Originally Posted by
chasm54
Er, yes, you babied them. Wet weather riding and hills is what wears brake surfaces. Having said that, even riding in my local conditions, through the winter, I'd still expect to get 15000 miles out of a set of rims.
Your statement only addresses sidewall wear. The concerns over abbreviated lifespans of Bontrager paired spoke wheels are always associated with stress cracks and spoke pull-through. Riding in a dry climate is no guarantee against the multiple reasons for wheel failure.