Originally Posted by
davidad
You need double butted spokes. The only problem I see is the number of spokes for your weight. 36 is the minimum I would suggest and even then I would go for extra tension on the DS spokes. At least 120Kg.
Oh I have no problem with 32 spoke wheels. I even now no longer have any problem with the 28 spoke Open Pro that I rebuilt a while ago, I think that the original spokes were too low of tension and fatigued them to the point where they were all work hardened so even after I properly tensioned the wheel, I still broke spokes
Its all about how well the wheel is built and how much tension is applied and how the person rides. I try to ride light. I don't bunny hop, curb drop, hit pot holes, etc. I get off my bike if I have to go down a curb. I down shift to my lowest gear in the middle ring to start out with. I try not to mash and so on. My son is who is only 300 pounds has had more problems than I have with his rear wheel because he is a hard core masher. I watch him when we ride and he is spinning his pedals at like half what I spin mine. I can only picture that its like lugging a 4 cylinder engine going up a steep hill in too high of a gear.
And yes, I do go for extra tension. People who examine my wheels have said to me that they are surprised by how tight the spokes feel. I have never broken a rim either.
A nice side effect of knowing how to build rims for a huge guy like me is that when I build rims for my friends, they are pretty much indestructible.