I’m lacing up a new wheelset for the first time (DT Swiss 350/481/511/Competition straight pull). Would any experienced wheelbuilders care to share their opinion of whether to interlace the third cross in the 3-cross lacing pattern (ie. under/under/over or over/over/under) or just go over-over-over/under-under-under with the spokes not touching at the third cross?
I wouldn’t have thought straight pull spokes are any different to J-bend in this regard, and everything I read for J-bend says to interlace at the third cross, but my old Spank factory-built straight pull wheelset doesn’t interlace. Looking at photos of DT Swiss prebuilt wheelsets it’s hard to tell if they do interlace.
Advantages, disadvantages, does it really matter?