09:42 PM
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Originally Posted by hairnet
How does the threading of a nipple become stripped while ridding?
It has never happened to me.

Just guessing-

THAT particular spoke (or even the whole wheel) could have been undertensioned and eventually, after many cycles of loading/unloading, the threads just wore out.

Have the shop check the entire wheel for suitable tension.
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Old 05-31-09, 10:10 PM
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It's possible, the wheel was a little out of true before. I guess that may have been the spoke that was undertensioned.

At least I'll still be able to commute with it tomorrow. My only problem is that I have to ride through some less than ideal roads.
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