spokes & nipples

Spokes

Correct spoke choice is an important part of your wheels. For cross-country use where the stress on the wheel is low relative to downhill type riding, and where low weight is important, thin spokes can be used. For XC racing we recommend either the Revolution or Supercomp spokes, or Aerolite bladed spokes for a small improvement in aerodynamics. For normal XC use, all-day riding and so on we recommend the Supercomp spokes as they build a much stiffer (and stronger) wheel than Revolutions. For heavier use we recommend the DT Competition spokes which build an extrememely stiff wheel capable of withstanding very heavy loads.

We only build with DT Swiss spokes. The range covers every type of riding and we have found them to be the most reliable spokes available, breakages are extremely rare. Also we find the spoke nipples are stronger than other brands.

The spoke choice will also depend partly on the rim choice. For example we wouldn't normally recommend Comp spokes with very lightweight rims such as the Race or Olympic, and likewise we wouldn't recommend Revolutions on Flow rims. Supercomp spokes will work with pretty much any rim. For 29er rims we recommend Supercomp or Comp spokes since the large wheels are much more flexible.

Rider weight will play a part in the spoke choice. Light riders (in weight and riding style) can get away with thinner, lighter spokes than heavy riders.

Aerolite
Bladed lightweight spokes mean improved aerodynamics for XC use, but they are much more expensive than DT Revolutions. Recommended for XC builds (Race, Olympic, ZTR355, Arch rims).
136g per wheel. Use 2.0mm spoke nipples.

Revolution
Very lightweight spokes for XC use, 2.0/1.5mm diameter. Same weight as Aerolite but a fraction of the cost. Available in an even lighter 1.8/1.5mm version on the American Classic / Race 7000 builds. Recommended for XC builds (Race, Olympic, ZTR355, Arch rims).
136g per wheel for 2.0/1.5mm version. Use 2.0mm spoke nipples.

Super Comp spokes
Lightweight spoke recommended for disk brake wheels.
160g per wheel. Recommended for any builds depending on rider weight.

Competition spokes
Very strong double-butted spokes.
191g per wheel. Use 2.0mm spoke nipples. Recommended for heavy duty builds (Arch and Flow rims).


Spoke nipples

There is a choice of alloy or brass spoke nipples. We have written a fairly comprehensive guide on our news blog, here:
http://www.justridingalong.com/news/2008/02/03/which-spoke-nipples/

N.B. All weights quoted are approximate, for 26" wheel lengths (around 260mm). They have been weighed by us but there are small variations.


Calculating spoke lengths
We regret due to the variety of hubs and spoke nipples available we are unable to advise on spoke length under any circumstances.
Please make sure you have the calculated the right length as you can not return used spokes.
If you have any doubts please leave it to your professional wheel builder.

ERDs of NoTubes rims are:
Olympic/Flow: 536mm
Arch/355: 540mm
Race/Race 7000: 541mm
Flow 29er: 600mm
Arch/355 29er: 604mm