SSBully

No, I'm not kidding.

No, you don't have this right at all. Crappy components used in ANY wheel build will result in a crappy wheel. PERIOD, regardless of spoke count. If you're going to misquote me and then make asinine(at best) inferrences, or assumptions, based on that misquote, don't try to use them as facts for your position. It further solidifies your positions as unable to comprehend what you've read, or misread, as the case were.

I never said you couldn't. I never even argued the opposite was true. In fact, I said that's why people preach that 36h business as gospel. To prevent newbs, idiots and people not willing/able to spend for quality components from being a victim of their own choices.

I never told anyone to get a mediocre low spoke rim. Again, you have no proof that I said that. I asked you to please give me the direct quotes that I made to support your assertion of that as fact, and you haven't, nor will be able to do so, because I never did. So, here we see you again, not being able to read or comprehend basic English, misquoting people, making false assumptions based on the misquotes, and presenting them as the facts for the basis of your position. Any position based on false pretenses, is, by it's very nature, false itself.

Yes, let's put this into proper perspective! For you to call me ignorant on this subject, implies that you have greater knowledge, or experience in the given arena than I do. Please present a shred of evidence to support that you know more about this subject, firsthand, than I do. And I don't mean posting the link to a site that you've read some stuff on, either. What real world experience do you have building wheels? How about bicycle repair and maintenance? How about any information that you have regarding, me, my knowledge of the subject at hand, or my experience with the subject? You can't because you have none. So, I will relieve you of some of your ignorance regarding me. I have been a gainfully employed bicycle mechanic for probably more years than you've been alive, or close to it. 23 years to be exact. I built my first set of wheels while you, more than likely, had dried snot on your upper lip and diarrhea in your Pampers. Since that time I have been paid to build over 100 wheelsets for customers. I have also built and rode more wheelsets on my personal bikes than you've probably ridden in your entire life. I can say, that on MY bikes, I have never had a wheelset that I'VE built fail, on any of my bikes. You keep sending me to Peter White's website. How many wheelsets have you ridden, that he's built? How many times have you even spoken to the man? e-mail exchanges with him? I can bet none. So, you really don't know anything about him or his work aside from the hype and gloss you've read on his website. All you've been able to present is a cute story about some "friend" whose destroyed "x" number of wheelsets, and "x" number of bikes, yada, yada, yada. You have yet to present any shred of personal experience or expertise in this field whatsoever, and until you can, do not even begin to have the nerve to call me ignorant on this topic, or any other, for that matter. Please provide any bit of undisputable empirical evidence to support your statements, or STFU.

Panthers007

Would you two please get a room?

froze

You know what, your right, we should get a room!!!

SSBULLY; I'm going to end this right now, I'm not going to respond anymore to your assertions on this post. I don't care if your a bike mechanic or not, you didn't and don't sound like one but "maybe" that's just the way you write; we all can be something we're not on these computers and nobody can prove it one way or the other. So I'll just say your 100% correct and I was 100% wrong, you win I lose. So lets be lovers and not haters.

DMF 

Varying (in the right direction) between 250 and 230 lbs, I rode the 16-count Shimano wheels that came with my bike for two years (~5000 mi) before I started to break spokes - always on the rear, btw. Break on one side I could ride home. Break on the other the wheel was too warped.

That bike is on 32s now.

surfengine

you guys are acting like the OP was 800lbs.
He's only 235.
I'm over 200lbs and ride on 20/24 and had no problems with the wheels/spokes after about 4k miles.
Besides...once he starts riding he will lose alot of that weight

Garthr

The question is though, why would someone need or want a 20/24 spoke wheel if you weigh 250?


Weight savings? Aerodynamics?


Yeah .... that's a good one

I've been there...... and if I had the choice back then I would have laughed the same.

chipcom 

orly? I've been riding for over 40 years...I've pretty much only gained weight over those decades.

StanSeven

Actually deep rims like Velocity or lots of others (30mm or more) built with 20/24 spokes can be as strong as 32 spoke box rims.

freako

Some of you mention your over 240 pounds and one is 315 and ride low spoke count wheels including as low as 16. Really? I had a friend that years ago we served together in Vietnam, but the years and lack of constant exercise ballooned him to around 300 pounds. About 10 years ago he decided to do something about and decided cycling was the best route for him after conferring with a doctor and me. So he went out and bought a racing carbon fiber job with 20 spokes per wheel against the LBS and my suggestion, but he was dead set on something light. Can't remember the name of the stuff he bought but he paid around $5,000. First thing that happen about 3 weeks later was a spoke broke which immediately broke another and the rear wheel collapsed breaking more spokes causing a crash and mostly a bruised ego. He had the wheel replaced with another low spoke wheel after conferring with other cyclists who said that that particular brand was the strongest of the low spoke wheels...it too broke. So he went with a 36 hole rim like the LBS and I had told him to do, this wheel held up but then the front broke which in turn broke his collarbone and a wrist. He decided to go with a 36 on the front. Both of these wheels held up until the a rear stay snapped which again broke the rear wheel...nobody's sure if the rear stay went into the spokes or the sudden collapse of the stay caused the wheel to collapse, regardless he spent a week in the hospital with a concussion that sent him into a coma for 2 days-yes he was wearing a helmet.

After about 6 months to make sure he was fully recovered, and being quite determined to get the weight off, he bought a $3000 mountain bike, which after 8 years is still riding and he's lost about 120 pounds over those years.

I'm not sure if the newer low spoke count wheels are better then the best were 10 years ago or not, but maybe they have and that's why some of you clydesdales haven't had any issues. But a neighbor of mine who weighs 235 had issues with modern low spoke wheels and swore off of them.

Wordbiker

Oh, it's worse than that.

They sold out to Canadians!

Road Fan

Here's one piece of truth: all other things being equal (same rim, same spoke, same nipples, same hub, same builder, same care in tensioning and truing), the 36 spoke wheel will be stronger than the 32 hole wheel. There are many ways to screw up a 36 hole wheel so it doesn't reach this potential.

Torchy McFlux

And they're not even Chinese-Canadians. They're French-Canadians.

Panthers007

I'm starting to think this thread should be moved to Politics & Religion. Or THROWN there...

freako

What are you saying? I'm Cajun, that makes me French Canadian, what of it?

Torchy McFlux

I'm being sarcastic.

mrrabbit 

Correction:

This thread will be dragged kicking, screaming, nails scraping in concrete, and all, to Politics & Religion.

=8-)

Moderator?

JakcBeNimble

Re-reading this thread as made me wonder: what spoke count is the most common? I'd guess that most road bikes have 32 spokes/wheel, i you consider all of the older and cheaper bikes out there.

For mountain bikes I'm less sure, but I'd imagine 36 is a little more common than 32 or low spoke counts that are common on today's road bikes.

Anybody else have an opinion or more knowledge than me?

froze

I think the spoke count thing is all over the map today; back in the days I raced this wasn't the case, we had as low as 28, but the most common was 32 and 36; but most of this low spoke count thing is a sham. For more info on what I'm talking about one needs to read Sheldon Brown's "How Many Spokes" section on this site: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

I do agree with him 100% on this subject, and even agree with having more spokes on the rear then then the front...something I failed to realize till long after I had built my 84 Trek with 36 spokes front and rear, what I should have had was 32 on the front especially considering how much I weigh. But I will say this, I rarely have to true my wheels and when I do it's just a very slight adjustment that most people would ignore.