As per the title. If I'm building up a touring bike, what are the pros and cons of 32/36h wheels?
The problem is, along with any number of 32h fronts, I've got a lovely, lightly used 32h Ultegra hub ready to be built up into a wheel. Ideally, I'd like to have that extra four spokes because I'm going to be looking at front and rear panniers and I'm not a delicate little thing.
Should I hold out for a 36h on eBay or go with the bird in the hand and get on with it?
Something I have posted before that may be worth repeating here as some relates to 32v36 hole:The popular mix used to be 40 rear and 32 front, in part as the lacing pattern is very strong on both, as the spokes on the opposite side of the hub are directly opposite, I have just made this line drawing which may explain it.
36 Hole is also quite popular though, being a good compromise between weight and strength, in reality 36 front and rear even with the lacing pattern as I tried to show above still made for a good set of wheels. 36/36 x 3 all round often the choice for touring/audax and 32/32 x 3 for race bikes and now ATB, the latter having smaller rims and larger hubs would mean that the spoke angle into the rim would be greater, infact often to accute, making 32/32 x 3 the norm'.
For anyone not sure what I mean by 36/36
x3, the x3 is to indicate the lacing pattern and how many other spokes are crossed between the hub and rim, to illustrate the picture below shows a wheel built x3
28 hole in 700c or tubular hand built traditional wheels are only normally used for lightweight racing bikes, quite common to see them laced x2, or x1 and sometimes even radial which means no spokes crossing, the less the spokes cross, the more rigid the finished wheel, as it is the crossing of the other spokes that gives a wheel it springy comfort, so radial spoking was really only used where the emphasis was on performance first, comfort and durabilty second.
I would not recommend radial spokes on hubs that are not designed for radial spoking, as the spoke head pulls accross the thinnest part of the flange and it can pull it right off as seen in the picture below.
You can tell from the picture that this rear wheel was not radial as you can see the both indentation from the spoke accross the flange and the angle that the spoke has pulled the holes that remain, I am showing it so you can see what I mean when I state that the spoke will pull this hole across the thinnest part of the flange when built radial. It was most common on front wheels and I have seen the results of some nasty accidents where the flange has ripped away with a bang causing the the rider to caterpult over the bars.
28 hole is far less common these days as most racing bikes use the modern designed prebuilt wheels, which use different hubs and spokes. To an extent I can see why you ask the question "does the front wheel have the same amount of spokes as the rear", it was/is indeed in part to keep things simple for the cycle manufacturers, simple to them means that it should result in savings to the customer. 36/36 became the norm' in the late seventies for most sports bikes and as I state above they were a good compromise of weight over performance, resulting in a good all round wheel, to the same extent 32/32 on atb bikes offers the same compromise.
Of course there is no harm in having something more specific to your needs and why not, it is half the fun of custom building. For example if you use the bike for Audax/touring and you want a traditional wheel then 40/32 combination still makes sense. You may find it a bit harder obtaining such a wide choice of matching rims/hubs front and rear but I assume you enjoy the research needed in tracking them down, you have taking the trouble to start a forum thread after all :lol:
Having built 2000 wheels plus over twenty years, as well as all the advice from wheel building sites like
Sheldon Brown etc I would suggest the following:
1) Always use correct spoke lengths, I personally find the
DT Website OK, just never use shorter than they suggest, always next MM up, never down.
2) When lacing rears place both spoke lengths far apart, that way you will engage your brain before picking them up, far less likely to put the spokes in the wrong side. Applies more to the later wheels built when you are possibly concentrating less
3) After lacing do not tighten to much before you start to true/track
4) Stress wheel on a regular basis
5) Tighten spokes gradually, half a turn at a time when slack, less as wheel gets tighter.
6) Patience is the golden rule, more haste less speed applies especially to wheel building.
7) If it all starts to go wrong, ie you can't get it true, then slacken off and start again.
In conclusion 32/32 for credit card tours should be OK so if you have the spokes and rims already then save some money and use them as in many ways 32v36 is spliiting hairs. If heavy touring then a 135mm ATB rear hub as opposed to 130mm road hub if the cassette will go accross will be a good idea; most 130mm frames can easliy be either reset to 135mm or simply pulled apart to take the wider hub.
I know you state that "I'm not a delicate little thing" but you are a "fixie Chick", most fixie types have as a result evolved into riders with a smooth style and as such are often far less aggressive on bikes/wheels. Size of rider although it plays a part can be compensated for with a smooth style, I know large smooth riders who are far less aggressive than some lighter riders with a punchy style, many of that latter are very hard on equipment.
Note all references to large riders was not aimed at you 
I was talking generally; mind you times I have faux pared like that, "how long into the pregnany do you intend to cycle", "I'm not pregnant", just no amount of digging got me out of that one!Paul_Smithwww.corridori.co.uk
