Disc Wheel Build Suggestions

osobailo

daveornee

Hello Cycling Forum,

I am looking for additional suggestions/feedback regarding a disc wheel set that I plan to build. Up to this point, I have always used straight gauge spokes however, after reading Jobst Brandt's "The Bicycle Wheel" I am compelled to use 14/15/14 swaged spokes. Please give me advice based on your experience using disc wheels laced with 14/15/14 spokes, 13/15/14 spokes or straight 14 gauge spokes. Also, what kind of results have you had with 4-cross lacing and discs?

The parts I have to use are as follows:

36-hole, ISO disc rear hub
32-hole, 20 mm ISO disc front hub
Mavic D321 rims

The rear wheel will be used with either a 6 or 8 inch rotor.
The front wheel will be used with an 8 inch rotor.

Thank you for your help.

Regards,

Jeremy

3X 14/15/14 would be my choice for both wheels.
4X would overlap spokes onto spoke heads and make spoke replacing very time consuming. 3X is tangential enough.
I recently purchased and was "stuck" with a box of Alpine III DT 13/15/14 spokes. The stuck part is that the dimension from head to elbow was about .85 mm too long. They are considerably more expensive, and unless your hub flanges are thicker than normal, they won't buy you additional durability.
Make sure you evenly tension, spoke align, and stress relieve.