Originally Posted by
kevindsingleton
I wonder what affect disc brakes have on the spokes, given that the braking force is applied at the hub, instead of the rim. It seems, to me, that the spokes have to assume a much greater role in braking with disc brakes, and that must have some impact on spoke life, right?
Yes and no. On the rear wheel braking forces will be lower than driving forces, so no issue at all. On the front, braking forces can exceed typical rear wheel driving forces, but the number of hard brakings simply aren't enough to have a material impact. However, I wouldn't recommend the lowest spoke count front wheels for disc use. Though if you build front wheels to rear wheel standards you should not have any issues at all.