Chinertown
Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: qubic on March 19, 2025, 06:50:10 PM
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Does anyone have real-world experience with corrosion on modern carbon rims with aluminum nipples? I think I understand the theory and the fears associated with this topic... But what’s the actual experience like?
If you're interested, here’s a video explaining nipple-wheel corrosion:
youtube.com/watch?v=xP4V392Y4c0 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xP4V392Y4c0)
Btw, I've just ordered my first carbon wheels and chose alloy)
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In real life application: I've had no real issues with alloy nipples on any off my wheels (even gravel, muddy conditions).
If you're living in an area with cold winters -> you better avoid your wheels from wet, winter times when they have sprayed salt on the road. That one will eat your nipples and cause corrosion, even if you clean your wheels afterwards.
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Brass for dirt and salty winter roads. Aluminium for anything else. If you’re using high quality Sapim Aluminium nipples, chances are that those will be just fine in any kind of condition as well. Because the anodizing is just much more durable IME. And most of the potential for corrosion in aluminium nipples comes from imperfections in the anodizing or scratches in the anodizing upon building the wheel.
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Does anyone have real-world experience with corrosion on modern carbon rims with aluminum nipples? I think I understand the theory and the fears associated with this topic... But what’s the actual experience like?
If you're interested, here’s a video explaining nipple-wheel corrosion:
youtube.com/watch?v=xP4V392Y4c0 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xP4V392Y4c0)
Btw, I've just ordered my first carbon wheels and chose alloy)
You may get a problem with wheels truing, it is rather easy to round alloy nipples (I've done it multiple times). For this only reason I prefer brass, which are much harder.