Originally Posted by
Spoonrobot
Like clockwork I've broken a spoke on every road wheelset (3 so far) I've ridden far enough, between 6,000-8,000 miles. This is 700cx28, 650bx42 and 700cx23.
I'm also of the camp that sometimes spokes just break.
...
I used to ride and race wheels built with Robergel zinc plated Sport spokes. (15-17 ga, so roughly the equivalent of DT Revolutions.) The spoke held up very well except 3 or 4 spokes per box of 100 would break relatively early. This happened so reliably that I just took it for granted that I needed 3 or 4 spare spokes per wheel set. I built one pair of wheels with Robergel SS spoke. Not a good wheel. SS spokes were not yet up to the job. Now I ride DT butted spokes and have very good luck. Yes, spokes start to break after a lot of miles. My summer wheels haven't gotten there yet. Winter wheels start breaking spokes after two rim replacements and new spokes go on for the next rim.
Oh, I used to lace my race wheels less than super tight (in fact quite loose by modern standards because I raced with no spare wheels available. I wanted wheels that could be ridden to the finish after a broken spoke. (A recommendation out of the ancient "CONI" manual.) It worked. I never had a wheel failure. And that less than tight also meant that I rode my bike to a standstill the year after my racing days when a rear QR broke 8 consecutive spokes on one side in a town line sprint. All of these wheels were ridden "wrong" and too loose by the standards of any modern wheel building book.
Ben