Rolf Vector Pro spokes that rot in the rim

[suckinwheel]

Does anyone have experience with Rolf Vector Pro spokes? Both of my wheels have become unusable because the spoke nipples have corroded inside the rim. The nipples can't be turned. Now I'm faced with turning them over to a "certified" bike shop wheel builder just to get parts. My LBS got my rear wheel so snarled up that it has a radial "hump" and is unrideable. (He couldn't get enough of those unique nipples to build the entire wheel - so he cobbled it together with what parts he had). These are the six-sided nipples that reside completely inside the hollow rim. Has anyone tried rebuilding these by themselves? Are spokes/nipples available to consumers? What do the "certified" builders charge to put a pair back together? THANKS for any help!
Paul

 

[bikepunk]

Howdy, I've got the same wheels and they can be a bit of a bear to deal with. How old are the wheels/how many miles? Based on a good number of the reviews, comments, etc. that I've read and the advice of more skilled mechanics that I've talked to they are nearly bomb proof for the first couple years and then they tend to disintegrate quickly. I've even read several nightmare stories of people truing the wheels and having the hubs crack in half in the process. Personally, I'm keeping an eye out for some new wheels.

Jason

 

[Jon Packard]

Howdy, I've got the same wheels and they can be a bit of a bear to deal with. How old are the wheels/how many miles? Based on a good number of the reviews, comments, etc. that I've read and the advice of more skilled mechanics that I've talked to they are nearly bomb proof for the first couple years and then they tend to disintegrate quickly. I've even read several nightmare stories of people truing the wheels and having the hubs crack in half in the process. Personally, I'm keeping an eye out for some new wheels.

Jason

I've heard those stories, too. But, I just bought a bike with them on it, and they're about 6-7 years old, and they're great. No problems at all, they're true, roll beautifully. I was nervous about them, but mine are fine.

 

[typ993]

I've had my Vector Pros for about four years now with no problems. These wheels have taken all the potholes and bumps the roads in the Seattle area can dish out and still stay perfectly true, whereas my old Mavic Open CD4s needed truing every couple of months.

Just had the bike in for an overhaul last week and the mechanic didn't mention any issues with the wheelset.

 

[suckinwheel]

My bike developed a shimmy. It went away when I swapped out a new front wheel - so I'm blaming my Vector Pro front wheel for getting sloppy. I would like to rebuild it but with the heavily corroded nipples (inside the rim) I can't even adjust spoke tension. Has anyone ever had theirs rebuilt - successfully?

 

[JohnO]

Not rebuilt, but built. A couple of years ago, I scarfed a set of Vector Pro rims off of ebay for $50 - figured I might want them for spares. A year later, I found a set of hubs for $75, so what the hey - let's get them built up. A reputable bike shop with a cranky but talented wheel builder found the spokes and nipples, and for $50 a wheel, did an excellent job of building them up.

That set of wheels remained true in over a year's worth of riding. Still perfectly true today. I've since moved on to a set of Campy Zondas, as they aren't quite so harsh riding, and splurged on a set of used Zipp 404's last fall, but still find the Pro's to be an efficient, if not brutal riding, set of wheels.

Cracked hubs quite often come from amateurs trying to true the Pro's. You need a torque wrench, as the tension on the spokes is quite precise.

 

[ahimsa]

I've worked with a lot of the Vector Pros over the years in my shop and I'll attest to the stories that they tend to be great for a time and never come out of true, but once they do go south, they tend to explode. The trick to them was the super high spoke tension. It kept them straight, but once the metal fatigue set in, buh-bye. As far as rebuilding goes though, it is possible. And any Trek dealer can get the parts. The part number for the nipples is 210144.

I'll tell you this though, I get paid to do it, know how to do it, have even been "Rolf Certified" to do it, but if they were my wheels, I'd pay someone to do it for me still. They're just that much of a pain to deal with. And as far as how much would a reputable shop charge? I usually charge just the amount to true a wheel plus parts as long as they bring it in sans wheel, tire, and rim strip.