Spoke gauge

[tufty]

OK, quickie. Blew out a spoke nipple this morning, need to get a handful of new nipples. Prolly going to change the lot, but *embarassed* I don't know what gauge my spokes are.

How do I find out?

 

[rwm1962]

Digi calipers - can be had cheap on ebay


Aren't the nipples all same thread though? I know length can vary.

 

[elite504]

Most common are 14g, which is essentially 2.0mm.
Some flyweight stuff ("Marin Lite" wheelsets come to mind), were 1.8mm/ 15g. It's pretty obvious, one won't thread on the other.
LBS should be your friend for this sort of stuff.

 

[tufty]

Digi calipers - can be had cheap on ebay

I have available...

Vernier calipers, accurate to 0.05mm. Shitty chinese digital calipers, register to 0.01mm, probably no more accurate than 0.1mm, I could probably borrow the mitutoyos from work, but I also have micrometers (hundredths and micron). While I'm at it, I've got a ruler

Aren't the nipples all same thread though? I know length can vary.

No, they aren't, least not as far as I can tell. I ripped a random nipple from a dead wheel that was lying about, wrong thread, wouldn't go on. Kind of why I asked.

Sadly, all the LBS have put the bikes away and are full of bloody skis.

 

[rwm1962]

Aye - not sure why I though that! I know I was able to get gauge sorted ok with the cheap digi calipers

 

[tufty]

So it is just a quick spoke diameter measurement thing, then?

 

[rwm1962]

Was for mine - just measure close to thread in case double/triple butted.

 

[tufty]

Was for mine - just measure close to thread in case double/triple butted.

Cool, thanks.

 

[mattr]

If it's remotely modern it'll either be 1.8 (racey lightweight spokes, you'd know if you have these), 2.0 (standard), 2.3 (tandem, some DH wheels, you won't have these).

A vernier is easily accurate enough for finding spoke size, i've even used a tape measure (with the spoke out of the wheel, might be a bit tricky to use a tape measure on a complete wheel.)

 

[FluffyChicken]

Yep, just measure. You have the tools.
measure nipple end, look for butting, so measure the middle of the spoke too.
You could also measure the hub end for a double check, it'll normally be the same as the nipple end. But not always.

I have 2.0 and 1.8mm spokes. Both plain gauge and double butted (and triple I think).

Have you got a metal rule too, so you can measure the spoke length...