Took a class at the local co-op and now I grease every single spoke nipple.

Went to a wheelbuilding class at Tucson Bike Co-op last month. Instructor made us grease each spoke nipple before lacing. I always thought that was unnecessary extra work. Built a wheel and two weeks later it was still true with even tension. Never skipping that step again. Any other tips from that class that actually stick?

2 comments

2 Comments

brian_kelly9110d ago

Built a wheel at the same co-op last spring. Thought the grease was a waste of time and just did a dry build. Wheel went out of true in about 100 miles. Went back, rebuilt it properly with grease on every nipple. That was six months ago and it's still dead true. The instructor told us the grease stops the nipple from binding on the spoke threads as you tension. Makes total sense now. I also picked up to always check the spoke line at the hub flange before tightening. Saves a ton of headache later. Grease is cheap, truing a wheel twice is not.

jana_lewis169d ago

OH MAN this is SO true @brian_kelly91. I did the exact same thing my first build. Dry nipples seemed fine until the wheel started pinging and popping while I rode. Learned my lesson REAL quick. Grease is like insurance for your spokes. Cheap insurance. And that hub flange tip is gold too. Saves so much hassle later on when you're trying to get the line right.