If you were going to build a set of wheels for a fixed road bike, how many spokes would you use front and rear? Maybe post your specific choice of components (hubs, spokes, nipples, rims) and your reason(s) for using them...

for my next wheelset, i'm going with 36 front and rear - i seriously doubt i'll notice the added weight of four spokes, and it's worth it to me for the added strength, given i'll be building up box-section rims, not v-section. also, i prefer the symmetry of having the same spoke count front and rear.

Depends on rider weight, street conditions, lacing pattern, tradition vs. style points...

I recently built a pair of 32 spoke Formula/Open Sport wheels with DT 2.0/1.8 spokes and they're great. I'm 290 lbs and ride on the ****ed up streets of Denver, so they should be fine for most people in most places. I was going to build 36 spoke wheels, but 32h components are more conveniently available and the wheelbuilder at my LBS said he'd built more than 100 sets of those wheels for various people and never had one fail.

i'm building up a set 32 threecross rear, 28 twocross front.

36/36

I'm building a 28 radial front, 28 three-cross rear right
now. It's fine for me, because I'm a fairly small and light
rider.

hey can we vote on the rest of your build too
?

i say moustache bars!

200 lbs, urban environment, 3 cross, stylin' but still practical.

I'm thinking the 700c High-Flange seen here, but doing them myself with black spokes. They look like 32/32.

100 front 100 rear

true dat.

I ride 32/32 3-cross. Uh... it's just fine.

144 Radial Laced front and rear.

32x32 abrosio pro to disc bloodline fronts
32x32 mavic gl330 to Mack/formula
28x28 nisi to Super Record high flange
28x28 zipp 303 to hope rear disc / soul-kozak front disc
28x28 mavic argent 10 to ???
16x16 shamal track to mack/C record front

sole fronts:
bora 16 650c, nisi 32 650c, shamal 12, shamal 16 650c
Edit: I like shamals, they prove I am not a weight weenie
So to provide something useful: select A Note on Spoke Count under Aerodynamics - it talks about stiffness and "feel", too

32H Formula hubs, three cross laced Sapim Race spokes (2.0 1.8 2.0), and Open Pros are my everyday wheels.

On my nice bike I have 28h Campy Record Pista High Flange hubs laced to Mavic CXP 30s with Sapim Race spokes.

I regularly ride over cobblestone streets and have had no problem with either wheelset.

ive got one set thats 36 front and back 3xcross and one set 32 3x front and back. they are both strong. they both have double butted spokes.

I am surprised that so few use the more obvious combo, 32 front 36 rear. Don't you people read sheldonbrown.com?


Maybe because I am into building my own wheels, so I made this into a bit of a science, but really, same number of spokes front and rear just makes poor sense.

28's - 3x

most hubsets are sold same number front and rear. at least that's what I've commonly seen.

I have 28 3x front and back. I would've gone with more spokes but I got a set of 28H Aeroheads for $5 at the swap meet so I opted to just build them. They've lasted 2 years apart from my front axle threads stripping (don't buy suzue basics) riding normal to rough roads all over california. I'm only 135 lbs tho.

28 3x front and rear. campy record HF to campy ypsilon rims. no probs and i weigh 150 lbs.

32H F/R, 3x, Formula/IRO to Open Pro, 15/16/15 spokes, alloy nipples
While I believe damn near everything Sheldon says, going to a 28H front or a 36H rear doesn't make tons of sense for me. I do a lot of nose wheelies, so I need that extra strength up front.

28f 36r

ohs noes! i have one "set" that's 36 front, 32 rear!
it's fairly mismatched, but i'm not about to drop enough money to make them match just cause they should. i guess i have a front wheel that's unnecessarily heavy. it's lighter than the back wheel, though, and goes out of true more often. probably because it takes more abuse. oh well.

I accidentally voted for 32 front and rear, but I really have 7 spokes on the front wheel, 11 and a half on the back wheel.

so awesome. thank you.