Originally Posted by
mattkime
16 / 20 would be event better..... only reason why i didn't start with that number was that it sounds low.
well, it IS low, but it's possible if you don't plan on destroying them on purpose. you can pretty much go with any combo you want, but a higher spoke count is really only necessary if you're a heavy rider that's worried about wheel flex.
when i was 180 pounds i hit a pothole at about 20mph with Mavic Aksium's and the rear tire blew out and the rear wheel hit the concrete hard, it developed a 3mm flat spot from that, but it didn't vibrate at all at speed (40mph downhills) and it was fine to keep using. so honestly, if you want something pretty bulletproof and want to spend less than $250 get a set of Mavic Aksiums through PBK (or wait till Merlin Cycles gets them back in at $172 for the pair)...