Global-flat.com Board

English => Parts & Bikes => Topic started by: Phatman on January 19, 2013, 07:21:46 PM

Title: What Wheelset?
Post by: Phatman on January 19, 2013, 07:21:46 PM
Dont see these very often on here but, Im building my Instrumental up this year & Im looking for a wheelset, i really dont know what to get. I'll list the basics & see what you guys recommend!


36h, Lightweight Rims MUST be welded - Aero shaped would be nice as i wont be running brakes. Would Prefer Black, I want these wheels to last a while & other chrome rims ive had are flaking after a year or so, so if they arent black i would like them polished/raw.


Obviously 36h hubs, 3/8ths female (must be female) front, Not to bothered about Shemale/Male axle on the Freecoaster. 9t driver, will HAVE to be 3/8ths due to the drop outs of the frame. Would prefer black or polished for colour.


Spokes wise, i know i will be getting D.T Swiss Double Butted spokes. However.... I have seen a couple of alloy nipples i would like to know about. Ive had D.T Swiss Pro Lock Alloy Nipples before & never had any issues in the short term, has anyone been running them for say over a year? Ive also seen the G-Sport Taper Hex Alloy Nipples, is anyone running them? Im no wheel builder but i can tighten spokes & they come with a little tool due to the taper hex'ness. Are they a pain in the ass or worth the extra few $$'s
Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: PiR products on January 19, 2013, 09:43:20 PM
I use the GSport hex Alloy nipples since more than a year now.
They are really good and better stay in place.
The only minus things are that it really takes more time to build your wheel, because of the more difficult fitting of that special spokes's wrench (especially when you remove it), compared to traditionnal one and if you loose that wrench, it's not available as a spare part, you would have to buy a new nipples pack.
That happened to me and I'm really thanksfull with Pat @ Flatlandfuel who provided me another one.

Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: melon lover on January 19, 2013, 11:27:16 PM
I've got a polished profile mini front hub comin' up for sale when i get my package from Pat hopefully next week


36h female :beer:
Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: Phatman on January 19, 2013, 11:37:40 PM
I'll have to think on that one Melon, i would prefer to get everything in one go. However i am also thinking about buying something a little cheaper (Pos 2nd hand) because ive heard from a reliable source that Tree are going to start work on a Freecoaster shortly with a real female axle no lock nut BS, slot on collars like profile, g-sport & their own cassette!
Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: metalbmxer on January 20, 2013, 04:54:26 AM
I just laced up both front and rear Gsport nipples and I love them! The tool fits so well and I don't think I spent any longer lacing em up. Good choice getting DT spokes--I tried the cheaper USA ones and they all started breaking at the bends. I think it's an inferior steel or bending process vs the higher quality DT's. I also put a drop of Tri-Flow on each spoke thread before threading on the nipple.
Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: K.Wong on January 20, 2013, 10:27:55 AM
 i myself run a few type of alloy nipples of various bikes - DT alloys, no-brand alloy, primo alloys and spline drive alloys.

the dt alloys nipples are thicker diameter-wise at the area where the nipple meets the rim 4mm versus 3.95mm, 12mm long, i think.
the generic ones are slimmer and thus lighter (a bit), 14mm length, colour and corners rounds off after 3~4 adjustments.
primos are similar to the generic alloys, just longer @ 16mm length
the g-sports are good, they stay tight - my 32 hole wheelset just needed miniumal truing after 1 year of use after i swapped over from generic cp-plated brass, which needed truning every few months. what malo/ pir said is true as i met similar issues before - the lbs don't have the hexed-truing key , but the owner said normal truing key could be used too, and proceeded to round-off the edges of a few of mine g-sport nipples that needed to be tighter then usual, other nipples were okay. after that, i trued the wheel myself and found that the hex-key is "sticky", it's tougher to slip-off the key from the nipples than normal, but they don't round off the nipples.
spline-drive nipples - using that now, think mavic also uses them on their wheelset as parktool sells the nipple wrench as for mavic nipples. lightest alloy nipple i've used, but i'm splitting hairs here, 12mm length and 3.85 diameter, but i see that they do also have 14mm ones also (not avaliable locally). very easy to tighten but have to ensure nipple splines are fully inserted into the key, if not you round off the nipples easily.

rims-wise i've to say sun envy rims - narrower than city-lites, lighter and eyelet nipples holes, just a few grams heavier than alienation. heard chad johnston uses the envy-lites (pinned, lighter and narrower version) so they are probably tough. mine is in use for a few months only, so i can't say for sure.
Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: DaddyCool on January 20, 2013, 02:03:15 PM
Hi Topsey,
do you mean the KHE DT Swiss spokes? These are 1.8/1.6/1.8 if I am not wrong. The Gsport nipples are for 2 mm spokes...
But I am pretty sure that every mountain bike / road racing shop can provide you a variety of alloy nipples for 1.8 mm spokes. But not many people here will have experience with these  :) .
I am using Salt 16 mm alloy nipples and 14 mm no name ones. With both I have no problems. I true the wheels as often as I did it with brass nipples in the past, very seldom...
For the other parts I cannot give you a recommendation.
Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: Phatman on January 20, 2013, 04:05:50 PM
Thanks for the imput guys. Im not going to use the KHE D.T spokes. Ive been reccomended some other spokes so i will tell you what im going to get.


G-Sport Birdcage Rims
Profile Mini Front Hub with Blue6 Hex Head Bolts
Nankai Technolite with NYB Japan 9t Driver, Profile Alu Shell, London Ti Axle, Quamen Deco Cap & Blue6 Ti Nuts.
Sapim Double Butted Spokes
G-Sport Taper Hex Nipples


All Black.
Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: DaddyCool on January 20, 2013, 08:31:28 PM
Are the Sapim spokes the 2.0/1.5/2.0 ones? I would really like to use them, but Flatlandfuel does not have them but offer the service of cutting spokes to custom size which I needed, so I use 2.0/1.8/2.0 which only saves about 25 g...
Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: Phatman on January 20, 2013, 08:37:42 PM
Yup the 2.0-1.5-2.0 ones, im hoping that Pat will be able to order them in for me when i sort out the wheelset.
Title: Re: What Wheelset?
Post by: DaddyCool on January 23, 2013, 11:23:45 PM
Good luck!
It would be nice if Pat would offer them in the future. And if Sapim would offer them in black... I have only seen them in silver.
Please post details and pictures of your wheelset. It will be nice I guess.