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 is 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
• Spoke wrench sold separately.
• Black, Blue, Green, Gold, Purple, Silver and Red anodized.
• Sold in bags of 40