Wisper Wisper bike owners - how are your wheels & spokes looking?

Have you had an unusual amount of corrosion or rust on your Wisper wheels?

  • Yes

    Votes: 2 50.0%
  • No

    Votes: 2 50.0%

  • Total voters
    4

CCebiker

Pedelecer
Feb 6, 2024
50
8
I'm curious as to how other Wisper bike owners have found the wheels on their bikes, specifically if they've had more corrosion or rust than expected on their spokes and/or spoke nipples. As you can see in the thread below, at least two of us with the smaller size wheels have had issues, despite the bikes being manufactured and advertised for use in the UK (and therefore climate).

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/new-bike-spoke-rust-was-i-expecting-too-much.47757/

I'm awaiting a solution with Wisper but just out of curiosity I'd like to see how widespread this problem is.

If you've experienced issues I'd love to know more or see photos, as well as find out if Wisper offered you a solution that prevented the problem from occurring again.

Thanks!

Photos of my bike at 7 months old, with very little use and stored in a shed at all times. This corrosion started after about 6 weeks or less.
 

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anniesboy

Finding my (electric) wheels
Apr 10, 2023
11
5
83
ox10 0sd
My wife and I each have 705s
I recently broke a spoke in rear wheel at hub end so not really anything to do with the issue you raise
However after seeing your post I looked both bikes and yes there is rust showing on the nipples ,nothing to severe but rust.
Also some sign of reaction around nipples {white residue}
We have the bikes for nearly 18 months mileage quite low as Im over 80 and my wife is nearly there.
I am looking to clean off not sure how,possibly with a thin oil,with disc brakes no worries regarding oil on rims
 
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nigelbb

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 19, 2019
443
377
I have a 26" 705 which is about 7-8 years old. M wife as a 24" 705 which is 2 years old. Neither has any corrosion on the spokes
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
6,996
3,237
Telford
There's definitely something going on with those nipples. It looks to me like a fairly clear case of electrolytic corrosion caused by dissimilar metals in contact with each other. Without checking what everything is made of it's difficult to be conclusive. I'm wondering if they used brass washers under the nipples or something like that.
 
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Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,286
2,252
69
Sevenoaks Kent
We used to get the occasional (very occasional) contact re spoke issues. In nearly all cases, the bikes have been ridden on/by the beach or through very salty water, which could be due the salt use to melt ice on the roads. If anyone has ridden through salty water it's worth a quick spray with clean water to resolve the issue.

If anyone has severe issues please let me know, we can double check but it would be unusual if unspecified spokes were used on a few bikes, not impossible but unlikely,

All the best, David
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
6,996
3,237
Telford
We used to get the occasional (very occasional) contact re spoke issues. In nearly all cases, the bikes have been ridden on/by the beach or through very salty water, which could be due the salt use to melt ice on the roads. If anyone has ridden through salty water it's worth a quick spray with clean water to resolve the issue.

If anyone has severe issues please let me know, we can double check but it would be unusual if unspecified spokes were used on a few bikes, not impossible but unlikely,

All the best, David
That makes sense; however, once the salt water has been on it, it'll seep up the nipple threads and into the rim, so washing afterwards won't do much. Ideally, you'd need to protect it first with something like Supertrol 001.
 

anniesboy

Finding my (electric) wheels
Apr 10, 2023
11
5
83
ox10 0sd
Whilst the rust on nipples is in no way severe it is there.

Bikes have been nowhere near beach or ridden on salted roads.
 

Waspy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 8, 2012
434
172
Whilst the rust on nipples is in no way severe it is there.

Bikes have been nowhere near beach or ridden on salted roads.
Can't you just take a small, soft, brass brush to those nipples? Followed by a smear of silicone or something?
 
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CCebiker

Pedelecer
Feb 6, 2024
50
8
We used to get the occasional (very occasional) contact re spoke issues. In nearly all cases, the bikes have been ridden on/by the beach or through very salty water, which could be due the salt use to melt ice on the roads. If anyone has ridden through salty water it's worth a quick spray with clean water to resolve the issue.

If anyone has severe issues please let me know, we can double check but it would be unusual if unspecified spokes were used on a few bikes, not impossible but unlikely,

All the best, David
To me, I'm just not sure this answer sounds right, especially if we're going to try to solve the problem so it doesn't happen again. As I said on my other thread, my kids' bikes that are years old and get used for school through the winter are not even rusting on the spokes at all. The bikes of others at my local Tesco are not like this. We ride the same roads except I cycle less and have probably wiped down my bike and applied oil more often than they ever have.
 

Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,286
2,252
69
Sevenoaks Kent
As said, this situation is rare, we can only speculate as to why this is happening on a handful of bikes. We are very happy to handle each case on merits and separately, it does not seem to be a general problem.
 
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