I'm rebuilding a rear wheel for a Trek 1000 I'll probably sell, and I've wound up with a mix of 1.8mm and 2.0mm straight gauge spokes. The original spokes were 1.8mm black, and I bought 14 new black spokes to replace a hodgepodge of 2.0mm silver SS and UCP earlier replacements - it'd be harder to sell as it was. However, after I'd laced up the new spokes I found that the LBS had mistakenly sold me 2.0mm spokes instead of the 1.8mm. One of the originals broke when I detensioned it, so I bought another couple of 2.0mm spokes.
Now that I basically have half 1.8mm and half 2.0mm spokes, what would be the best way to lace the wheel with them? I don't want to spend any more on the bike - I probably won't get my money back it as it is. The lengths are 290mm DS and 292mm NDS, so I can probably use them on either side. I'm probably stuck with 3x lacing, but that's not a bad thing. I figure I can:
- Lace the DS with 2.0mm and the NDS with 1.8mm.
- Lace all trailing spokes with 2.0mm and the leading spokes with 1.8mm
- Randomly intermix the spokes
Which would be the best? Any recommendations? Bad idea?