Originally Posted by cyccommute

Yes a 40 would be better. Unfortunately you don't find many 40 spoke rims or hubs out there and seldom are they going to be spec'd on any bike. It's a marketing thing. People who design and build bikes don't want to put down that the bike has more spokes. It's just not good for marketing to the bicycle crowd. Even though we touring cyclists are more interested in ruggedness than weight, the people who design the bikes really don't understand what we need. Hence you end up with some touring bikes with 32 spoke wheels.

In reality, touring bikes should have 26" wheels. They are tougher and only slightly slower. Or they should have 40 spoke 700C rears. But in the real world, 36 spokes will get the job done without too many issues. And rims are a little easier to find.