I have always built my rear touring wheels with 48 spokes using Phil Wood 
hubs. Why not? The difference in weight on a loaded touring bike is negligible; the strength and reliability makes for piece of mind. For years I used the only 48-spoke rims I was aware of, namely the French made Wolber Model 58. A few years ago I decided to build the strongest wheel imaginable using a 48-spoke – 5X – 700c x 32 Velocity Chukker model, Phil Wood hub, and the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire. This set-up is really meant for a loaded tandem, but what the heck.
