I ask this because I still use an old 1990s rigid mountain bike for commuting.

Between potholes, every type of weather and constant braking in traffic, I am hard on wheels. In the last 8-9 years I've gone through about 4 rear wheels and 1 front. It's always the rim that goes - either cracks around the spokes or the concave brake surface (I retire the wheel before it gets too bad on the sidewall).

I found out the hard way the last time I needed a new (not used) 1" quill stem that old bike parts have a way of disappearing suddenly. In the space of just a few years (ca. 2002) it went from every length of new Cinelli quills you could wish for - all available for under $10 online - to just a few steel Nitto models on Harris or a couple of other shops, for a lot more $. I've seen the same type of rapid extinction for 1" and 1 1/8" threaded forks.

The last time I looked to replace my rear wheel it seemed the options for new wheels with rims for cantilever or V brakes were quite limited. Lots and lots of mtb wheels out there, but even at the low price points for name brand stuff (say, $200/pair) I was finding disc-brake ONLY. This was on Nashbar, Performance, et al.

This is just a commuter, so I do not need the fastest lightest 26" wheelset - but the conditions I commute in can be rough, so I'd prefer to avoid the cheapest stuff to be found at a mom & pop brick and mortar.

Is the rim brake MTB wheelset becoming a thing of the past?