Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Or that the spokes aren’t strong enough for the task at hand.
Straight gauge spokes are weaker than butted spokes, period. You and most everyone else assumes a tension problem. For OEM wheels, that is something of a concern but if all things are equal, butted spokes are stronger and more durable.
“Just buying a new Clyde wheel” trades one machine built wheel for another one without addressing the problem. e0richt has expressed an interest in building wheels. More power to him. Building with triple butted spoke are only going to marginally reduce the thickness of his wallet while substantially increasing the durability of his wheels. As a bonus, e0richt will learn something valuable in the process.
A shaft of 2mm steel is weaker than a shaft of 1.8mm steel? I don't think so. Butted spokes just distribute large load variations better.
Why wouldn't 32 2mm spokes be strong enough for the task at hand? How many 14g spokes does it take? 36? 48? What is it you see as such a monumental problem that the kind of wheel nearly every bike came with for some 30 years is not strong enough to handle?
You didn't read:
For $100 a more appropriate wheel could be purchased that already has a heavy rim and the shop has gone over the tension on.