Originally Posted by
noglider
How many spokes are in the wheel that has been giving you problems? Either your wheel has too few spokes or it was built badly. If it was built badly, you don't need a heavier, stronger wheel. The hands that build the wheel affect how durable it is just as the materials used do.
Your wheel should have at least 32 spokes. If you get a replacement wheel, one with 36 spokes is good insurance, and the weight penalty is negligible.
If you need a new wheel, find out for sure whether it has a freewheel or a cassette. If it uses a 7-speed freewheel, it is very likely you can replace it with a wheel with a cassette. It will cost more, but it will be a stronger wheel.
You also need to measure the width of the axle. You need the measurement called over-locknut-distance or OLD. It's awkward to measure: you want the distance between the two places in the frame where the axle makes contact. It is probably 130 mm. Other possible values are 126 mm and 135 mm. You definitely want a hub with the same OLD measurement.
Thank you for the pointers. The information that you've given me makes allot of sense. The wheel does have 32 spokes. I've put quite a few miles on it now since I last had a spoke replaced, and so far it seems to be holding up. After the first time that I had a broken spoke replaced on it, the same wheel broke a spoke again after no more than 5 or so miles of riding.
Judging from what you've said, maybe it was just a crappy repair job. I took it to a different shop this most recent time, and I'm really hoping it will just hold up. If not, I will be following your advice and looking at a 36 spoke wheel with a cassette. I just hope I don't end up spending more on replacing the wheel set than what the whole bike cost to begin with, which was just shy of $500.
Thanks again for the reply. If I do end up replacing the wheel set, or just the rear wheel alone, I will come back to your response and use it as a reference.