Originally Posted by
Rowan
RG, I respect your opinion... as I do Sheldon's, and he states quite plainly that 36H is better than 32. In fact he is quite scathing of the marketeering involved when 32H was introduced. From what he states, if you line up a 32H wheel against a 36H wheel made of the same extrusion, the 32H will be not as durable.
So why stop at 36 spokes? Why not use 40 spoke wheels, or 48? The question isn't "Are 36 spokes more durable than 32?", the question is "Are 32 spokes durable enough?" My experience has been that 32 spokes, with a box shaped rim like an Open Pro, are clearly adequate. When coupled with a more deep section rim 32 spokes might even be overkill.