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Spline
Drive Spoke Nipples
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Submitted by
Jarad Simpson
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide,South Australia,Australia
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | G-Land (sellicks hill) | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Mega Bike, Adelaide | | Strengths: | weight reduction with out the hassles of rounding conventional 4 side nipples.These nipples are excelent.I ride a lot harder than most people so I can vouch for thier strength | | Weaknesses: | to hard to find down here and to expensive when you do | | Similar Products Used: | I have tried all availble nipples | | Bike Setup: | Trail use mostly but often I ride park.I have a back problem so its in my best interest to keep weight down | | Bottom Line: | if you are not a competant rider or wheel builder then you might experience some strength issues (stripping the key,nipple or even push the spoke through)but more than likelly not.I built a pair of 48 spoke rims like 8 years ago and they still good in 2007.I am building some super light rims at the moment and when I asked my shop if they could order me some in they told me they arent spline drive anymore and that they are hexagonal or something sim. and they now have nickel plated threads which would greatly increase the life of the nipple as this is its only weakness.With the thread issue addressed it makes these nipples the bomb.I am not ordering through that shop as they want $1.65au each. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Akron
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Tsali | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Outback Bikes | | Strengths: | The spline interface actually makes a lot of sense. Similar to torx or the 12 point head on an ARP faster. | | Weaknesses: | First, alloy nipple in general are kind of silly. How much energy are you possibly saving over the course of a ride by using alloy nipples Nancy? I've been building wheels since 1989 and honestly only use alloy nips for bling factor. Second, at this point pretty much no shops carry this product. The supply I have I have had since about 1996. Good luck finding them anymore. I am pretty sure the company still exists, but mostly doing MX type products now. Park used to make a wrench for these nipples, but those disappeared years ago | | Similar Products Used: | DT and Wheelsmith brass and alloy | | Bike Setup: | 89 Stumpjumper Comp, 92 Litespeed Mountain, 95 IF Deluxe | | Bottom Line: | The nipples are great as far as alloy nipples go. I wish they had caught on as the interface is very hard to round off. Even when you properly prep the threads and lube the nipple seat in the rim you still can round off even a brass nipple once in a while. I have yet to round one of these off. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Berkeley, CA
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | weight, strength | | Weaknesses: | ease of use | | Bike Setup: | Revolution spokes laced to Bontrager Valiant rims at very high tension | | Bottom Line: | These are great spokes. My weight ranges from 180 to about 200 lbs., so the spokes are tensioned very high. I'd guess about 70 lbs for the front wheel. The spokes stay tight, the nipples won't round out, and they come in black to match the theme of my wheelset. The only problem is that the supplied spoke wrench makes building them up a pain, or so the wheel guru at my LBS told me. He got the pro version a week after building my wheels.
I recommend these nipples for all cross-country riders, though I have no idea how they'd hold up under more extreme conditions. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chad Knisely
a Cross-Country Rider
from Chardon, Ohio
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Allow for increased spoke tension, meaning a more lively feeling wheel.
You are not going to round these babies over.
Never a problem in over three years of use.
The splines make wheel building easier, there is greter variance in wrench positions.
