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Old 10-26-10, 12:51 AM
  #15  
dabac
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Originally Posted by dasding
.. I want to learn more about the pros and cons of lower spoke-count wheels ...
One thing to keep in mind is that very few people manage to ride enough wheels to destruction under comparable circumstances to generate enough "hard data". If you're a pro wheel builder you can get the numbers up enough to stabilize the build quality, but you're still exposed to the big unknown of ride conditions. What makes up a real hectic season for one rider can be pretty much average for another. One is a spinner, good at going light, the other likes to honk it out etc etc.

Another thing is that businesses tend to look at where the money is, and this usually translates into doing things good enough and as fast as possible. It's quite rare to be given the opportunity to build as good as possible at any cost. Building better than required might leave the builder well contented, but is unlikely to put more money in his pocket.

These two above make up compelling reasons for pro wheel builders to be a tad conservative. Plenty of spokes in good ol' 3x makes for fast builds and few returns.

Originally Posted by dasding
.. why can't a home builder make the same set of wheels. is there any reason? ... but is it that much harder to build a 20 spoke wheel with bladed spokes than it is to build a 28 spoke wheel with 2.0-1.8-2.0 spokes?
There's no question about can, but the spoke tension does get a bit daunting. With fewer spokes and higher tensions the margin of error slims right down. Tool quality and prep work becomes real important. Some resort to levering the wheel sideways to get the spokes a little slacker for the final tensioning. Bladed spokes are nice in the way that they make it real easy to keep track of wind-up. Do note that some bladed spokes will only fit in special hubs.

Last edited by dabac; 10-26-10 at 12:55 AM.
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