Linseed Oil and Spoke Threads

January 12, 2026 1 Comment

Spoke threads need help—not with strength but with corrosion and vibration. 

• Intro to spoke threads.
• Why is corrosion a problem?
• Why is vibration a problem?
• Thread coatings.
• Linseed oil.

Intro to spoke threads.

The spoke thread is incredibly rugged and practical—like our bicycles themselves. DIN 79012 (ISO 724, JIS B0225) are the engineering standards (more details here). What makes this system special?

• Bicycles use four spoke gauges—and they all have the same thread pitch. This is not the case with other fasteners where pitch goes finer as diameter decreases. 
• Thread rolling is simplified—thread dies have one pitch and only distance between them is what principally varies.
• Truing is simplified—regardless of spoke gauge, one turn of a nipple makes the same change in spoke length.
• Strength isn't compromised—spoke threads can carry many times the load of any wire. Pitch doesn't need to scale with gauge.

Why is corrosion a problem?

• Spokes live outdoors, exposed to water and salts, and centrifugal forces from wheel rotation drive moisture into the spoke-nipple interface.
• The best materials for nipples are brass and aluminum, both of which oxidize in the presence of water and oxygen. More here.
• No topical rust prevention can withstand the use and cleaning that bicycles receive. Something more enduring must be employed.
  

Why is vibration a problem?

• Roads are bumpy and bicycle suspension does little to dampen the high frequencies that cause loosening. If a spoke's tension is zero, even for an instant, there is risk of loosening.
• Many wheels have uneven spoke tension from the factory. Lower tension spokes are more likely to loosen.
• Inflating tires always lowers spoke tension, sometimes significantly.
• With age and damage, some spokes lose tension—making them vulnerable to further loosening.
• High rider and payload weight brings spokes to zero tension more often.
• Racing, with higher speeds and lower rim weights, makes more moments of zero spoke tension.

Thread coatings.

Corrosion and loosening are major fastener issues in engineering, especially in the presence of motors. Fasteners can have nylon inserts to create extra friction to discourage unthreading. Issues include:

• Nylon cannot resist high heat.
• Inserts age and eventually lose vital properies.
• An insert requires increases in weight, size, and cost.
• Lubrication fights corrosion but aids vibration loosening.
• Increasingly, engineering turns to thread coatings. Here are some used widely in the bike industry:
  
  
  

Linseed oil.

• It’s been employed for ages by many experienced builders.
• Commercial grade linseed oil is intended for paints, not for skin contact, and often contains additives to speed curing. Heavy metals and other toxins are often employed.
• Food grade linseed oil is available. Use discretion when sourcing.
• Linseed oil doesn’t dry, it cures by oxidation. Temperature and humidity affect the rate so wheels are not ride-worthy until the cure is complete, which could take 24hrs.
• Curing (oxidation) produces heat so linseed contaminated rags will combust unless denied oxygen. Linseed oil is notorious for workshop fires.
  
• You might spot a builder using linseed oil because their equipment is often a mess—covered with gummy, brownish stains. Linseed cleanup is a headache.
• Linseed oil, while derived from flaxseed is not biodegradeable in its commercial version (combined with resins and solvents). 
  

Try different methods, pay attention to advice from manufacturers, and test as often as you can. Tests can be in built wheels seeing regular use or workshop setups where friction and exposure to moisture and other compounds can be judged. Keep careful notes. Share what you find but don't imply you've tested if you haven't!

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