My top 3 reasons you should have your wheels rebuilt:
- Your (alloy) nipples have corroded and are breaking – either while riding or when you need to true the wheel. This corrosion and breakage is most likely caused by environmental factors and exposure to ammonia-based latex tyre sealant. Unfortunately this happens. Have the wheels rebuilt with brass nipples.
- Your rim is buckled and no amount of spoke tensioning is getting it straight again. Your rim has been damaged beyond repair and the more you tension and loosen the spokes, the more uneven your spoke tensions will be, resulting in a wheel more prone to future spoke breakage due to metal fatigue. Have the rim replaced – if the rim is the same make and model, chances are you can reuse the spokes. I recommend always using new brass nipples when replacing the rims.
- You’re breaking spokes. As soon as more than one spoke breaks in short succession it’s time to get new ones. The spokes normally break due to metal fatigue, most often caused by uneven spoke tensions within the wheel. Have the spokes and nipples replaced with double butted stainless steel spokes and brass nipples.
So what about costs? Is rebuilding a wheel expensive?
I charge R395 per wheel to rebuild, excluding parts.
Nipples are R2-3 each and spokes cost between R10 and R25 each, depending on specific colour, length and other specific details.
In my opinion, having a well-built, reliable wheel has many benefits – peace of mind being highest on my list 🙂
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