32's can be strong enough for a rider his size if they are built well. I am a little heavier than your husband and my "daily driver" has 32 spokes in front, 15/16/15 gauge butted spokes on a (non vintage) Mavic Open Pro rim and rear wheel with 14/15/14 on an off-center drilled Trek rim--the off center idea is a new one that seems real valid. The number of gears, the design of the rim, the skill of the builder, even some frame design factors have an effect on wheel strength that mitigates the number of spokes; I wouldn't put a 200 lb. rider on a 28 spoke rear wheel but the right front wheel wouldn't be a problem. My strong wheel formula: rear wheel built with 14 gauge right hand side, 14/15/14 left side, and I'm a recent convert to brass washers between the spoke heads and the hub especially on a used hub. A rigid rim helps; sorry vintage equipment folks, but newer rims can make stronger wheels. A Matrix Aurora, for example, can be part of a 32 spoke wheel that's stronger than a 36 on a Super Champion 58. The design of the rim makes the built wheel less prone to "taco" type failure but perhaps more prone to spoke nipples pulling through a rim due to the thinner metal on (some) rims.
David Feldman
> Hi All,
>
> I just had the occasion to swap out the wheels on
> my husband's bike due to a broken spoke. He is
> 200 lbs plus and I moved him from 36-spokes down
> to a wheelset of 32 spokes until I get the broken
> spoke on the other wheelset fixed. Is there a
> guideline about how much one should weigh to
> safely ride 32's? What about 28-spoke wheels,
> too, just out of curiosity?
>
> Many thanks,
> Paulie Newbie Davis
> (happily on vacation in sunny, breezy Los
> Angeles, and riding every day)
>
>
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