As far as spokes go, most racer will use wheels with 28 to 32 spokes. 
Commonly racing bikes come with 32 spoke wheels now a days. Heavier riders 
who experience wheels often coming out of true or more dramatically wheels 
falling apart may opt for 36 spoke wheels. 36 was common up until the 90s.
Richard G
--- Maximus/2 3.01
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