They have not seized on me yet. | | Weaknesses: |
None, to be sure. | | Similar Products Used: |
DT, Wheelsmith | | Bike Setup: |
Klein Fervor, Kinesis MaxLite fork, King hubs, Sun rims. DT spokes | | Bottom Line: | I have built several wheels for myself and others with these nipples, and have not seen a problem yet. I am going to build a pair of wheels for my wife and I am going to use Spline Drive nipples, they are just a superior design and product. It is about time someone thought of a better way. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kurt
a Weekend Warrior
from SLC, Utah
Date Reviewed: December 5, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Mueller Park | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Durability
Allows HIGH Tension
Chi-Chi Factor
Allow Big Dudes to Radial Lace | | Weaknesses: |
None. Well, if you're Anal,kinda hard to keep clean | | Similar Products Used: |
DT Alloy Nipples | | Bike Setup: |
98 Trek 8000 w/ XTR, Englunds,Flite, Salsa Boosters | | Bottom Line: | I really wanted to run a swank looking radial laced, black spoked wheelset, but at 195 lbs? These let me do it and with Revolution 15/18's no less. The spoke wrench makes a cool key fob and I always have my keys with me, sooo. My wheel builder barked about the added build time but said they tension up beautifully. Very happy and they've been bomber in spite of my weight and the sky high tension. Looks, Function, Weight. Definitely Five Scottish Bells. If your a clydesdale, forget the brass nipples and run these. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a Racer
from westwood
Date Reviewed: September 12, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
nething that is single track | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
everything | | Weaknesses: |
nothing | | Similar Products Used: |
wheel smith | | Bike Setup: |
SID8900 framextrking hubsvailiant rimsmarwi spokes | | Bottom Line: | best product in the world they are amazing if u break em u need a diet | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
at
a weekend warrior
from New York
Date Reviewed: November 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Mine came with the stock wheel, and I didn't stop to check what kind of nipple I had until one of them broke! I mean the NIPPLE broke!!! Whoever say it's gaining popularity isn't riding in New York state. I practically scout out the whole state trying to find a spoke wrench with no success. And believe it or not, many shop employees don't even know where or how to order one for me! In the mean time, I had to put in a regular nipple so that I could ride. But I still couldn't true the wheel without a wrench...In the end, I decided to use my own brain instead of relying on other's (or their lack of) and I easily reached Spline Drive's website, which directs me to their ordering department. I got TWO spoke wrenches in a week for $2.25! I then realized I should have ordered a couple of spare nipples as well, 'cause now I have to carry two wrenches, one for the SD nipple and one for the regular nipple I put in as replacement. What a drag.I think they are no stronger than regular nipple and are not worth the hassle. I have never strip any regular nipples so don't get what the fuss is about. But for the superior service I got from the manufacturer on an otherwise average performance nipple, I give them 4 chilies! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt
a cross-country rider
from mn
Date Reviewed: October 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The guy at the bike shop siad that the spline drive nipples made it easier to build the wheels. It does suck that you need a special wrench, but it doesn't take much to put one in your tool pack. Besides, a lot of shops have em now as these nipples gain popularity. I don't know a lot about spoke tension or radial lacing, I just felt that I'd be better off spending a little more to increase the strength of my wheels (the cool colors helped me make up my mind). I weigh 200lbs and my wheels have yet to go out of round -mission accomplished. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kent
a cross-country rider
from CO
Date Reviewed: July 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
They work well, but my only complaint is it's incompatibility with all
the other nipples. All the trail side tools are built for the
4 sided nipple, so you're out of luck if you happen to forget your
spline wrench on the trail. I've never had a problem with them stripping,
but then again, I've never had a problem with the square ones. I believe
the spline drives are less likely to strip, though. As an engineer, I like
the design, but I'm going back to the standard for now.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Spunge
a weekend warrior
from Dallas
Date Reviewed: June 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had Spline drive nips for about two years now. I had my wheelset built up
by Bike Shop Bills. You need to give them a call if you want wheels. Anyway, the nips are great. They are strong and work damn well. My only problem was finding an appropriate nipple wrench. I got my LBS to special order a Spline wrench and after that I could true to my heart's content. Not that my wheels needed truing. They were built by Bill's! These nipples do what they are advertised to do, and although they do cost a bit more than regular nipples, you won't have any problems rounding them out. Its one of the few products to actually deliver on its claims. 5 for the product and 3 for cost. I give em a 4 | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
crunch
a racer
from Ohio land of muck and dozers
Date Reviewed: April 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
SPLINE DRIVE NIPPLES are a fantastic creation!! I have rounded off my last brass nipple!! Finally somone has solved my problem. Ihave been using them for over a year now and I now have them on all five of my bikes. They rule! Thank God for aerospace engineers. mondo chilies!!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a cross-country rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: April 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
It's about time that someone posted a review for this product. Works excellent, allows to get the chi chi
factor of an adonized aluminum nipple, saves the weight over brass, alot easier to bring up to tension with
the supplied spoke wrench and is claimed to be three times stronger than brass. Almost an essential for high
stress and tension radial lacing
| | Overall Rating: |
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