Originally Posted by HillRider
Broken spokes, except for accidental damage, are now rare.
As to repairability, 32 hole rims and hubs are now so common that finding anything else, particularly higher count, is difficult.
I'd have to dispute the first statement, at least to a point. I've done tech support on some big rides and, after flat tires, broken spokes are still the #1 problem. It's true, however, that you don't see people carrying spares around with them like they did in the old days so I'd agree is't less common than it used to be.
As for 32 hole rims, my advice for anybody doing significant travel with anything else is to make sure that your front and rear are the same. I have a tandem buddy who saved a tour by relacing his 48 spoke front rim onto his rear hub and buying a 32 spoke front wheel to complete his trip.