Originally Posted by
John E
I have only one recommendation, which is to stick with at least 32 spokes per wheel, in a 3X pattern, if you care about long term reliability and repairability. Jobst Brandt had a great article on why 36-spoke wheels were standard for so many years, and, in his opinion, still should be.
I have a set of Mavic Ksyrium sl's 18 front 20 rear, with over 15'000 mile on them. No broken spokes, not even any loose ones. I weigh 215. Not durable? I have a set of 16-20 wheels on my cross bike. Gravel, grass, trails, did break one spoke 2 years ago when I hit a bif chuck hole. Don't know if 32 would have been any better. Good wheels don't have to rely on spoke count to be durable in my heavyweight experience. The SL's were a grand though.