Well. I guess the saga ends here. LBS had a good price on a new wheel (no used wheels), but a GT MTB popped up on Craigslist that I could buy for $10 more. The tires on the old Giant were pretty bad so I figured I'd get two tires and a rear wheel out of it. Even though the old Giant is a better bike, the GT is flashier, in very good shape and my son prefers it. So, my son will be taking the GT to UA (Roll Tide!) and I'll still have an old Giant MTB with a bum rear wheel. I don't want to throw out the old girl so I'll probably keep looking for a cheap wheel. Maybe I'll outfit it to be a backup to my commuter.