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Hi, I've find the hub and rim I want at CRC. No spokes in stock though. I don't believe that, I expect they only use them for wheel builds. I've tried various places and there just don't seem to be any.
Where can I buy 18 of one size, 18 of another, at a reasonable price?
Cheers, al.
What type of spokes and what length are you looking for? What is reasonable?
Try Billy's bmx, and look under bike parts you can get spoke nipples there as well... http://www.billys.co.uk/
CRC have been crap for spokes for a few years now.
I use Rose Bikes, they sell them in packs of 20. Works out cheap even with the £7+ postage!! 🙂
SJS tend to have all lengths and flavours in stock.
These guys are cheap and have a good selection of ACI double butted spokes - lesser known make but I've built some good wheels with them.
Crap website, but they are easy to deal with 😉
Well any 'decent' LBS should be able to sort that out Shirley?
Got mine from Spa Cycles
Best price I could find for sapim spokes including nipples.
You can buy any quantity you want.
Have you tried a bike shop?
I use Rose (I buy DTs; mainly Comps but also Champs and Revs). They supply any quantity you want and they're cheaper than anywhere in the UK even after postage. But note that they supply nipples separately.
ACI… hm… maybe if you want silver.
https://twitter.com/mashing53/status/956676227884093440
Yep bike shop though I'm sure they will be like a million quid each...
Rose especially if you can get over the £100 free delivery threshold. UK based I tend to use JRA.
Got mine from Spa Cycles
I tried them for a simple Sturmey Archer gear cable. (They're 8 miles from me)
About as much help as a boil on the arse.
Went to my LBS (Bike Scene, Guisborough, 35 miles away) 'Yeah, we'll order one'. 4 days later I get a message, 'your cable's here'.
OP, try your LBS 1st.
Thanks all. I've built plenty wheels but not had occasion to for a few years. Situation has definitely got worse. I wonder if it's due to wider rims - building a spider-web road wheel might be an art, but everyone can build a fat bike wheel. So don't sell the public spokes. Maybe...
Thanks for the tips, I'll look at Rose. SJS are of course great for everything (I have Brompton!) and their spoke selection is almost TOO good. Lunch time tomorrow Web browsing sorted then!
Al.
Recently I've used Rose or Bike Discount from Germany. Even with postage costs it was considerably less than any UK online or ebay seller. Also, they tend to have a good stock of all sizes which I struggled to find in the UK.
Sdeals
I don't buy DT Swiss or Sapim from the UK because of the gouging prices and rubbish stocks. My LBS wanted a quid for a bog-standard DB spoke and 50p for a nipple - I laughed and walked out. For general builds, I've had no problem with ACI from SDeals or Cyclebasket.
You're lucky, I never used to be able to find an LBS who would sell me anything other than a box of 100.
Another vote for DT from Rose Bikes here.
I used DT from Rose as well,cheap and efficient. Up suppliers wanted about a quid each! I got about 75 from Rose for about 40 quid, then Brass Halo nipples from eBay for just over a fiver.
Just Riding Along have always been the easy answer for me.
If you're building a pair of 32-spoke wheels with black DT Comps, you'll pay £90 at SJS versus £35 at Rose. Don't get me wrong, SJS are a great shop with great customer service, but I think you have to be a real Blue Passport Enthusiast not to buy spokes from Germany.
This all begs the question really, why is it so insanely expensive (oe even plain difficult) to buy spokes in the UK? From literally every shop?!?!?
My LBS will sell you any spokes and nipples you want if they have them in stock, which is a fairly good selection, or order them in for you. Prices are between £20 - £25 per wheel depending on type of spoke. Build prices are around £50 per wheel including spokes and nipples.
Recently propositioned my LBS to sell me DT comps if they could double check my spoke calculations as Im doing my first nice wheel build - they've agreed but didnt seem overjoyed and said its not something they usually do - £1.40 a spoke - nipples included but I'd like to use black brass nipples so I'd be buying these on top - all seems expensive for sure . .
This all begs the question really, why is it so insanely expensive (oe even plain difficult) to buy spokes in the UK? From literally every shop?!?!?
For an independent; cost, volume of stock/box size and range.
Madison sell DT Competition and Champion in boxes of 72 or 500, if the shop does not have that spoke length in stock and they order a box to sell you a few they have lost money in the short term (yes they now have stock but it may take a while to sell). Low price, slow turnover items need a reasonable profit margin to be worth selling.
DT comps are cheaper from Rose than Madison just now.
Spoke machine reduces stock holding, but has a high investment cost.
RRP on DT Comp £1.19, Champ £0.85
Stocking DT Comp and Champ in 250-300 is 100 boxes of 72 spokes, RRP £4284 of Comp, £3060 of Champ, most shops are not going to invest that without a reasonable profit and rate of return.
Spoke stock is normally built up over time/wheel builds unless you are specialist.
Or go to Big Al at Wheelcraft, he has thousands of boxes of spokes, can cut/roll and is cheap.
Most bike shops are not price gouging millionaires, it is a expensive business.
Most bike shops are not price gouging millionaires, it is a expensive business.
I never think that they are, I was just wondering why the best place (in fact, pretty much the only place!) to buy them in the UK is in Germany
I never think that they are, I was just wondering why the best place (in fact, pretty much the only place!) to buy them in the UK is in Germany
Possibly removing a supplier or suppliers from the chain so reducing multiple markups?
Larger volume/turnover will also allow lower profit margin?
My LBS will sell you any spokes and nipples you want if they have them in stock, which is a fairly good selection, or order them in for you. Prices are between £20 – £25 per wheel depending on type of spoke.
This sounds good. Do they deliver?