Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 19,381
Likes: 5,528
From: Rochester, NY
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Thinner spokes have more elasticity and will stretch more for the same tension. Thus as the rim is compressed in to the hub (from the weight and ground contact), or as the wheel is flexed laterally, the thinner spokes will be less likely to loose all their tension and their nipples less likely to unscrew bit by bit. This same principle is why many wheel builders like to use butted spokes.
This is a method that is as old as tensioned spokes are. Andy
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AndrewRStewart