Originally Posted by
FBinNY
This argument about the MOST IMPORTANT consideration is pointless.
Wheels are a system, incorporating elements, chosen and assembled by the builder. Each contributes to the end product, but has to be considered in the context of the other elements.
Yes, wheels are a system but far too often people look at a wheel and try to fix the wrong problem. Broken rims and broken hubs are rare. Broken spokes are common. Yet everyone blames one thing…the rim…for spoke failures. Blame the part that is breaking.
You cannot magically make spokes stronger with tension changes. Nor can you build a more durable wheel simply by increase spoke gauge. Lastly, even the best builder can work magic with poor or poorly matched components.
Since you don’t seem to have read Hjertberg’s article, I’ll quote him.
Facts
#1 - The single biggest weakness for cost conscious wheels is spoke breakage (also for many high performance wheels as well).
#2 - Spokes break overwhelmingly at the elbow (hub), secondarily at the threads (rim)
#3 - Stronger spoke material, larger spoke numbers, and thicker spokes decrease a wheel’s tendency to break them.
As Hjertberg is something of a spoke expert, I’ll take his advice over yours. By the way, I reached much of the same conclusions he did in his 2014 article years before he wrote it. I’ve been using triple butted spokes since at least 2000 and perhaps earlier and realized much of what he said about them just through use. My first rear wheel using them lasted for 10 years without spoke breakage where previous wheels with double butted spokes never lasted that long.
Focusing on one consideration and calling it MOST IMPORTANT is as meaningful as arguing whether it's the b use of color or brushstrokes that are more important in impressionist paintings.
Wrong analogy. There
are elements to wheels that can make a large difference in strength. Assuming all things being equal, a stronger spoke makes for a stronger wheel. Stronger hubs or stronger rims? Not so much.