cyccommute 

Here’s an article that explains the advantages. I don’t completely agree with Hjertberg that it’s like adding 10 spokes but it’s at least the equivalent of adding 4 spokes. I’ve been building with them since at least 2000 and had very good results. Prior to using them, spoke breakage was fairly common but that has dropped to zero after I started using them in all my builds. I’ve build dozens of wheels with double butted and triple butted spokes and the triples are far superior.

There are a number of different brands but DT is probably the easiest to get. You can order them from Quality Bike Products through your local bike shop. They are a little more expensive ($1.50 a spoke) than a double butted spoke ($1.30 each) but the strength gain is well worth the cost. They are used just like any other spoke in lacing and tension.

Hold on because it’s going to get nerdy! There is also a real difference in strength of the spokes as illustrated by these breaking strength charts borrowed from Pillar (another spoke manufacturer). The first one is for straight gauge spokes. The P14 is a 2.0mm spoke which is what your OEM wheels has. Note that the spoke breaks at about 270 kgf (kilogram force).

Image 5-11-18 at 1.41 PM by Stuart Black, on Flickr

This graph is for a double butted spoke. The line marked “1415” is a 2.0/1.8/2.0 double butted spoke that is the most commonly used size for double butted spokes. Note that the breaking strength has gone up to about 300 kgf.

Image 5-11-18 at 1.44 PM by Stuart Black, on Flickr

This graph is for the triple butted spoke. The 2018 spoke is a 2.2/1.8/2.0mm. Notice that the breaking strength is about 320 kgf. The Pillar spoke has a 2.2mm head while the DT Alpine has a 2.3mm head which adds to the strength.

Image 5-11-18 at 1.43 PM by Stuart Black, on Flickr

I will have to say that “professional wheel builder” is a bit of a dying art. Long ago (1986) I started building my own wheels because I’m cheap and I couldn’t really find anyone to build wheels. It’s not that hard. I had taken a class on bicycle mechanics about 5 years previously that include wheelbuilding but I never really practiced after that class...it’s a common problem. The same guy who’s blog I linked to above...Eric Hjertberg...wrote a 4 part article for Bicycling Magazine (back when the magazine was relevant and did “real” articles). I used that series to teach myself how to build wheels. This article on Wheel Fanatyk has a link to the original article. No much has changed since that article was printed and I still use the article as the basis of a class I teach on wheelbuilding at my co-op. I still use the article and reference it when I build.

If you can find someone build you wheels, by all means, have them do it. If you can buy the wheel off the shelf, it will be far cheaper. You might check with your local shop to see if you can order a custom built wheel from QBP. They will do that.

But I learned long ago that if I want something special...special hubs, stronger spokes, lighter rims, etc., it was just easier to build it myself. Not cheaper but I can build like I want. Perhaps you should consider that in your case. Get a cheap used wheel, take it apart by loosening and removing the spokes, launch Hjertberg’s article, and lace the wheel. Repeat it several times before you tension the wheel and then repeat the whole process again...perhaps a few times...before you build a “good” wheel. I realize this won’t fix your immediate problem but in the long run, it might work better. It has for me.