Diff'rent spokes for diff'rent folks?

armchair_spacem said:

Excuse the thread title - I'm trying to get my head around when to use DB vs straight guage spokes:

For stiffness & strength (say rear DS, or maybe rear DS & NDS for heavier riders) are straight guage more appropriate than DB? If so, why; if not, why not? Or is this a non-issue if spokes are properly tensioned?

Is there any good reason for using bladed/elliptical spokes on a rear wheel (other than pose value)? Seems to me that if a hub flange has to be slotted for bladed spokes, flange strength is going to be compromised to some degree for questionable aero value.

Are ellipticals like CX-Rays or DT Aerospeeds going to bring any meaningful benefit compared to thin DBs (like Revos) for a front wheel, especially at spoke counts of 28 or 32?

Thanks in advance for your comments. Boudreaux, are you out there?

You will not notice the decrease in stiffness using 14/15 DB spokes unless you notice how fewer broken spokes you will have, if everything else is optimum. Quality DB's laced improperly will be no better than straights. Its far better to use rim strength and spoke count for the rider weight. There is no need for 120 pound riders to swing 36 spoke wheels. But using DB spokes makes wheel truing more difficult and this is why the mass marketers use straights.

Some semi-bladed, butted spokes do not require slotting. Properly slotted hubs are no less strong as non-slotted hubs. Slots should be radial.

Yes, bladed spoke ARE an advantage to even the rear wheel. Especially in cross wind conditions. Butted and bladed spokes show the best improvement.

The improvement you will see will be on the order of 30-120 seconds on a 40 kilometer time trial.

armchair_spacem said:

Excuse the thread title - I'm trying to get my head around when to use DB vs straight guage spokes:

For stiffness & strength (say rear DS, or maybe rear DS & NDS for heavier riders) are straight guage more appropriate than DB? If so, why; if not, why not? Or is this a non-issue if spokes are properly tensioned?

Is there any good reason for using bladed/elliptical spokes on a rear wheel (other than pose value)? Seems to me that if a hub flange has to be slotted for bladed spokes, flange strength is going to be compromised to some degree for questionable aero value.

Are ellipticals like CX-Rays or DT Aerospeeds going to bring any meaningful benefit compared to thin DBs (like Revos) for a front wheel, especially at spoke counts of 28 or 32?

Thanks in advance for your comments. Boudreaux, are you out there?

14 g straight guage spokes will result in the stiffest wheel.
However, the amount of stiffness afforded makes the wheel weaker and less durable. Thinner mid sections help spread the dynamic loads and make it easier on spokes, rims, and hubs.
CX-Rays help in both wheels and don't require any slotting. They are also the strongest per cross sectional area of any spoke. They are quite expensive and take special handling to prevent wind up.
Aero spokes properly built will save you around 1 minute in a 40 km TT.
Check with the now defunct US Postal Team. They used Sapim CX-Rays for the last 5 or 6 years.