Originally Posted by
cb2367
I had never heard anything about black coated spokes being more prone to breaking than other spokes. After seeing the response here, it sounds like there isn't much to that story.
The spokes are snapping in the middle. With the broken spokes, I've been able to ride to the bike shop and get it fixed, even though the wheel is off balance.
Today's break happened on the rear wheel and caused it to lock up. It also conveniently happened when I was several miles from home.
Should have just replaced both wheels at the same time. I've probably been to the bike store at least four times to fix the same issue.
In a round-about way, the technician may be speaking truth. If the spokes are painted, galvanized steel, they will be prone to corrosion, and breaking at those points--which often results in a spoke breaking in the middle/somewhere unexpected (ie, not the elbow). More expensive black spokes are stainless, phosphate/paint coated. That said, stainless spokes will still rust, but it takes time/salt exposure for the chromium to be 'used up'.
Without seeing the spokes, I am not qualified to give you an actual answer, but I'd place my money on corrosion. Spokes don't break in the middle from flexing, they break at the elbow. I see this all the time on coastal bikes that wind up underwater/live outside.
*edit*
If you have any reason to doubt the structural integrity of your remaining spokes, put on a pair of work gloves, and squeeze parallel spokes,
hard. under normal circumstances, no damage will be done, but with wheels as I mentioned above, I have broken spokes just by squeezing.