Ok, I figured that it was aero or something (random guess). As far as I know the triple cross is more of a side effect. In radial spoking the spoke is in line between the center of the axle and the rim nipple. If you look at the force a spoke can exert to stabilize (the torque it can create) you can change the spoke tension and the lever arm length. By making the hub come from the side of the hub at a perpendicular angle you change the lever arm length from nearly zero to the radius if the hub which I think would drastically increase the stiffness of the wheel. This of course mattters far more on the rear wheel where you are applying a rotaional torque to the hub via the drivetrain (which you want transfered to the rim as efficiently as possible) than on the front wheel where the only torque difference between the hub and rim is in braking. The rest of the time you are pulling strait down on it. The fact that the spokes overlap each other and happen to cross 3 times seems to be a side effect. Twisting the spokes shouldn't increase tension because you twist them BEFORE you tighten the nipples. If anything the fact that the spokes pull sideways at the rim might make it a tiny bit harder for the nipple threads to strip but I think the kink in the spoke and overlap would make the spoke harder to tension evenly making it structurally worse than a triple cross. From the aero standpoint it makes the overall spoke profile shaped far more like a four spoke carbon or aluminum wheel than the multispoked triple cross. I've seen people give up strength and weight (it will make the spokes a bit longer) in the name of aero before, perhaps this is just another example of that?

No english skills, over analyzing the problem...can you tell I'm and ME major? Oh, and if anyone wants a co-op or intern ME student over the summer get me at singdt@rose-hulman.edu. Resumee available upon request.

Oh, and as for the triple triangle frame, I never did get that as the rigidity added should be minimal.