DT Swiss Alloy 14G 12MM Nipple
DT Swiss alloy nipples are the light option: a 14-gauge nipple machined from aluminum, 12mm long, for 2.0mm spoke threads, in black and anodized colors, saving about 30 grams a wheel over brass. That weight comes off the outside of the wheel where it counts, which is why race wheels use them; the trade is that aluminum can seize to a stainless spoke and round off under a wrench after years in salt, so alloy nipples belong on a race wheel that is kept clean rather than a commuter that lives outside. This page covers the DT Swiss Alloy 14G 12MM Nipple.
We sell DT Swiss nipples only as part of a wheel we build. Choose your rim, hub and spokes in the configurator and the wheel ships from Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
DT Swiss machines its alloy nipples from a hard aluminum alloy to a tight thread tolerance and anodises them, and its Prolock versions carry a thread-locking compound that stops them backing off. We fit alloy nipples with a drop of spoke prep or the Prolock compound to prevent galvanic seizing against the stainless spoke, and we use a four-sided spoke wrench that grips the flats squarely so they do not round. The 12mm length suits most rims.
How it rides
A road race or cross-country wheel on alloy nipples is about 30 grams lighter per wheel, which is a real difference at the rim, and in colors it looks the part. Kept clean and dry it lasts for years; ridden through winter salt it will eventually need the nipples replaced, which is why we suggest brass for everything but race wheels.
We build a lot of road race and cross-country wheels on DT alloy nipples, and the recipe that works is simple: alloy nipples on a rim with eyelets or washers, spoke prep on every thread, a four-sided wrench, and a wheel that is wiped down after wet rides. Built that way the nipples last as long as the spokes; built without prep and ridden through a salty winter they are the first thing to fail. The configurator makes brass the default on carbon rims, e-bikes and touring wheels for exactly that reason, and offers alloy where it belongs.
Specifications
| Material | Aluminum |
|---|---|
| Type | External 12 |
| Finishes | black, blue, gold, green, purple, red, silver |
About this listing
Version notes: alloy, 14-gauge, 12mm. Alloy saves about 30 grams a wheel over brass and comes in colors, which is the whole reason to choose it. The trade is real: aluminum is softer, so the flats round off more easily under a worn or wrong-sized spoke key, and it will corrode where it meets a steel spoke if water sits in the rim bed - which is why we build alloy with spoke prep and why we will say no to it on a winter wheel. On a dry-weather race wheel that gets looked after it is a sound choice, and the color options are genuinely part of the appeal.
This is the plain-thread version, without a locking patch. It turns freely, which is what you want when a wheel is going to be tensioned, stress-relieved and re-trued several times, and it is the one to reach for if you expect to adjust the wheel yourself. Pair it with spoke prep if you want some of the same security.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The DT Swiss Alloy 14G 12MM Nipple fits any 2.0mm-threaded 14-gauge spoke and any rim drilled for 14-gauge nipples; the configurator offers alloy nipples on every build and recommends brass for carbon rims and heavy-duty wheels.
Inside a DT Swiss nipple
DT Swiss make their nipples in Biel alongside the spokes, in brass and in aluminum, and in 12 mm and 16 mm lengths. The longer 16 mm nipple is the one to reach for on a deeper rim or where you want a little more thread engagement; the 12 mm is the standard fit on most rims.
We stock these alongside the Sapim nipples. If you are weighing the two, the practical difference is Sapim's Polyax head: it is rounded so the nipple can sit at the angle the spoke actually arrives at, instead of forcing the spoke to bend at the thread. On a low spoke-count or heavily dished wheel that is worth having, which is why most of our builds leave on Polyax - but a DT nipple on a DT spoke is a perfectly good wheel and we are happy to build it that way.
DT Swiss's videos
The manufacturing detail above comes from the maker. The choice of nipple for a given build is ours, and we will explain it if you ask.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
DT Swiss makes the DT Swiss alloy nipples; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. We measure the rim before we cut a spoke, bring the wheel up in three or four rounds with a gauge, stress-relieve it between rounds and true it last, then tape it and fit a valve if you want it tubeless.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
Warranty
DT Swiss's warranty. DT Swiss covers its products against material and manufacturing defects for 24 months from purchase, excluding wear parts such as bearings and tubeless tape. Carbon rims and carbon wheels bought new since 1 January 2020 carry an extended guarantee to the first owner against defects in material and workmanship, and DT Swiss runs a paid crash-replacement scheme on carbon wheels for up to ten years from purchase.
ProWheelBuilder. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Alloy 14G 12MM Nipple questions
Is an alloy nipple strong enough?
Strong enough, yes - plenty of race wheels are built on alloy and stay together. The real trade is not strength but wear and corrosion: aluminum is softer, so the flats round off more readily if a spoke key is worn or a size out, and it can corrode where it meets a steel spoke if water sits in the rim bed. We build alloy with spoke prep, and we will steer you to brass for a winter or high-mileage wheel. For a dry-weather wheel that gets cared for, and for the colors, it is a sound choice.
Should I take the plain nipple or the locking one?
The plain nipple turns freely however many times you tension and re-true the wheel, which is what you want if you maintain your own wheels or expect the build to be adjusted. The locking version, listed separately, adds a thread-locking patch that resists a nipple backing off by itself - worth it on low spoke counts and on wheels that see constant vibration. We will fit either; tell us how the wheel gets used.
Alloy or brass nipples?
Alloy for about 30 grams saved per wheel and colors on a race wheel that is kept clean; brass for durability, corrosion resistance and carbon rims.
Do alloy nipples seize?
They can, to a stainless spoke, in salt; we fit them with spoke prep or DT's Prolock compound to prevent it, and a clean wheel lasts for years.
Which colors?
Black and DT Swiss's anodized range; the colors in stock are listed in the configurator.
Can I use alloy nipples on a carbon rim?
You can, but we recommend brass on carbon rims because it is kinder to the rim bed over years of truing.
Do the nipples match the rim?
Yes. The configurator only offers nipple types the chosen rim accepts (external or internal), in the finish you pick.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
