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G-Spokes and Taper Hex Nipples

G-SPORT BUTTED G-SPOKES: A spoke is only as strong as its weakest point, therefore there is no functional advantage in a design where the spoke’s middle is stronger than the elbow and thread. In fact, having a slightly slimmed-down “springier” center section can help to distribute shocks more evenly along the length of the spoke, rather than concentrating them at the ends. Road riders have utilized the advantages of butted spokes for decades, but for BMX there are other factors to consider. The new G-Sport spokes use a butting that is tailor-made for BMX. This is evident in the spoke’s slight cross-sectional reductions, super gentle transitions to the butted areas, and an extended elbow-end to cope with the stresses imposed during grinding. You’ll save roughly an ounce per wheel on 36’s, and the custom butted sections actually allow for a more durable wheel build, rather than a weaker one.
» Proprietary professional-grade stainless steel.
» BMX specific butting transition dimensions.
» 184, 186, 188, 192mm.
» Black or silver.

G-SPORT TAPER-HEX NIPPLES: Aluminum nipples have been tried in the past as a way to save crucial “rotating weight” from bicycle wheels, but while the aluminum can be stronger than traditional brass nipples in pure-tension, they are also much softer, and it is all too easy to round them off with an ordinary spoke key. The Taper-Hex nipples use a tapering hexagonal shape to increase the thickness of the metal around the spoke, and the tapering shape also allows the key to slide down easily onto the nipple while also eliminating slop in the interface between parts. The result is a “perfect” connection that prevents deformation of the spoke nipple. The hexagonal head (rather than square) also helps to simplify wheel-building too. The key is designed to rotate in the tight spaces of a BMX wheel and it’s small enough to keep on your key-chain. 36 aluminum nipples weigh 0.6 ounces (16.5g) verses 1.3 ounces (36g) for normal short brass nipples.
» Proprietary taper nipple and key interface simplifies wheel building and maintenance.
» 7075-T6 aluminum.
» Black, Gold, Silver and various anodized.
The weight savings with butted G-Spokes and the aluminum Taper-Hex nipples are relatively small, but taken together you can save nearly a quarter pound of weight from a typical pair of 36 spoke BMX wheels. Additionally, the spokes will allow for a more durable wheel, and the nipples greatly improve wheel assembly and maintenance.

UPDATE: Taper Hex Nipples are available Now!