Originally Posted by Albino Wino

88 Specialized Rockhopper comp, bb un 55 cartridge, old biopace crankset, rhyno lite/xt 32h, sram 850 chain....26X1.5 spc nimbus. I don't break spokes on this wheelset, but I've had to true the rear wheel constantly. The deore XT pedals are the ones I have to service every few months.

89 DB Apex...everything is the same except the wheels are 36h bontrager corvairs and I can't identify the hub. 26X2.0 panaracer tourguards. These are the wheels I've been breaking rear spokes on.

I ride in the dark a lot, it's either to work at 4am or home from work at 8pm. Either way the combination of really bad roads (upper michigan), traffic, and darkness means the bike takes a lot of hits. It's mostly hill, so lots of grinding up hills and carrying speed down. I carry tools, groceries, work clothes, spare tube/pump..etc. front/rear racks and fenders on both bikes so everything is heavy.

I have tried so many different lubrication strategies trying not to accumulate sand and the best I've found is the paraffin wax dip and keeping everything clean/dry.

Anyway I don't think any of my parts are junk but I may have to spend some money on a wheelset. It's a bummer, money isn't abundant.