WHEELS, SPOKES, WEIGHT, STRENGTH

All wheels for practical riding should have at least 32 spokes. The aerodynamics of 16 to 28 spoke wheels means nothing outside of a race, and they're weaker to boot. This chart shows the meager weight saved by cutting spokes.

# of spokes	How long mm	14ga. plain	14 ga. butted	Oz. per wheel
28	292	243.6	215.6	8.6/7.6
32	292	278.4	246.4	9.8/8.7
36	292	313.2	277.2	11/9.8

 

The weights assume brass nipples. You save an ounce a wheel with each four-spoke subtraction.. But as you go to fewer spokes, the spokes get longer, saving you less weight; and fewer spokes creates less wind drag; but with more spokes, the spokes draft one another better. This is a problem with this kind of meaningless detail. The nonsense kicks in and can go on almost forever, until it butts into this: If you want strong, reliable wheels, ride more spokes, heavier rims, and bigger & softer tires.