I'd say that until about 1970 36 f & r was normal and then there was a gradual change to 32 f & r. Heavy riders and Paris-Roubaix riders stayed with 36. I'm looking at a photo of Ercole Baldini riding a time trial in 1958, single ring so must have been flat but he is on 36 spoke wheels. Difficult to understand now even if Ercole was a big guy. My clubmate Bill Bradley got a pair of 28 spoke wheels for the Rome, 1960 Olympics. Rims were Fiamme track ! He didn't break spokes but I'm not sure if his brakes worked! They must have seemed fast after his usual 32f, 40r wheels. Ray Green Brighton England
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