Originally Posted by
prj71
Wheels are pretty darn stiff and durable now. Some find that the wheels is actually too stiff with 32 spokes, 28 may allow for a bit of flex so wheels aren't too stiff and harsh. It's all about the rim. Weight of the rider also comes into play.
No. The folks with broken spokes on 1120 28h rims would disagree.
And who exactly with + size tires and/or suspension on off road bikes thinks 32h wheels are too "stiff". How would they note that? Predictably, wheels that have flex already with low spoke counts are that much more likely to go out of true when you break a spoke.
You can't argue both at once - a rim so stiff it supports low spoke counts yet more flexible than higher spoke count rims.
Take the same quality components, rim and spokes, and the higher spoke count wheel is stronger. Why build an intentionally weaker wheel when you don't have to. Roadies argue weight but for adventure genre bikes that's a non issue. It's just Trek and other manufacturers trying to appeal to trend and "looks". Form over function.