Originally Posted by
Ronno6
....
I cross laced it in error as I didn't recognize that the stagger of the access holes was opposite that of the exit holes to facilitate building.
The rim wall is too thick at the exit hole to allow the nipple to cant towards the hub flange, causing a stress point
at the exit of the spoke from the nipple.
I relaced correctly and have never broken another spoke in several thousand miles.
Rims designed to be cross laced are drilled that way, and it's not only a question of the angle of the hole, but the angle of the inside surface of the rim, or countersink. If the hole is big enough to allow the nipple to pivot, one side of the head will be digging into the rim. You sometimes see the effects of nipple angle as dimples with light rims, even when they're not cross laced.