Black or stainless spokes?

[minor_LEGEND]

Wise man once said, 'there's nowt retro about black spokes'.

 

[kingoffootball]

I'm not a huge fan of black spokes, but for those wheels I would try to avoid the clash between polished silver spokes and the satin finish on the hubs.

 

[highlandsflyer]

I don't re-use spokes if they've done good miles, are aged visibly or chronologically, or just unknown. Except as spares. Seeing as you are re-rimmimg from a spares pile with the complement required, it seems a no brainer.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Think I do have some black nipples some where, maybe not enough to do all of each wheel but I guess I could alternate them.

Most black nipples are aluminium - generally a poor choice for longevity.
Dt brass nips all the way

 

[Nabeaquam]

I only break black spokes. Black can cover cheap crummy metal.

 

[LeeDevelopment]

Pink.

Damn you, you beat me to it!

 

[SFP]

Have only use/build with and I prefer stainless steel (that includes blades).
DT Swiss or Ritchey (which I believe were made by DT) exclusively.

In all fairness, I have never had any problems with wheelsmith back in the day.

Admittedly I do own a disc wheelset and the front has black spokes (high end Mavic set)

Hell, I love coloured nipples but swear by brass nipples. Vanity however has been known to have me ride coloured ones throughout the years though.

 

[Gtpulse]

I guess I should update/confess what actually happened! Here are the wheels as they sit this morning, a stalled project hanging in the roof of the garage. Looks like I chose stainless spokes, there were some the right length and quantity in my spares pile.

I do intend to finish them, just got side tracked as you do.

 

[bikeworkshop]

I only break black spokes. Black can cover cheap crummy metal.

It's not the colour that's the problem, it's the quality.

Originally, spokes used to be carbon steel, not stainless.
This is a more reliable material.
They were then galvanised or chrome plated for weather protection and the look.

In the 90s, stainless spokes, from being premium, were creeping downrange, and by 2000, wheels nearly all had silver stainless spokes.

Cheap stainless work hardens quite fast - 2 years riding, they are snapping at will on the (higher tension) drive side rear (before disc. Now they often snap on the disc side trailing, front and rear)


The rush to fit black spokes around 2010? probably led many brands to find a cheaper source of black stainless spokes
- new components are often more expensive at a given quality point than ones that have been around awhile.

Quality black spokes were and still are as reliable as quality silver.