My suggestions
Since you might convert your wheelset to disc use, you need to consider the implications now. There are 3 positions with pulling stress in a disc wheel.
1. Rear wheel drive side, rear facing from pedaling.
2. Rear wheel nondrive side, front facing from braking.
3. Front wheel nondrive side, front facing from braking.
The least stressed position is the front drive side. It wll be under less tension and there isn't pulling stress on that side. (Jobst Brandt says twisting forces aren't transmitted to the opposite side of the wheel).
Put the strongest spoke/nipple combination in the areas where strength is needed (primarily the three locations above). You can use a lighter build in other positions to decrease weight while keeping the overall strength high.
If you frequently hit your spokes directly on things, get straight gauge spokes, otherwise use butted spokes. 14/15 gauge for the entire rear and front NDS, 15/16 gauge on the front DS, would make for a great, durable wheel, and I don't think going heavier would add very much benefit.
Use brass nipples, on at least the higher tension side (drive side on the rear, non-drive on the front). I'm a fan of brass in all positions, but with your weight, you may be able to get away with alloy nips and/or extreme butting, i.e. DT revolution 14/17 gauge spokes in less stressed positions, especially the DS front.
If you want to get more complicated, you can use 14/15/brass on pulling spokes and go lighter on the other positions. I've been building wheels with different spokes and nipples on the same side of the wheel, but I wouldn't recommend that unless you have a tensiometer and a lot of patience.
I've used a lot of WTB rims. If you can still find LaserBeams, they are one of my favorites, and the current Dual Duty XC is another choice. The XM 719 Mavic looks good. You will probably be better off getting a rim in the mid 450 gram range, rather than the ultralight rims. The need to provide both rim and disc braking capability means you may need to go a little heavier for good durability.
XT hubs are a great value choice. I've built up several sets of the new XTR disc wheels, and they are very nice. WTB LaserDisc lights look promising, but I've not used them. King ISO's are top quality, but also top dollar.
Use spokeprep, antiseize or Phil tenaceous oil on the spoke threads and light grease on the spoke holes in the rim. Stress relieve the spokes frequently and make sure you twist beyond, then back to the desired position as the wheel tension goes up to avoid twist in the spokes. Very high, even tension is critical in building a good wheel.
Good luck, and have fun.
Since you might convert your wheelset to disc use, you need to consider the implications now. There are 3 positions with pulling stress in a disc wheel.
1. Rear wheel drive side, rear facing from pedaling.
2. Rear wheel nondrive side, front facing from braking.
3. Front wheel nondrive side, front facing from braking.
The least stressed position is the front drive side. It wll be under less tension and there isn't pulling stress on that side. (Jobst Brandt says twisting forces aren't transmitted to the opposite side of the wheel).
Put the strongest spoke/nipple combination in the areas where strength is needed (primarily the three locations above). You can use a lighter build in other positions to decrease weight while keeping the overall strength high.
If you frequently hit your spokes directly on things, get straight gauge spokes, otherwise use butted spokes. 14/15 gauge for the entire rear and front NDS, 15/16 gauge on the front DS, would make for a great, durable wheel, and I don't think going heavier would add very much benefit.
Use brass nipples, on at least the higher tension side (drive side on the rear, non-drive on the front). I'm a fan of brass in all positions, but with your weight, you may be able to get away with alloy nips and/or extreme butting, i.e. DT revolution 14/17 gauge spokes in less stressed positions, especially the DS front.
If you want to get more complicated, you can use 14/15/brass on pulling spokes and go lighter on the other positions. I've been building wheels with different spokes and nipples on the same side of the wheel, but I wouldn't recommend that unless you have a tensiometer and a lot of patience.
I've used a lot of WTB rims. If you can still find LaserBeams, they are one of my favorites, and the current Dual Duty XC is another choice. The XM 719 Mavic looks good. You will probably be better off getting a rim in the mid 450 gram range, rather than the ultralight rims. The need to provide both rim and disc braking capability means you may need to go a little heavier for good durability.
XT hubs are a great value choice. I've built up several sets of the new XTR disc wheels, and they are very nice. WTB LaserDisc lights look promising, but I've not used them. King ISO's are top quality, but also top dollar.
Use spokeprep, antiseize or Phil tenaceous oil on the spoke threads and light grease on the spoke holes in the rim. Stress relieve the spokes frequently and make sure you twist beyond, then back to the desired position as the wheel tension goes up to avoid twist in the spokes. Very high, even tension is critical in building a good wheel.
Good luck, and have fun.
