twotiretinker-obra2@yahoo.com

Kristinn,

1. Are the threads showing at the end of the spoke, ie under the rim tape ?
2. Or are the threads showing where you would put the spoke wrench...

If it is the former, ( 1,) i wouldn't worry. this is actually a little good. but just sometimes the rim tape will flex enough and the spoke will go through and puncture the tube. file or grind carefully the too long spokes..

If the latter, (2)., it probably means too short of spokes and I would worry and the wheel should be rebuilt. Unfortunately one never know for sure until the wheel is almost fully done! i've done it and oops had to start over and it sucks. And yes you do that once and you DO learn to measure twice, build once.. maybe the 3 cross becomes 2?

So if you are dealing with standard spoke thread length and standard nipples then worry. It's not the spoke that will have the problem, it's the nipple. You want the force to transmit from the spoke threads with the shortest path to the rim, and thats where a nipple is fully threaded onto a spoke... But if not, then the nipple body is under tension... Brass or aluminum, it's not meant for cyclic tension load (the nipple body exists so you can get a spoke wrench on it and turn it). sharp threads make nice stress concentration points for fatigue and crack growth to works it's magic. Although It would definitely make it 50 miles, and maybe even one hard season, maybe even two, in the third year they would start breaking... Yes a guess, obviously dependent on many factors, but for sure they would start breaking somewhere down the road..

BUT before going off half cocked look first under the rim tape and see how far the spokes threads go into the nipple. You really do want the spoke end flush or at least within 2-3 mm of the end of the nipple..

Make sure the spokes were or are stress relieved too !

john