Originally Posted by
sced
People, and even experts, can't handle real complexity. As a practical matter with fashion/bling aside, each wheel builder probably has a limited number of designs that he knows will work reliably for particular applications (maybe < 20) to accommodate a limited number of customer requirements (maybe half a dozen). The details "all based on personal opinion" will vary between builders, but generically the designs will have a lot of overlap.
I see what you're saying, but I'm still going to respectfully disagree with you. I like to think of master wheel builders as problem solvers. They take specific requests and parameters and figure out options that would fit the bill. Having built over 30 different models of rims, over 20 different models of hubs, and 12 different models of spokes, I have made (reliably) far more than 20 designs. I imagine busier people like Psimet and older builders like Peter White have made even more combinations. Considering I put people into 4 different weight categories plus various tandem configurations with 6 different riding styles, there are already far more than a half dozen requirements of riders. Figuring out what would serve different and unique people is one of the most fun parts of building wheels for others.