Is building (or having them built) wheels an option?

Other than the expense, building your own is all positives. You get the exact rim, hub, spokes, and freewheel of your choice. Totally custom designed by you, to please YOU. And a hand built wheel will serve you better and longer than a machine built wheel.

There are plenty of 26 inch rims out there at low prices. TOP quality spokes and nipples can be purchased almost dirt cheap at DansComp.com. 72 Sapim stainless steel spokes and Polyax brass nipples for $18.00. And there is a huge variety of hubs and freewheels out there to choose from. I bet there are some wheel building professionals in your area if you don't want to attempt the task yourself. You could always try lacing them yourself and having a pro do the tensioning, truing and stress relieving.

It's a very satisfying feeling to build your own wheels. It also feels great to ride wheels that are exactly what you wanted.