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That botched wheel build in a rainstorm taught me a trick
Back in 2019, I was truing a customer's rear wheel outside the shop in Portland when a sudden downpour hit. The spoke nipples rusted enough to seize mid-turn, and I snapped a DT Swiss spoke clean off. I had to rebuild the whole wheel on the spot, wet tools and all. What saved me was keeping a small bottle of Tri-Flow in my apron and dripping it on every nipple before turning. Has anyone else dealt with seized spokes after a wet season?
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hernandez.brooke1mo ago
Buddy of mine had this exact thing happen on a group ride last spring. His bike sat in the garage all winter and the rear wheel sounded like gravel when he finally rolled out. Dripped some light oil on every nipple and let it sit overnight, and next day he could turn them all without any snapping.
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alicec861mo ago
Three months in a damp basement did the same to my old touring bike, and I nearly stripped a spoke nipple trying to force it. @hernandez.brooke, your buddy's trick with the light oil makes total sense, I just wish I had heard that before I wrestled with mine. Patience and a good penetrating oil really are the way to go with seized nipples.
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