Wheelbuilding with Sapim CX Ray spokes

MrBlond
MrBlond Posts: 161
edited April 2011 in Workshop
Anyone have any experience of this?

If so, how tricky is it?

I'm assuming there's not much to it beyond having the special tool to prevent the spoke twisting as you tighten it, but at about 3 quid a pop for CX Rays I don't want to mess this up!

Thanks

PS. I've built several sets of wheels with conventional spokes, so *think* I know what I'm doing :wink:

Comments

  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Yes, just a bit more fiddly with the need to use a spoke-catcher - but then you don't need to compensate for wind-up when tightening the spokes. Best price for spokes is Starbike in Germany and you can buy them singly i.e. not in packs of 20 as you have to in the UK - really useful when you only need 44.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • marin_maniac
    marin_maniac Posts: 513
    If you do build with these have a look at starbike as they sell individual spokes with matching colour nips.

    George hall cycles are also worth checking out. He quoted me a slightly better price, but didn't have one of the sizes I needed and I didn't want to wait.
  • MrBlond
    MrBlond Posts: 161
    Thanks all
  • onbike 1939
    onbike 1939 Posts: 708
    Marin Maniac wrote:
    If you do build with these have a look at starbike as they sell individual spokes with matching colour nips.

    George hall cycles are also worth checking out. He quoted me a slightly better price, but didn't have one of the sizes I needed and I didn't want to wait.

    Having just had to r-build a rear wheel which used these nipples, better be aware that these coloured alu type nipples will freeze to the spoke threads eventually. This means that, rather than a simple re-truing, one has to cut out and replace the spokes.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Aluminium nipples are more trouble than they're worth IME, particularly if planning to ride the wheels all year. I had some DT Swiss alloy ones suffer from stress-corrosion cracking after a short while. Rebuilt the wheel with brass nipples and no trouble since. I have some carbon wheels with internal alloy nipples - ended up cutting through a whole load of CX Rays to retrue the wheel.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • marin_maniac
    marin_maniac Posts: 513
    onbike 1939 wrote:
    Marin Maniac wrote:
    If you do build with these have a look at starbike as they sell individual spokes with matching colour nips.

    George hall cycles are also worth checking out. He quoted me a slightly better price, but didn't have one of the sizes I needed and I didn't want to wait.

    Having just had to r-build a rear wheel which used these nipples, better be aware that these coloured alu type nipples will freeze to the spoke threads eventually. This means that, rather than a simple re-truing, one has to cut out and replace the spokes.

    I suppose it depends what the OP wants.

    I'm certainly no expert, but from what I can make out ally nips on a 'summer set' of wheels should be ok. I think if I was going to build an 'all year round' set of wheels I would be building with brass.
  • onbike 1939
    onbike 1939 Posts: 708
    Marin Maniac wrote:
    onbike 1939 wrote:
    Marin Maniac wrote:
    If you do build with these have a look at starbike as they sell individual spokes with matching colour nips.

    George hall cycles are also worth checking out. He quoted me a slightly better price, but didn't have one of the sizes I needed and I didn't want to wait.

    Having just had to r-build a rear wheel which used these nipples, better be aware that these coloured alu type nipples will freeze to the spoke threads eventually. This means that, rather than a simple re-truing, one has to cut out and replace the spokes.

    I suppose it depends what the OP wants.

    I'm certainly no expert, but from what I can make out ally nips on a 'summer set' of wheels should be ok. I think if I was going to build an 'all year round' set of wheels I would be building with brass.

    When alu comes into contact with steel the there is a fusion which is not dependent on the weather as those with frozen seatposts can verify.
  • marin_maniac
    marin_maniac Posts: 513
    onbike 1939 wrote:
    Marin Maniac wrote:
    onbike 1939 wrote:
    Marin Maniac wrote:
    If you do build with these have a look at starbike as they sell individual spokes with matching colour nips.

    George hall cycles are also worth checking out. He quoted me a slightly better price, but didn't have one of the sizes I needed and I didn't want to wait.

    Having just had to r-build a rear wheel which used these nipples, better be aware that these coloured alu type nipples will freeze to the spoke threads eventually. This means that, rather than a simple re-truing, one has to cut out and replace the spokes.

    I suppose it depends what the OP wants.

    I'm certainly no expert, but from what I can make out ally nips on a 'summer set' of wheels should be ok. I think if I was going to build an 'all year round' set of wheels I
    would be building with brass.

    When alu comes into contact with steel the there is a fusion which is not dependent on
    the weather as those with frozen seatposts can verify.

    I do understand your point, however I cannot testify to this as I have always greased my seatposts, so have never had this problem. When relating this point to wheel building, I suspect the build will only be as good as the person that builds them, and future corrosion problems can be mitigated with the preparation that is put in.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Regardless of what prep you put on the threads, the problem I've had is stress-corrosion of the alloy nipples caused by salt on winter roads.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • marin_maniac
    marin_maniac Posts: 513
    Monty Dog wrote:
    Regardless of what prep you put on the threads, the problem I've had is stress-corrosion of the alloy nipples caused by salt on winter roads.

    Fair enough, but if you only intend to use the wheels in the summer, and look after your gear I can't see any reason why not to use ally nips.

    Either way I'll find out soon enough as I'm having some wheels built myself at the mo!
  • MrBlond
    MrBlond Posts: 161
    Just to clarify I'll probably go with brass nips!
  • rubbernekker
    rubbernekker Posts: 112
    Having built with similar spokes just last week I should say that its very easy to get a good result with them because you don't have to take into account twisting whilst building, I used old fashioned linseed oil whilst building and then brushed the surface of the alloy nipple with a bit to coat it. Leave it a day or so and it drys like a soft varnish- which can be removed with degreaser.

    Why buy the lightest spoke available then add nipples 500% heavier than they need to be?

    A wheel can be fecking light, or fecking tough- choose.

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