Nipples

Coloured selection of spoke nipples

The spokes nipples fix the individual spokes in the rim, they are guided through the bores in the rim bed. They control the "tension" of the spoke since they feature a thread on the inside, which takes up the spoke which must have the same size accordingly! The nipples have a head similar to the slotted screws, which rests on the rim bed. That means that insofar as the tyres have not yet been mounted, you'll be able to optimally work on the tension of the spokes from here. If the tyre has been mounted, the spokes' tension can be centred due to the small nipples, you'll best use a spoke wrench - there usually is a square taper on the outside of the nipple pointing towards the hub.
Whether MTB, road bike or trekking bike, either brass nipples or the lighter aluminium nipples are being used, but pay attention to the right size! You'll often find e.g. 1.8 mm or 2.0 mm threads and lengths of 12, 14 or 16 mm. The nipples also provide the option to place a colourful accent on the wheel since from the classic black via silver, there are numerous colourful spokes nipples available, such as blue, green, gold, purple or red.
Whoever is looking for wheels, the question of whether to use aluminium nipples or brass nipples is resolved quickly: It is a fact that the aluminium nipples are lighter, in most of the cases they only weigh approximately 0.5 g per piece. Brass nipples on the other hand weigh around 1 g per piece. With the aluminium variant, you have to pay attention to an anti-corrosion coating since aluminium nipples are more susceptible to corrosion. Now it is your turn, you'll find low-price rim nipples from DT Swiss, Sapim, Shimano and more here in our product range.