i've just picked up a wheelset that an ancient wheelbuilder made for me. its for a fast london hack (with a bit of style) and will go onto a beautiful 1948 frame once its repainted. the front wheel is lovely, suntour superbe pro on ma2 built 4 cross(!) with 15/17 db spokes. he built the sturmey archer alloy am onto my 40 hole ma2 with thick, plain gauge spokes. it looks like it should be on a mo-ped. this guy has long experience building wheels. he's been a wheelbuilder since the 50's when he worked for claude butlers and holdsworth, and this is the way he said it should be done because of shock/stress when gears are changed in a hub gear, -a new one on me. he has said that if i want he'll re-build it with db spokes but that he won't guarentee the wheel. any thoughts? were hub gears usually built with thick plain gauge spokes? are there greater strains and stresses in a wheel with an internally geared hub? should i follow my aesthetic sense?
simon bird london england
---------------------------------
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.