A little over three years ago I had Colorado Cyclist build me a set of 36 spoke wheels with Ultegra hubs and Mavic CXP-33 rims. The spokes are straight 14 ga., although I might go for butted spokes if I had to do it over again. I live on a very rough gravel road and do some riding on other rough roads and trails around here (central MO). I've never had to touch them with a spoke wrench, they're as true as the day I got them. The only slight inconvenience is that the CXP-33 is a deep section rim, so they need longer valve stems. They're probably the best money I ever spent on my bike.