I recommend you read "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt if you haven't already. One of the points Jobst makes is that stronger spokes aren't necessarily better. We've hashed and rehashed the technical details here and elsewhere; buy and read the book if you haven't already. The whole business is a package deal - the spokes, their butting, the rim's weight and shape, the rider. I weigh around 150 and can get by with 28-spoke Fiamme Ergals using 15/16/15 in the front and 14/16/14 in the rear.
32-spoke wheels, e.g., Mavic GEL280's (still very light at under 300 grams) and 15/16/15 spokes ought to be sufficient for you based on your weight, certainly 32 spokes and 14/15/14, which would be a more common choice, ought to be fine, and thinner might be even better.
3-cross for 32- and 36-spoke wheels is fine, common, recommended.
Ferd Berfel masquerading as Steve Freides in damp Ridgewood, NJ
garth libre wrote:
>
> I keep on breaking spokes on the drive side and the non drive side of my training clinchers. The rims are MA-40 Mavics and the hub is Suntour Superbe Pro. It is 36 spoke, cross 3 and 12 gauge spokes. The spokes snap at the hub bend during a heavy sprint. The wrench here, says that for a strongish (glowing me) rider of around 160 lbs, the rear wheel requires better than 12 gauge, no matter how smooth the roads are. He wants to rebuild using double butted 14-12-14 gauge also cross 3. He also says that straight 12 gauge is for weight weenies, not the real world. I am ashamed to say that I thought all along that the higher number is the lighter wire (not the other way around). This wrench is Spanish only speaking, and my Spanish is only fair. Is his advise on the money? Garth Libre Surfside Fl