Spoke Nipple Breakage

[RobertWhitehead]

53 minutes ago, Reg Lizard said:

If you tension the spokes incorrectly with your diy effort, you're right back where you started.

Hence why I mentioned to only do the build and take it for a true / tension at the lbs. A lbs charges R400 per build but only R80 to tension / true. So there's a saving at least ????. 

[AllenH]

It's now become R1000 to replace some of the spokes that they deem not to be good.

 

Told them to give me a quote and I'll have to first go back to CC and either ask them to sort it out or refund the bike, this is a bummer but a lesson learnt

[RobertWhitehead]

1 hour ago, AllenH said:

It's now become R1000 to replace some of the spokes that they deem not to be good.

 

Told them to give me a quote and I'll have to first go back to CC and either ask them to sort it out or refund the bike, this is a bummer but a lesson learnt

Measure the spoke length and send me a dm. Do you mind the color of the spokes? I have lots of spokes and nipples at home. I am also based in PTA east 

[TNT1]

A thread title like this makes me miss JB and Oom H.

[AllenH]

15 minutes ago, TNT1 said:

A thread title like this makes me miss JB and Oom H.

Why?

[Barry]

1 hour ago, RobertWhitehead said:

Measure the spoke length and send me a dm. Do you mind the color of the spokes? I have lots of spokes and nipples at home. I am also based in PTA east 

Hey Robert, does Gary not have that rear wheel he was selling? Maybe it can work out way cheeper to replace the wheel.

[AllenH]

2 hours ago, RobertWhitehead said:

Measure the spoke length and send me a dm. Do you mind the color of the spokes? I have lots of spokes and nipples at home. I am also based in PTA east 

Thanks for the offer,

I don't have the rims with me at the moment and I don't know what my next move is going to be. If I keep the bike I'll get the measurements and drop you a DM.

Thanks for the help!! Appreciate it

[RobertWhitehead]

2 hours ago, Barry said:

Hey Robert, does Gary not have that rear wheel he was selling? Maybe it can work out way cheeper to replace the wheel.

Unfortunately he has a front wheel (which his bringing back to me ????) 

[RobertWhitehead]

1 hour ago, AllenH said:

Thanks for the offer,

I don't have the rims with me at the moment and I don't know what my next move is going to be. If I keep the bike I'll get the measurements and drop you a DM.

Thanks for the help!! Appreciate it

Don't sell the bike because the nipples are breaking, I know how you feel. Allow me to help you to get it sorted. I am not a bike shop and I won't charge you for it. 

[David Marshall]

Some good advice given here but what is needed is the advice of a professional wheel builder.  When a wheel starts to give problems like this you need to take a step back and try to assess exactly what is going on.  So the nipples are breaking - not unusual for older aluminium nipples.  Which ones? Front? Back? Drive? Non drive?  Then check if some of the other nipples are able to turn.  While you are about it check that the current spokes are the right length. You can then make a judgement as to whether to replace nipples or spokes and on one side or all.  Take another step back.  Do the components (spokes, rim and hub) warrant a rebuild?  Spokes and labour are a significant cost in a wheel so to put that into a poor rim or hub is not wise.

I cringe when I hear things like "to replace some of the spokes that they deem not to be good".  To me it suggests that the person doing the "deeming" and the wheel builder are not one and the same.  I've been building wheels for a living for 12 years and and I can't tell a good from a bad spoke just by looking at them.  I can tell damaged, seized or poor quality spokes and those I replace.  

[AllenH]

4 hours ago, David Marshall said:

I cringe when I hear things like "to replace some of the spokes that they deem not to be good".  To me it suggests that the person doing the "deeming" and the wheel builder are not one and the same.  I've been building wheels for a living for 12 years and and I can't tell a good from a bad spoke just by looking at them.  I can tell damaged, seized or poor quality spokes and those I replace.  

Well this is now my latest problem...

 

They want to charge R500 to replace all the nipples with Brass, which I was OK with.

 

The next story now is that they will look at it and replace only the bad spokes and all the nipples for R1000, so I could be paying R500 extra for anything between 0 and 72 Spokes, I don't know.

[AllenH]

I am going to have to call the store tomorrow and see what they say, I like the bike and I've already spent R1200 on it, putting me close to just spending the R9k I was trying to avoid spending in the first place.

It supposedly has a 6 month warranty that means I shouldn't be spending anything on fixing it anyway,

Latest quote for total rebuild, etc is almost R3k which puts me over the price of a brand new, but Sold Out, Rogue Cruz and none of this trouble.

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

2 problems based on the original post:

1. The alloy nipples have corroded and are breaking, meaning they all need to be replaced.

2nd problem is that the spokes seem too short, giving the nipple heads no internal support, allowing them to break too easily.

As Dave has mentioned above, take the wheel to a good wheel builder and have it sorted properly. Yes it'll cost some money, but rather that than have an unpleasant experience while out riding.

[droo]

2 hours ago, nick_the_wheelbuilder said:

2 problems based on the original post:

1. The alloy nipples have corroded and are breaking, meaning they all need to be replaced.

2nd problem is that the spokes seem too short, giving the nipple heads no internal support, allowing them to break too easily.

As Dave has mentioned above, take the wheel to a good wheel builder and have it sorted properly. Yes it'll cost some money, but rather that than have an unpleasant experience while out riding.

Problems like these always cost money. Either a chunk up front to do it properly, or several smaller chunks over time, which add up to more than the initial chunk, to do a half arsed job with a few unpleasant experiences along the way.

[AllenH]

I had cycle lab rebuild both wheels, with new brass nipples. I don't really notice the weight increase but I am still a noob.

Later on, 2 spokes on the front wheel came loose again after a ride or 2 but they have been perfect ever since.

[warick_wrx]

The phrase " Do it once, Do It right " comes to mind.

Edited January 12, 2022 by warick_wrx