1x, 2x wheel
 

Would you lace your wheels 1x, or 2x, would you do it with a rear wheel, if it was 24H, or 28H?

I ride a 24h on my SS (standard road hub), laced 2X DS, radial ND. I've other wheelsets laced this pattern, too.

24 or 28 hole I lace 2 cross. 32 and 36 hole I lace 3 cross.

Me too, generally. Exceptions are wheels with very large flange hubs (think "Rohloff") and/or small rims (think 20" or smaller.)

There are two main issues:

Excessive crossing can cause excessive angles where the spokes enter the nipples.

Insufficient crossing of wheels that experience torque loads (rears, fronts with hub brakes) can lead to spoke or hub flange breakage.

The issue there is the "moment arm" of the spoke. If you don't remember this concept from high school physics, imagine the spoke lines extended inward until they cross the middle of the hub. The moment arm is the distance from this line to the axle centerline, at closest approach.

The smaller the moment arm, the greater the torque related stress on spokes and hub flanges. The extreme example is radial spoking, where the moment arm is zero, since the spoke's line runs straight through the axle.

I must admit a bit of fondness for radial and other oddball spoking for front wheels. Most front wheels are rather overbuilt anyway.

Sheldon "Spox" Brown

That livestrong hub cleaner is awesome.

+1 That gives me a great idea on where to put my bracelet!!!

I am also for 2X on 24 or 28 spokes, 3X for 32 spokes, and (usually) 4X on 36 and 40 spokes. The fronts can be radial, unless you want it to match the rear.

28h I usually do 3x drive, 2x non drive if its a standard rear hub. Hubs with larger flanges or mixed flanges, i'll just do 2x.