There is LOTS of good information on wheelbuilder.com and on the DTSwiss website about different spokes, nipples, etc.

Alloy nipples are also nice because you can get anodized ones, so they can be extra flashy...

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Why so few spokes, if these wheels are for training on?
[quote]brass vs. alloy nipples?[/quote]
Brass. Alloy ones are less durable. You'll never feel 25 g.
[quote]Double Butted spokes?[/quote]
Yes. They are more durable than straight-gauge.
[quote]Spoke Lacing?[/quote]
Cross 2 if you have 28 spokes. No benefits aero/responsiveness (whatever that means)-wise with other patterns.

s.

Excel Sports has a great custom wheel function where you build your own wheel piece by piece and they price it out.

I got Mavic CXP33 - 32 spoke - ultegra. I think they were about 350. Open Pros would be a bit less, but I run 215 lbs.

I have also heard some builders say they'll only use brass nipples.

1. 28 spokes is fine unless you are a big guy >180lbs.

2. Open Pros are still my favorite rim.

3. Record hubs are great. Chorus are just as great only 10g heavier and a bunch less money.

4. Go with 3x lacing on the rear wheel. You are not suppose to use a radial patern on a Campy front hub but it is done all the time... that said don't sue be if the hub fails.

5. Spokes, in the past I would have said use DT Revolution (14/17/14) on the front and non-drive side of the rear wheel with DT 14/15 on the drive side. However, lately I have been using Sapim C-X Ray spokes and prefer them because they are lighter, bladed, and stronger than the DT spokes. BTW, the butted and bladed spokes are stronger and ride smoother than the straight gauge spokes.

6. Use alloy nipples on the front wheel and non-drive side rear wheel and brass nipples on the drive side.

7. Wheels built in the above fashion are as nice as any high dollar race wheel except the specialty carbon tubulars from Zipp and Reynolds.

Ron

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Thanks for the tips Ron. I have a 16 spoke radially laced Velocity Deep V front wheel laced to a Campy centaur hub. Haven't had any problems with this wheel yet.

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"When I first had the opportunity to compete in triathlon, it was the chicks and their skimpy race clothing that drew me in. Everyone was so welcoming and the lifestyle so obviously narcissistic. I fed off of that vain energy. To me it is what the sport is all about."

I'm not a fan of alu nipples either. While you're at it, get a nice spoke wrench if you don't have one (one that grips around three corners of the nip). I don't think you'll feel the difference in the weight, but rounding a nipple is one of the true pissers in life.

Double butted spokes fer sure

Lacing, I'd do 2x in the front and 3x in the rear, if for no other reason that that's the way it's done routinely, so if a spoke breaks, they are more likely to have a replacement in the store.

I do have a 2x cross aero spoke front wheel w/ Open Pro's and Hugi hubs (check those out!), and they're very nice. just like Hugis, Record hubs seems a bit overkill for training wheels. Chorus? but hey, if you've got the cash. I've also heard good things about the CXP33 rims although I haven't ridden them before. I'm very happy with my Open Pro's. Mavic sure makes some shitty products, but these ain't bad at all.

Josef

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Josef
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blog

The DT Swiss RR1.1 rim is also supposed to be very nice. DT has some nice pre-fab sets with the RR1.1 rim, DT 240 hubs (which are very good), and nice DT spokes. I personally lust after the DT 1450's. You can also get pretty good deals on eBay on Easton (formerly Velomax) Orion's, which are the higher spoke count wheel. Quite nice and solid for training. Excellent hubs...

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Go for the bomb-proof option if these are training wheels...

Open Pro, 32 spoke, brass nipples, 14-15 double butted spokes, three-cross.

That wheelset, built by a competent wheelbuilder, will outlast your ability to ride them...you can hand down the antiques to your grandkids.

To me $350 is a lot of money for training wheels.

I like the Velocity Sparticus wheels at $242

http://www.superspokes.com/pages/784526/index.htm

jaretj

I follow Swmrdrn's spoke and nipple pattern. The front wheel and non-drive rear typically do not require as much spoke tension as the rear drive side, so the alloy nipples are not as likely to round out when truing the wheel as long as you have a good nipple wrench and the wheel was built properly. I have built several wheels using 14/17/14's in the front and non drive, followed by 14/15/14 in the rear drive. I bang them around in cross races weekly without any problems.

What I also hear alot is that the actual size of the spoke should be chosen to fit the spoke hole in the hub. Most are drilled 2.3mm or something like that, and that means you use a 14 gauge spoke. Putting a 15 gauge spoke will allow too much de-tensioning when it comes under compression when riding and increases fatigue in the spoke. Also heard that using the double butted spoke actually increases the wheel durability. Something about stretching and fatigue limits.

[reply]Go with 3x lacing on the rear wheel[/reply]

If you decide to go with 28 spokes, I think 2x is right. Aren't they so widely-spaced with this few spokes that you will have spokes interfering with each other and the flange on the way to the rim?

I have a half-built 28-spoke wheel in the stand beside my desk as I write this, and note that it is 2x. The spokes are not quite as tangential as 3x, but for that I think I would have to go to at least 32 spokes.

s.

p.s. Why doesn't the bloody "quote/reply" thing on Slowtwitch's Forum work for me?