Tried building a wheel with brass nipples instead of aluminum and it took way longer

I finally got around to lacing up a new rear wheel for my touring bike last weekend and decided to try brass nipples for the first time. I've always used aluminum before because they're lighter and cheaper. But man, the brass ones felt like they were fighting me every step of the way. They seemed to grab the spokes tighter and I had to keep backing off and readjusting tension more often. Has anyone else found brass nipples require a totally different approach to truing?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony16526d ago

Wait, are you saying brass nipples are actually harder to work with or did you just forget to lube the spoke threads before starting? I made that mistake once and spent three hours fighting a wheel that would not true up properly. A tiny drop of oil on each spoke nipple makes a world of difference, it cuts the friction way down. Honestly though, I still stick to aluminum for most builds, brass might be tougher but who needs that headache on a Tuesday afternoon?

sam_harris6826d ago

Three hours just to find out you forgot the lube, now that's a classic Tuesday move right there. Brass is tough all right, mostly because it's too stubborn to admit it needs a little help.