canam73

Just curious why or when you would want to use one type versus the other.

sced

It's a matter of fashion. Save your money and get straight gauge.

rankin116

There are many, many people who will disagree with you on this one. DB spokes are supposedly more durable and less prone to braking at the j-bend because they are able to 'stretch' better in the thinner, middle area relieving stress at the hub flange. Plus I doubt anyone would even know if wheels were using DB or straight gauge spokes without making a close inspection.

OP - I used 2.0/1.7 DB Wheelsmith spokes on my first and only build so far. You can find a great deal of info on this in the mechanics forum as well as some very helpful people. This link is to the thread I started there and gives some helpful tips.

urbanknight

I recommend 2.0 on the ends f most builds because a thinner spokes takes away some of the surface area around the holes you're resting on. The last time I built with 1.8/1.6 spokes was when they were for my 80lb brother.

SortaGrey

All things being equal.. I'd agree to a point. Any experienced wheel builder would agree a well built 14 gauge 3x is hard to beat.

Yet.. many of the same of long experience make the case for butted spokes. Some time reading the archives would answer that Q.

2/1.5's vs 1.8/1.6's.. weight weenie issue... coin flip.. or phaze of the moon.

November Dave

A very good reason to use 2.0 rather than 1.8 for the thicker part of your spokes is that you want a tight fit between the spoke head/bend and the hub hole. The closer the fit in that junction, the better - if the spoke head moves in the hole, it will eventually break

It used to be very standard practice for diligent wheel builders to place small brass washers between the spoke head and the hub hole. As the spoke head seated in the hub hole, the washer would deform and take up all of that space. You don't see it as much now but the principle is valid.

I much prefer double butted but it's not something I argue over.

mechBgon

1.8/1.6 is difficult to get hold of, too. Even Paceline, the U.S. distributor, seems to have basically dropped them.

achoo

Because there's absolutely no research and engineering going into spoked wheels:

https://www.duke.edu/~hpgavin/papers/...heel-Paper.pdf
https://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Wheel-.../dp/0960723668

Posting opinions does not refute multiple published and peer-reviewed science.

echappist

the 41: where well-researched facts die

Drew Eckhardt 

1.8mm spoke ends in large holes can put an unsupported bend in the head end with high residual stress that cannot be relieved which leads to spoke breakage until you rebuild with thicker spokes. I'll use 2.0/1.5 spokes in my next set of wheels for this reason.

The 1.8mm thread results in less torque on the spoke than the 2.0mm and the 1.6mm middle is 29% stiffer in torsion than 1.5mm so windup is less of a problem; although I've never had problems getting properly lubricated nipples on 2.0/1.5 DT Revolutions to 110kgf. That may become an issue in low spoke count wheels where you want higher tension.

1.8/1.6mm spokes are also hard to find.

That said the 1.8mm elbow is strong enough when they match the hubs regardless of rider weight - Jobst Brandt isn't a small guy but has put over 100,000 miles on a single set of 15/16 gauge spokes.

AEO

DT revolutions in 2.0/1.5/2.0mm tend to stretch over time.

1.8/1.6/1.8mm might be a bit more desirable in smaller wheels, like 26" wheels.

Drew Eckhardt 

They do not stretch.

I've gotten up to 14 years out of wheels with DT Revolutions before touching the nipples due to bent rims that needed replacement (I first replaced the rim in 2010 after building the wheel sometime between 1996 and when Mavic discontinued Reflex clincher rims near the end of the decade).

If you needed to true the wheels without rim damage the builder screwed up by failing to put enough tension in the spokes. Maybe he didn't lubricate the threads and couldn't get them tight enough with the extra windup that goes with the thinner spokes. Maybe he tried to tension by tone.

AEO

or it could be a difference in the steel alloy DT uses. I know they've gone through at least 2 different revisions over those 14 years.
I see plenty of reputable wheel builders on here not recommend DT revo for drive side rear due to the stretching.

achoo

Might be more than just stretching.

I tried building a rear wheel with DT Rev spokes. It didn't last long at all before I snapped 2-3 DS spokes doing uphill sprint intervals.