Bicycle Mechanics - 3 spd wheel; straight gauge or DB spokes?

I'm building a 3 speed wheel for a friend's commuter bike. It'll be rim brake, no coaster here. I always use double butted spokes for myself, and recommend them to others, but I don't see too many internally geared hubs with double butted spokes. Do internal hubs put any more torque on a wheel than the standard freewheel/hub deraileur set ups? Are double butted spokes a bad idea for internal hubs?

Double-butted spokes have just as much advantage on a 3-speed wheel as they do on a regular cassette-hub geared wheel. The only reason you don't see internal-geared hubs with db spokes is probably because they're not considered "performance" bikes. But db spokes make for longer-lasting wheels, too.

Short answer: use the double-butted spokes if you can get them.

Double-butted spokes have just as much advantage on a 3-speed wheel as they do on a regular cassette-hub geared wheel. The only reason you don't see internal-geared hubs with db spokes is probably because they're not considered "performance" bikes. But db spokes make for longer-lasting wheels, too.

Short answer: use the double-butted spokes if you can get them.

That's what I was thinking. Thanks for the quick reply.

Stainless steel 14 guage straight. You will never break a spoke (assuming wheel is built right) and easy to clean because oil will leak out of your Sturmey Archer hub and down the spokes.