Originally Posted by
bike-izle
I'm about to build another wheel set, and I was wondering if anybody has a method for determining spoke count considering rider weight, intended use, etc.
I've always ridden 32-spoke wheels and have never damaged any. I'm 170-ish pounds and ride mostly smooth roads with occasional pot holes and train tracks. Seems like I could go with less spokes, but not sure how low.
My new wheels will be for a fixed gear bike. Mostly street/commuting but with some occasional track use.
Any ideas?
I'd go with a good solid 32 spoke wheel set - at your weight, a well-built 32 3x should be bombproof. The thing about a fixed-gear is that the need to keep pedaling means that you don't get to "unweight" while traversing rough surface as easily as you can on a standard bike - sometime you just have to "plough on through" with your butt on the saddle. Better an overbuilt wheel set under such circumstances.