Me: 185lb man. Only carry a backpack.

Bike: 90s miyata sport cross, 16 speed, shimano alivio shifters, derraleurs, Sugino cranks, Tektro v- brakes, and old, looks to be, Mavic XP something wheels with Ritchie front hub, and Bianchi rear hub. Wheels are 622x19, 700c x 25 (just reading these labels).

Story: need a new wheelset that can withstand my daily commute (8.9 miles one way) in the urban San Francisco streets where potholes and more cracks are found everywhere you look and ride. I broke one rear spoke, and after that broke on my ride home, 3-4 rears started to go. So, i'm shopping around now. I'm reading a lot, maybe too much, which is why I need direct suggestions.

I need a wheelset <$200. please help? Don't want the rebuild route.

Have you tried taking them to your local bike store to have the spokes replaced and tensioned properly?

Most important info: front or back wheel spoke breaks, hub or nipple end, if back drive or opposite side of wheel?

If you are breaking front spokes the wheel will likely need to go (have LBS confirm) due to pot hole impact stress putting it out of round. If the back you might just be overstressing due to weight and distance. You could replace spokes and check tension periodically and keep it going. You could also rebuild yourself.

I should know, me: 240lb rider who breaks spokes all the time. It is the bane of my biking existence.

I'm going to just skip the lbs rebuild route and go for newer ones. Its a huge hassle coming from out of the city and into the city to a lbs. Plus, the guy I bought the bike from warned me that the wheels were constantly trued, with spokes being replaced several times, because of spokes snapping , before I took the bike from him. I just held off buying anything until now. Iguess the wheel were a bad build?

Rear wheel. Spokes are breaking in the MIDDLE. A tad towards the nipple.

36h Velocity "Comp" build w/ Synergy rims. $450 MSRP.

If that's too much, Velocity also has a budget wheelset that would work. They hand-build in the USA.

Or talk with your LBS, see if they have a set of hybrid wheels kicking around or what they can offer on a wheel build.

I'm a fan of the Forte' brand from Performance. They're a great value.

I currently run the Titan wheelset. I paid $140 for the set. They are $300 regularly, but are on sale all the time. I've been relatively happy with them. They are a low spoke count wheelset, so once you blow a spoke, you have to get off and walk. I blew two spokes on the rear wheel, right at the drive side hub. One was at 2k miles and the other was at 3k miles. They replaced the rear wheel for a new one and I've gotten almost 1k miles out of them with no issues.

My next wheelset will be the Forte' Apollos. They're a normal spoke count wheelset that can be had for ~$200 on sale.

I've had great success using 32H Open Pros with Ultegra hubs, and 36H would be even more durable.. You can by a new set for $250-300 if you shop around on the webs, and they are fairly easy to buy used if you are careful. I recently bought a used set for $150 plus shipping, and they are in great shape. I also recently bought another 36H OP/Ultegra rear wheel new for $180 from my local bike shop for one of my bikes that seemed to break spokes and need truing more often.

check out handspun google it great prices

You can get a decent wheel set for under the 200, thru the LBS,
and they will hand tension and true it for you, before delivery.

machine built wheels always need attention. hub adjustment and such,
and that is not done in mail/internet discount wheels.

and shipping is included when they hand the wheel set over the counter..

This.

You can get a very nice set of commuting wheels for $200, cheaper if you want. I'd be looking at Shimano Tiagra hubs and maybe Sun CR-18 rims, 32 DT Swiss competition spokes, brass nipples.

I managed to go into an LBS (thank God for the sun coming out). I asked for advice and I opted for a Mavic A319 wheel and threw on some gatorskin tires on there as well for ~119 with labor. The new tire were a bit wider, I believe a 28 oppose to my old 25 size tire, but they feel almost the same. I can say that I am very pleased with the purchase. Thanks for those who suggested going to my LBS first, even though I refused to do so at first. My gf actually suggested the same thing and since the sun was out shining.... I come out with a smile