Do all nipples twist the same way?

[John Picton]

Now I have your attention I'm afraid it's spoke nipples I'm asking about.

I'm delving into the world of trueing my own wheels and am curious as one site seems to suggest that to tighten a spoke you turn your spoke key clockwise, whilst the majority seem to say that it should be anti-clockwise.

Is it a standard that all spoke nipple threads are the same way? It may be my inexperience at this art, but it looks like my wheels actually work the other way, and tighten on the clockwise turn.

Anyone let me know what they think? I would rather be sure before I do any damage.

 

[tyler_derden]

I don't know about spoke nipples, but I was once in a movie that involved nipple twisting. I was recruited for the movie at the kung fu school I attended because they needed martial arts savvy people to play ninjas. In the movie I was one of an army of ninjas hired by the sister of a woman being held in a womens' prison to bust her out. The movie was a grade B send-up of cheap chix-behind-bars movies so was pretty funny. During my one scene on-camera I subdue a prison guard and hold his neck from behind while one of my fellow ninjas gives him "purple-nurples".

The movie is called "Prison A-Go-Go". It won some grade B movie awards at a couple grade B film festivals, then was supposed to go direct to DVD, but I haven't been able to find the DVD yet. The movie was produced and starred Rhonda Shear (she still keeps me "up all night"!) and the queen of grade B horror movies, Mary Waronov.

Here's a link to the movie's web site: Prison A-Go-Go

TD

 

[John Picton]

I don't know about spoke nipples, but I was once in a movie that involved nipple twisting. I was recruited for the movie at the kung fu school I attended because they needed martial arts savvy people to play ninjas. In the movie I was one of an army of ninjas hired by the sister of a woman being held in a womens' prison to bust her out. The movie was a grade B send-up of cheap chix-behind-bars movies so was pretty funny. During my one scene on-camera I subdue a prison guard and hold his neck from behind while one of my fellow ninjas gives him "purple-nurples".

The movie is called "Prison A-Go-Go". It won some grade B movie awards at a couple grade B film festivals, then was supposed to go direct to DVD, but I haven't been able to find the DVD yet. The movie was produced and starred Rhonda Shear (she still keeps me "up all night"!) and the queen of grade B horror movies, Mary Waronov.

Here's a link to the movie's web site: Prison A-Go-Go

TD

Hope you used the correct gauge wrench!

 

[boudreaux]

Now I have your attention I'm afraid it's spoke nipples I'm asking about.

I'm delving into the world of trueing my own wheels and am curious as one site seems to suggest that to tighten a spoke you turn your spoke key clockwise, whilst the majority seem to say that it should be anti-clockwise.

Is it a standard that all spoke nipple threads are the same way? It may be my inexperience at this art, but it looks like my wheels actually work the other way, and tighten on the clockwise turn.

Anyone let me know what they think? I would rather be sure before I do any damage.

They ae all threaded the same.Right hand thread.

 

[John Picton]

They ae all threaded the same.Right hand thread.

Thanks for confirming. Will give it a go (on some old wheels first I think!).

 

[artmichalek]

Most nipples twist in both directions. As far as the ones on bike wheels are concerned, they're all right handed threads. The confusion is a result of always looking at the spoke nipple from the opposite side than we're all used to looking at screws. If you're looking down at the rim from somewhere in the neighborhood of the hub, it's counter-clockwise to tighten. It seems counter intuitive at first, but remember that you're not turning a screw into a nut, but rather turning the nut up onto the screw.

 

[Doctor Morbius]

The movie is called "Prison A-Go-Go".

Didn't Wendy O-Williams star in that?

 

[John Picton]

Most nipples twist in both directions. As far as the ones on bike wheels are concerned, they're all right handed threads. The confusion is a result of always looking at the spoke nipple from the opposite side than we're all used to looking at screws. If you're looking down at the rim from somewhere in the neighborhood of the hub, it's counter-clockwise to tighten. It seems counter intuitive at first, but remember that you're not turning a screw into a nut, but rather turning the nut up onto the screw.

Yup! Finally figured that out last night - you've hit the nail on the head! Doh!

 

[smartie]

To avoid, or maybe increase the confusion to tell a right hand thread is to form the "Thumbs Up" sign. If you turn your spanner the direction your fingers are pointing, the nut, bolt or whatever will go in the direction of your thumb. Of course the exact opposite is true of a left hand thread (use your left hand instead).