MTB spokes

[Goodbadugly]

I am having a wheel set built on a DT Swiss 240s hub (28 hole disc brake).

The rim will be a DT Swiss 4.2d.

Pattern 3 cross

DT Swiss spokes . But I am not sure which ones to use. Competition 2.0/1.8? Or Supercomp? Revolution?

Will u use ALU nipples?

I need a wheel that will last for many years. Terrain will be XC and light trail.

I weigh 76kg. Full suss bike (Blur XC) 

[niterider]

If it needs to last, then use Competition spokes, with brass nipples.

[dylankeyter]

Don't go near Alu nipples 

[Goodbadugly]

You are right.  The Competition 2.0/1.8 with brass nipples would be the sensible thing to do. The built wheel set should weigh 1590 grams according to the DT Swiss spoke calculator. A good weight for a MTB wheel set.

(Interesting to calculate the weight using Revolution spokes and alu nipples. Goes down to 1466 grams. Just a little devil on my shoulder reminding me that I can "save" 120 grams of rotational weight.)

How accurate are the spoke length calculations of this tool?

http://www.dtswiss.com/SpokesCalc/Welcome.aspx

[Johan Bornman]

DT Champion spokes are a crime against humanity and should not even be allowed into the country. They're straight-gauge spokes the only reason one should build with them is if you want to build a lot of rubbish wheels very fast.  Stick to Champion or any other double butted 2mm - 1.8mm - 2mm spoke. If your wheelbuilder is very good, get him to use Revolutions, but only if he knows his stuff. They are extremely hard to get up to tension because they twist so easily.

I don't know what formula that calculator uses but the length of a spoke is the mathematical formula for the length of a line in space.

 

Always round down. Spokes stretch about 2mm during building and you don't want the spoke heads protruding from the nipple. They should just just reach the screwdriver slot in the nipple so that you can still use a screwdriver to turn them should the squares have been rounded off by accident or brute force.