Industry Nine Enduro S Carbon experience (and alloy nipple question)

[beezlbub]

Hey all,
I'm looking at a set of carbon hoops and the i9 Enduro S carbons just popped up on my radar. Specs seem good, J-bend spokes, lifetime warranty etc without moving into the lofty price heights of Enve, Reserve... But I there's not a lot out in terms of reviews. There's a few reviews of the alloy version and a few of the 1/1 carbon one (that uses different hubs), just not these. So interested if any burners have experiences they can share?

I'm also a little concerned about the alloy nipples which (I think) these use. I've read (and had some past person experience) with corrosion of carbon rims with alloy nipples. But.... I think the i9 rims here use a solid rim bed and I'm wondering is this going to negate the issue, as the likelihood of sealant getting into the contact point between nipple/rim is much less likely (the valve hole being the only path right?)?? Or is the corrosion possible regardless of sealant being in the mix?

I really like the look of these as a package, but don't want to drop significant $$ then be dealing with the fall-out a year or two down the track....

 

[The Duckmeister]

Aluminium nipples in carbon rims can eat shit and die. The two materials are inherently reactive and it's a matter of when, not if they will corrode. Sealant vapour can accelerate the process, but other environmental factors can too; I've seen many more dissolved nipples than I can count in tubed (no sealant) wheels as well.

 

[Ackland]

YMMV but my experience with carbon rims and alloy nipples has been that they need replacing after 2-3 years...
It's not a tricky or expensive job.
Also not tricky or expensive to switch to brass as soon as you receive them

 

[bear the bear]

Aluminium nipples in carbon rims can eat shit and die. The two materials are inherently reactive and it's a matter of when, not if they will corrode. Sealant vapour can accelerate the process, but other environmental factors can too; I've seen many more dissolved nipples than I can count in tubed (no sealant) wheels as well.

Does the use of a nipple washer help?

 

[beeb]

YMMV but my experience with carbon rims and alloy nipples has been that they need replacing after 2-3 years...
It's not a tricky or expensive job.
Also not tricky or expensive to switch to brass as soon as you receive them

If it’s a solid (ie: undrilled) rim bed I imagine it would be a royal PITA to change them either now or later.

 

[The Duckmeister]

Does the use of a nipple washer help?

Generally not... Most nipple washers are curved to seat in the rim bed of an aluminium rim, while carbon rims are typically flat on the load-bearing surface due to the layup. This unevenly loads the washers until they break. Plus if it's a sealed rim, it's a royal pain in the arse to change nipples even without washers.

 

[creaky]

Plus if it's a sealed rim, it's a royal pain in the arse to change nipples even without washers.

Could there be a worse hell than being forced to build a sealed bed rim with nipple washers?!?!?

 

[silentbutdeadly]

I don't run carbon rims and I still use brass nipples. Alloy nipples are only good for beer cans.

 

[Ackland]

If it’s a solid (ie: undrilled) rim bed I imagine it would be a royal PITA to change them either now or later.

Ahhh yes... My bad.

 

[teK--]

Alloy nips can GTFO whether its alloy or carbon rims.

 

[beezlbub]

Geez I was expecting the general consensus to be stay away from alloy but not quite this strongly!

Guess I better keep looking (or get myself ready for a F-wits thread post in a year or twos time!)…

 

[Mr Crudley]

The Enves I have also come with lovely proprietary nipples that you have to replace when the original alloy ones eventually turn into powder.

Not a big deal to replace them but it would be nice not to have to do it at all. Nice wheels otherwise.

You would have thought that any CF wheel company would have thunk that brass nipples were the way to go. Or been aware of the alloy and CF interface was going to be a galvanic corrosion fest. I guess they were too busy printing marketing propaganda.

 

[frenchman]

@beezlbub Save money and get some farsports carbon rims on dt hubs. Extended Warranty and local support you will miss out on, but you’ll save yourself 800 and have an excellent wheelset.
Plus you can have brass nipples

 

[slimjim1]

I love DT hubs, but once you’ve ridden i9 you won’t go back to low engagement DTs.

Weight difference between the carbon and alloy i9 enduro s wheels in 29 inch is apparently 130 grams. How much would that gap narrow once you rebuild the carbon with brass nips?

My last set of carbon Reynolds were fucking amazing but at about the 18 month mark starting popping nipples / spokes on the rear . Rebuilt with brass nips wasn’t overly expensive but multiple ruin rides and just a PITA .

Current wheelset is the alloy enduro i9 . Don’t discount the alloy version. Still a very good wheelset.

 

[The Duckmeister]

How much would that gap narrow once you rebuild the carbon with brass nips?

On a 64-spoke wheelset (32 each F&R), brass adds about 50g and a vast improvement in reliability.

Unfortunately the mucketers seem to be more important than engineers in the bike world, so you will be hard-pressed to find an off-the-hook set of carbon wheels with proper nipples in them.

 

[slimjim1]

On a 64-spoke wheelset (32 each F&R), brass adds about 50g and a vast improvement in reliability.

Unfortunately the mucketers seem to be more important than engineers in the bike world, so you will be hard-pressed to find an off-the-hook set of carbon wheels with proper nipples in them.

And that’s why I don’t think I’d bother again. I’ve never had issues with alloy nips on alloy wheels before. But even then , if I was doing it myself from scratch I’d be going with brass for any rim