Originally Posted by
HillRider
That said, thinner diameter spokes are more resilient than thicker ones which is why 14/15/14 (2.0mm/1.8 mm/2.0 mm) butted spokes are usually recommended over straight 14 gauge (2.0 mm) as they give a more durable wheel.
Isn't something like the DT Swiss Alpine III(2.0mm/1.8mm/2.3mm) considered the strongest "mainstream"spoke you can buy?
I take your point about the spoke being a bit thinner in the middle so that the spoke acts more like a spring.