I had 14g spokes on my Raleigh when I bought it second hand and despite plenty of abuse, they have seen out the rims AND the hubs. They then moved on to some other part of another wheel in regular use.
By all means build your next wheel with single butted but your existing spokes will almost certainly see out your existing rims. Where as single butted will most likely see you or me out.
Following odd discussions with Colin on wheelbuilding i find that he is most unlikely to be wrong! I would only add that using a disc hub and a standard freehub on the same wheel narrows the hub flanges and makes an already challenging wheel build very marginal indeed. If i had to do this i'd use a tandem hub,with tandem spacing (as wide as possible) on the rear droputs sapim superstrongs on both sides,and get positively anally retentive about spoke tensions.But i am anyway,on anything. Except that i'd probably also get a frame made with an assymetric rear end in the first place. I've spent quite enough hours in a campsite toilet block, at the dead of night when i'm knackered,sorting out what so-called wheel building experts think is a good back wheel! you can't beat the laws of physics and fashion is the enemy here. If one is fortunate enough to be married to a lady with a powerful pair of thighs on her and who rides a trike you get a bit fussy about the back wheels,I know,trust me! The thing is,on a racing bike,carrying no load but an anorexic lycra clad nymphette you can get away with nearly anything,for a time. But that time runs out about 2000 kilometers into a tour,and there are better things to be doing with such a lady than rebuilding her back wheel at midnight. I speak,of course,from distant memory,but its a very well,and fondly remembered, memory............ robin,who is 65
robinlh wrote:................ I would only add that using a disc hub and a standard freehub on the same wheel narrows the hub flanges and makes an already challenging wheel build very marginal indeed. ................... who rides a trike you get a bit fussy about the back wheels.......
Flange spacing on disc hubs is exactly the same as non-disc....the disc simply occupies some of the "empty" space normally present on the left side.
Trikes put a side load on the wheels, which is something I know nothing about. The weight is carried by 2 wheels not one......half the weight, but an added side load, I can't begin to decide if trike wheels have a harder or easier time than bike wheels?
fatboy wrote:Sorry to hijack this thread but I am thinking about the spokes on my handbuilt touring bike wheels. They are DT 14 guard stainless steel spokes throughout. The wheels are great and have stayed true and solid despite a fair bit of abuse (some dreadful rocky surfaces and potholes) and a few thousand miles. However given the discussions about double butted and single butted rear wheel spokes I was wondering whether I should upgrade the spokes or should I leave well alone?
As a bit of background I an around 80kg and I tend to tour light - saddle bag/two rear panniers only. My feeling is that the front wheel is just fine to be left alone. I feel that there may be some advantage in re-spoking the driveside only to sapim super strongs. Would this be a sensible approach?
If the wheels stay tight and true, and you are not breaking spokes, I would leave it, at least until the rim wears out.
