Low spoke count (gravel) wheels - Bike Forum https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/ Singletrack World Magazine Forum. Come for the bikes, stay for the boll**ks en-GB Sat, 04 Apr 2026 20:32:57 +0000 wpForo 60 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631955 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 22:51:18 +0000 Bike Forum cookeaa https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631955 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631950 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 22:46:20 +0000 Bike Forum jimdubleyou https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631950 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631941 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 22:38:37 +0000 Bike Forum didnthurt https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631941 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631927 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 22:25:33 +0000 Sheldon doesn’t like anything that’s happened since about 1990 though. Thank God I'm not the only one to call out anybody who incessantly quotes Sheldon Brown! The guy died 15yrs ago, and his best advice was about 15yrs out of date at the time of his departure... Go back to the late 80's/early 90's and Sheldon's wisdom was indeed present and correct... Times change, things happen, technology moves on... For anyone that's worried about low spoke count wheels on their gravel bike, I run 24 spoke wheels on my eMTB and I'm the wrong side of 90kg and not especially smooth at times...
The reviews are good and a couple of heavier folk commenting on lateral stiffness and general solidity, so all good there, but still, 20F/24R seems extravagantly low spoke count, should I be worried? I guess if tensioned appropriately and stiff/strong enough spokes then no worries?
The DT Swiss Spline wheels are really very tough indeed. Sold a lot of bikes with them on whilst I had my shop, worst that happened was had to replace a couple of pawls in the 3 pawl freehubs on the lower spec versions slightly prematurely, but they all stood up to fair amounts of physical abuse... As long as they're disc brake wheels though, they'll be 24H F&R, 20H front disc wheels are an absolute rarity and I am not aware of DT Swiss producing one...]]> Bike Forum mboy https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631927 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631890 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 21:56:03 +0000 Bike Forum Northwind https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631890 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631880 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 21:49:40 +0000 The Great Spoke Scam: In the early '80s a clever marketeer hit upon the idea of using only 32 spokes in wheels for production bikes. Because of the association of 32-spoke wheels with exotic, high-performance bikes, the manufacturers were able to cut corners and save money while presenting it as an "upgrade!" The resulting wheels were noticeably weaker than comparable 36-spoke wheels, but held up well enough for most customers. Since then, this practice has been carried to an extreme, with 28-, 24-, even 16-spoke wheels being offered, and presented as it they were somehow an "upgrade." Actually, such wheels normally are not an upgrade in practice. When the spokes are farther apart on the rim, it is necessary to use a heavier rim to compensate, so there isn't usually even a weight benefit from these newer wheels! This type of wheel requires unusually high spoke tension, since the load is carried by fewer spokes. If a spoke does break, the wheel generally becomes instantly unridable. More, thinner spokes make a stronger wheel than fewer, thicker ones. Some wheels being sold these days defy engineering principles: The hub may break too; see John Allen's article. If you want highest performance, it is generally best to have more spokes in the rear wheel than the front. For instance, 28/36 is better than 32/32. People very rarely have trouble with front wheels Link: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html My new cross/gravel wheels have a higher spoke count than my old ones yet strangely not as many as my road bike wheels 🤔]]> Bike Forum didnthurt https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631880 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631784 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:45:13 +0000 Bike Forum dovebiker https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631784 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631393 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:51:00 +0000 Bike Forum TiRed https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631393 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631378 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:37:17 +0000 Bike Forum benman https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631378 Re: Low spoke count (gravel) wheels https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631356 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:19:45 +0000 Bike Forum 13thfloormonk https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/low-spoke-count-gravel-wheels/#post-12631356