Gunnar Roadie Project Bike, Wheelsmith alloy spoke nipples

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Wheelsmith alloy spoke nipples built into a wheel.

I used Wheelsmith Alloy Spoke Nipples when building the wheels for the Gunnar Roadie Project Bike. These spoke nipples add approximately $25.00 to the cost of the wheel build. Traditional spoke nipples are made of brass. Is the cost worth it? Since this is a fairly light wheelset and the weight saving is on the outside edge of the wheel, I think it is worth it. 

To determine just how much weight was saved I weighed 56 brass spoke nipples and 56 Wheelsmith alloy spoke nipples. The wheels for the  Gunnar Roadie Project Bike have twenty eight spokes each. 2 x 28 = 56 spoke nipples in the wheel set. The brass spoke nipples weighed in at 57 grams. The alloy spoke nipples weighed in at only 19 grams. A total weight savings of 36 grams.

56 brass spoke nipples weighing 57 grams

56 alloy spoke nipples weighing 19 grams

Wheelsmith Aloy Spoke Nipples are made of 7000 series aluminum and are available in 9 different anodized colors. Wheelsmith products are manufactured in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Click here to learn more about Wheelsmith products.