Mr IGH,

[QUOTE]- The canard about double butted spokes relieving stress at the bend and adding to spoke life doesn't follow the simplest engineering principals known to successful 1st year engineering students....
- No one has ever demonstrated the "DB spokes make the wheel stronger" theory with computer simulations either....
- The reason why no one has demonstrated the theory with computer simulation it is because it's false..../QUOTE]

You make some good points. But it is classified as 'point loading' vs 'displacement loading'. The contact radius of the 2.3 elbow in the hub 2.6 hole will displace or distribute the load better than a 2.0 elbow radius bend in the same 2.6 hub hole during the torsional loads placed on a wheel assembly.

It has nothing to do with the 'pull' strength of the spoke. You are so correct if I understood you.

I'd rather walk across a frozen pond in my size EEE 14's than in my wife's stiletto high heals..... Hum,,, interesting, gotta think about what color dress to wear...... just kidding.

Bottom line I think is even if it is 'false' security I'd rather have my large posterior on double butted 2.3's in 36h's. Skin is expensive to fix, but if I was in the Tour de France heck yes I'd use the racing type spokes. Oh, I'd also loose a few tons.....

Just trying to lighten things up and get a grin or two.....