Brick Lane Bikes - How Lame Really?

Not wishing to spoil all this secondhand anecdote and speculation but can anyone point me to a peer-reviewed study of the relative merits (strength, aerodynamics, etc) of different lacing patterns?

No, but 3x is safe. It's stiff and yet also good with sideways force. Crows foot, that's a whimsical lacing, stiff as 3x, looks better though (if you have 36h). Radial is the stiffest, never run it on the rear though. Also radial is the best in terms of aero but who cares really?

I would say on the back do 3x or crows. Do not even consider radial for the back. On the front, radial is good on a high flange, otherwise play safe and do 3x.