Stainless spokes are subject to stress corrosion cracking. Stainless is not good a ggod application under tension. So stainless spokes can just start to go on you after a few years..
Carbon steel doesn't have this problem and can also have a higher tensile strength. As far as corrosion, I have wheelsets that are 70 years old that look ok. These are track wheels that never saw salt though. My experience is that carbon steel spokes just don't have the problem of starting to snap at the bend after 3 years.
andRobergel???
> on 3/27/03 8:17 AM, Joe Bender-Zanoni at joebz@optonline.net wrote:
>
> > From a materials viewpoint the move to stainless
> > steel spokes is generally a mistake. Now you can't get good galvanized
> > carbon steel spokes.
>
> Can you explain? I've always preferred stainless. Galvanized spokes are
> subject to corrosion. At best, this makes it quite difficult to turn the
> nipples. At worst, the spokes become so brittle that a good squeeze with
> your hand will snap them.
>
> Todd Kuzma
> Heron Bicycles
> LaSalle, IL 815-223-1776
> http://www.heronbicycles.com