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The switch from stainless to galvanized spokes on my touring bike build
For years I used stainless spokes on every wheel I built, thought it was the only way to go for durability. Then about 6 months ago I grabbed a used set of wheels from a shop in Nashville that had old galvanized spokes, and I was shocked at how they held up after 2,000 miles of gravel. Now I use galvanized on my personal touring bike and save the stainless for customers who want the polished look. Has anyone else tried going back to galvanized and noticed they last just as long?
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the_wesley15d ago
Hold up, I gotta push back on this a little. I've been building wheels for close to fifteen years now and I've seen too many galvanized spokes snap on long tours to ever trust them on my own bike. Stainless is a bit more upfront but the peace of mind going down a mountain pass at 40 mph is worth every penny. Those surface rust spots on galvanized might look minor but they can hide stress cracks that lead to failures when you're loaded down with panniers. I've had customers come back with broken galvanized spokes after just a few hundred miles of wet riding, never had that happen with stainless. Why risk your whole trip just to save a few bucks on spokes that might leave you stranded?
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ivan_harris16d ago
Buddy of mine built a set for his cross bike with galvanized spokes about a year ago. He hits the local gravel loop hard every weekend and those spokes still look fine, zero rust issues. Honestly surprised me because I always figured stainless was the only way for wet roads.
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