The strength I'm mainly concerned with when choosing a rim is in the spoke bed. Wall thickness and extra weight just for the sake of building a supposed stronger rim means nothing. Lacing triple butted spokes into a rim with a thin spoke bed won't make for a stronger wheel. It just shifts the point of failure from the spoke to the spoke bed where the nipples pull through or cracks develop.
I admire cyccommute's faith in cheap OEM stock wheels or equally weak Alex rims. Interestingly enough, hanging in my garage I have an old Alex rim from a Specialized Secteur with cracks around 12 of the 32 spoke holes. I guess I didn't have to search very far to find a cheap rim.
I get the point. Intelligent spoke choice is important. It's just that while so many seem to want to speak about wheel issues from theory, supposition, and the writings of experts, literally DOZENS of rims have passed through my garage over the last 25 years with cracks or pull-throughs. Now, I'm not suggesting anyone go out and buy a big, wide, heavy rim just because they think it's gonna solve their wheel problems. But I'm also not gonna stand back and claim that the solution is to simply lace triple butted spokes into everything either. If the rim can't handle the spoke strength, something's gonna give. If double butted spokes pull through or crack the spoke beds, how's triple butted gonna be any better? It's not the spoke, it's the rim.
The majority of the rims that I've had problems with were the el-cheapos included in the purchase price. And before anyone blames the builder, they've been tuned, tweaked, and even relaced if or when necessary. The simple fact is, Clydes like me need stronger wheels which includes rims, spokes, and a quality build. The problem can't be fixed with spokes alone. I haven't come to this conclusion based on theory or a book I read. This is based on my own, real life experience. I have the evidence to back it up in the recycled aluminum and the last Alex rim I ever want to be associated with hanging in my garage.
-Kedosto