Originally Posted by Llamero

I was expecting the second broken spoke to either be next to or opposite the first one, but instead it was about 90 degrees. The wheel was machine built, but then retensioned by the LBS, at least so they claim. We've had nothing but problems with the bike the wheel came from through. It was a new Trek 7500 that we bought as a commuter bike, but in the first couple months the front shock had rusted beyond recognition and the SRAM derailleur had completely seized. For an $850 bike I expected more, considering that I've been riding my similarly priced Diamondback Topenga Comp for 10 years in all weather, and didn't have to even replace the chain, cassette and sprocket until after 4 years, and the derailleur and most everything else is still the original equipment.

The wheels were also disappointing when I went to go replace the first broken spoke, as the shop didn't have a spoke in that thread and diameter, explaining that Trek sometimes uses non-standard threads. If they can't take an extra 120 pounds on smooth road, I really doubt they could ever take the rigors of mountain biking and single track, which is theoretically what this bike was designed for. Now it is just sitting in the basement, unusable until we become motivated enough to chip away all the rust.

I have had excellent luck with a 38 spoke RhinoLyte rim on my bike. They're a bit heavy, but completely bomb-proof. I guess I could buy another, although the idea of buying a tandem rear wheel also sounds like something worth looking into.