Originally Posted by
sced
Of course there are general rules. Wheel building isn't rocket science, it's more of a craftsman + specific knowledge kind of thing. A wheel builder will ask a customer questions about riding style, weight, terrain, and budget and translate that into a set of wheels. The information can be organized in a matrix. Psimet appears to make part of his living doing this so maybe he's reluctant to share his knowledge, but his customers are unlikely to be do-it-yerselfers who'd rather buy from someone. I've built a number of "sturdy" wheelsets but am interested in testing the limits for a lower weight set, thus my question.
I'd also like to hear why butted spokes are more durable than straight gauge. I've switched to straight gauge for the last few sets to save money and haven't had a single break.
My point is that this "matrix" would be huge because of the number of possible combinations. Of course, Psimet or any other reputable wheel builder could spend numerous hours coming up with such a database, but even if they did, it would be widely scrutinized by others because it's all just theory and personal experience.
Back when they had pretty much only box rims and straight gauge spokes, I actually had a general rule. I think it was something like 36 spokes for people over 220, 32 for 180-220, 28 for 120-180, and 24 for under 120. Even that had a catch, though, where I subtracted 20 lb for super light rims. Of course, this was also possibly a little conservative, as I didn't want someone coming back to me with a collapsed wheel and a JRA story. Anyway, when they started making deep section rims and various types of materials and construction, my general rule went out the window.
So sure, you could make a general rule, but it would be pages long and all based on personal opinion. I think this is why builders prefer to consult with individual people than try to publish some sort of list.