[Closed] Re-nipple a wheelset

Most LBS's should be able to do it for you (unless they are some really weird spokes). Go for brass nipples if you're breaking alloy ones..

Put a few drops penetrating oil on each nipple and leave to soak in for a day or so.. You might be able to salvage the spokes.
Buy a load of brass nipples from crc and You can replace them one at time yourself. If they are seized and won't come off the spokes you will need new spokes.
LBS rebuild guesstimate is £60 a wheel with all new spokes and nipples..

ACF50 on the nipples will break-down the aluminium oxide corrosion whereas penetrating oil less-so. If the nipples come off cleanly, no need to replace the spokes, if not, budget for £1-2 each as they're probably bladed, not regular double-butted. Check spares availability as they might be proprietary (+££) Stick with brass nipples if you don't want to replace them again in 12-18mths. Shops typically charge about £25-30 each for a wheelbuild.

Thanks chaps.
Yes, flat straight bladed spokes. After speaking to Reynolds again, they may be more flexible on the warranty situation.

On a slight aside. Having looking into replacements for the same reasons I was interested to see that Sapim are currently claiming they consider their alloy nipples are more corrosion resistant than brass ones. I do have one set of all weather wheels that I changed the nipples on with Sapim ones that do seem to be fairing better than I had expected.

Just had my rear wheel re-nippled with brass as the alloy ones were beginning to ping off. They used current spokes and charged me £20 for the re-nipple and all that goes with that. Bargain!

Pedalabikeaway in FoD if you're wondering.

I done a couple of pairs of Reynolds assault wheels recently and used sapim internal brass nipples added about 15grams to the front and 19grams to the rear but worth it to know they are not going corrode as much as alloy worked out at £65 a pair

Though as above sapim me new Polyax nipples are claiming to be highly resistent to corrosion though only time will tell both their brass and Polyax alloy seem well made though and nice to build with.

Cannondaleking

Interesting. Do you work for a shop or were these builds for yourself?
Did you find the tension on the wheelsets super high?

It's actually easy to do yourself, except for the stuck nipples thing. Doing one nipple at a time is essentially the same as replacing one spoke, you just true it back up as you go and you can replace them all without ever "building a wheel" as it were.

But, often once a nipple is failing you'll find you have a lot of trouble swapping them as they're so welded on, so this can fall down there.

Why isn't a warranty job? Too old?

It isn't a warrant job as Reynolds are being stroakers. They are 2015 wheels and saw one winter.

I'd usually be happy to rebuild wheels but I hate working with straight pull spokes 🙂

I had the same with an 11 month old Kinesis CX wheelset with seized alloy nipples.. was basically told to do one for a warranty claim one as they need to be 'properly maintained' 🙄

on and on - Member

It isn't a warrant job as Reynolds are being stroakers. They are 2015 wheels and saw one winter.

FFS. Are they expensive enough to consider legal action? We shouldn't have to deal with this sort of shit.

Yes, properly maintained is the line they used with me too.

Anyway, I have a few sets of Reynolds 2015 wheels. All have been used in all weathers. These are the only disc wheels and the only to have failed.
I think they run ridiculously high spoke tension that the nipples can't handle.

I think they run ridiculously high spoke rension that the nipples can't handle.

some of their wheelsets do and must either be completely respoked and tensioned traditionally and lose some of their stiffness or spokes replaced at factory.

How do they define 'properly maintained' when they build them with bare alloy nipples that are known to corrode in typical UK, all-year riding? Do the instructions say "only to be used in dry weather or clean thoroughly after use in winter?"

I guess they need to dipped in unicorn piss to prevent corrosion.

I did these for customers I own Hand Crafted Wheels done a fair few set of wheels for people on here and build the racing chair wheels for draft wheel chairs.

Drop me a mail if you want dude dan@handcraftedwheels.co.uk and ignore the webpage as I can't update it and use the facebook page now for pretty much everything lol

And yes they always seem to run a really high spoke tension which when you check is near the top end of DT and Spain's tension scale for those used