Project Wheel Build: The All Arounder: Spokes, Nipples, Etc: by Guitar Ted
Getting back to the Project Wheel Build again, and in this installment we will be taking a look at the spokes, nipples, and the rest of the tubeless kit for these wheels, along with a brief look at the tires as well. (I’ll be doing a separate post on the tires so it will be easily searchable in the future.) The last post on the rims, the WTB Frequency i23 Team models, can be found here. The post concerning the hubs, the American Classic set, can be found here. Now let’s see about the other necessary components for this wheel build, the spokes and nipples.
DT Swiss Spokes and Nipples: We’ve tested a lot of wheels here at Twenty Nine Inches, so we’ve seen what you can get, for the most part, for spokes and nipples. As an all around good choice, I couldn’t think of anything better than DT Swiss spokes and nipples, based upon our experiences here. Sure, there are a lot of other great spokes out there, but DT Swiss has impressed me with its consistency and ease of use for building up wheels. This isn’t to discredit other spokes and nipples, (actually, I’ve been a Wheelsmith fan for years), but for the intentions I set out for this project from the beginning, DT Swiss really fit the bill.
Spokes: I chose the Competition model 2.0-1.8-2.0 double butted spokes for a good balance of weight and strength. Sure, I could have gone for a super light weight set of spokes, but I am more concerned about strength and durability in hard use than I am weight for this project. I could have gone with a straight gauge spoke, but I did give in a bit to the “weight weenie” here and I feel I chose a good, all around spoke. 
Spoke Nipples: For the spoke nipples, I chose alloy. I have had a good track record with use of alloy spokes for tough, demanding uses, and of course, the weight difference is desirable. I do not see issues with going with alloy nipples, but I am sure there are those who will see that choice as something not conducive to building the best all arounder wheels. 
Plus, I got to pick red as a color to tie the look of the hubs and rims together!
Tubeless Kit/ Tires: The wheels will be finished out with WTB’s sealant, valve stems, and rim tape to allow the use of the 2.2 Bronson TCS tires tubeless. As I stated in the post on the Frequency rims, WTB is using a tape and sealant that are very much like Stan’s products you might very well be familiar with already. These are proven products that need no further introduction here. I expect the tubeless kit to work quite nicely.
The Bronson 2.2 tires have the Aramid tubeless bead construction and are designed to have a perfect seal with the WTB Frequency rims. The tires feature a grippy, dual compound tread that should be at home in most situations, but testing will prove this out. Again, I will be doing a separate post on the tires specifically, so weights, widths, and a full report on how the tires seat up and ride will all be separated out in an upcoming series of reports.
Okay, there is the tour of all the components for Project Wheel Build: The All Arounder. The wheels have been built and next I will post on how it all went together with some impressions and weights. Stay tuned….
Note: American Classic and WTB sent over components to Twenty Nine Inches at no charge for test and review. We are not being bribed, nor paid for this review. We will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout. The DT Swiss components were purchased separately to complete the project.
GT, I noticed this comment from you, “WTB is using a tape and sealant that are very much like Stan’s products you might very well be familiar with already.” I’m guessing you said that because you figured many of us would be wondering why you did not use the industry standard Stans sealant (tell me if I’m wrong, just speculating here). Well my question then….. Why not just use the industry standard Stans sealant that we all know and trust?
Tony, that can does look quite a lot like a Stan’s can, with scoop and plastic packaging and all. If this is not Stan’s material with WTB stickers on it, I will drink a scoop of it
.
Why not use the industry standard? This IS the stuff you know and trust.
Good move by WTB to just resell something that works, instead of putting time and money in developing something that just is not quite up to the task.
GT-Did you use the Proloc nipples? Please discuss more about the advantages/disadvantages between brass, alloy and Proloc….Thanks
@Tony: What JeroenK said.
@Yogi: I chose the standard alloy nipple from DT Swiss. I think a lot of wheel builders will gravitate towards what works for them, or to products they apprenticed with. In my case it is a little of both. I have had great success with Wheelsmith Spoke prep, so I used that product on the spokes. No need for the Pro Lock nipple at that point, although I believe it to be a good product.
Brass nipples do not corrode and fail as easily as alloy. This will lead some to use brass on wheels that will see all manner of conditions, especially wetter climates, or in situations where road chemicals are used frequently for snow/ice.
Some will also argue that brass nipples are “stronger”. I say they are “softer” and therefore less brittle than some alloy nipples. This might add to longevity for the brass nipple. I believe alloy nipples are strong, and if the spokes pass through completely on an alloy nipple, failures are greatly decreased. This requires a builder to measure carefully when choosing spokes, but it can be done.
Great write-up! This series is exactly what I needed! I stumbled upon this as I was researching and trying to make decisions on a wheel build I’ve been planning. I happen to have chosen the same exact hubs (almost went dt swiss 240s but they’re pricey!) and rims you have, but was torn on the spokes.
I see you’ve chosen to the dt competitions. Seems like a good choice for strength and might what I end up with. I did have a strange and wild idea to mix spokes, mainly do half dt comps and half dt supercomps, maybe alternating. Is it possible to use a double butted and triple butted spoke of the same length on the same application?
They may require different tensions so it may ultimately not work, but I think it would be neat to be able to mix a couple sets of spokes to mix strengths, get the weight somewhat down (negligable I know) and maybe even affect the overall ride properties/characteristics of the wheel itself. Imagine something really wild like a mix of dt alpine IIIs with some revolutions mixed in. What would that wheel ride like?
Anyway, I look forward to your thoughts as well as the next installment of the series.
JeroenK and GT, that still doesn’t answer my question. Why not just use the real stuff, Stans? It’s not like we’re talking about a big expense item here. So why go for the imposter, even if it was cheaper (read: FREE)?
@Tony: Do I have to spell it out for you? (Hint: it was licensed from Stan’s)
) So, it IS the real stuff. 
Re: nipples, GT, would you also agree that brass nipples on aluminium rims also act as a more free moving bearing surface. I have found this very important in maintaining true wheels and long living wheels.
When using alloy nipples I find I need to lube them every 6 months or so to avoid localized failure. With brass I have never broken a nipple but hav e b roken many spokes!
Ps: don’t forget Sapim. Some may say superior to DT.
@Professed: Well, I guess all I can say is that neglected wheels will show difficulties with adjustments down the road, brass or alloy nipples. I’ve seen both come in to the shop where I work all frozen up.
Sapim indeed does make fine spokes. I have used them a time or two myself.
Acetone/ATF penetrant should help those freezes.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/penetrating-lube-test/13650/page1/