It depends on the quality of the wheel build - handbuilt wheels at a high tension are more reliable - the load placed on the wheel (higher on the rear, typically), the number of spokes (more is better), the quality of the metal and manufacture of the spokes (less of an issue these days, because metallurgy has ensured that even cheap spokes are of a high standard), the dish (the asymmetricity of the hub flanges - symmetrical is good but harder to do with many-speed derailleur arrangements) and - obviously - the number of miles travelled.
Since rear wheels are more heavily loaded and usually dished, they break many more spokes. The old British arrangement was 32 front cross 2 [1] and 40 rear cross 3 which is terribly clever because it distributes the spokes in proportion to the load and if the hub dimensions are about right they end up the same length and you only have one size of spare. These days 36 is the normal number on solid touring wheels - any more gets you into expensive tandem parts, up to 48.
The main factor I don't know about your bike is whether it has a hub gear or not. Internally gear hubs are undished or only slightly dished so make for reliable spokes. But with the quality of material on all but the cheapest wheels and the fact that machine-built wheels (while inferior to hand-built) are BALGE these days, someone who doesn't ride long distances might never break a spoke. I've only broken two ever, and one of those was on the tandem which is a special case.
[1] ie, each spoke crosses 2 otheres between hub and rim.
(no subject)
(no subject)
It depends on the quality of the wheel build - handbuilt wheels at a high tension are more reliable - the load placed on the wheel (higher on the rear, typically), the number of spokes (more is better), the quality of the metal and manufacture of the spokes (less of an issue these days, because metallurgy has ensured that even cheap spokes are of a high standard), the dish (the asymmetricity of the hub flanges - symmetrical is good but harder to do with many-speed derailleur arrangements) and - obviously - the number of miles travelled.
Since rear wheels are more heavily loaded and usually dished, they break many more spokes. The old British arrangement was 32 front cross 2 [1] and 40 rear cross 3 which is terribly clever because it distributes the spokes in proportion to the load and if the hub dimensions are about right they end up the same length and you only have one size of spare. These days 36 is the normal number on solid touring wheels - any more gets you into expensive tandem parts, up to 48.
The main factor I don't know about your bike is whether it has a hub gear or not. Internally gear hubs are undished or only slightly dished so make for reliable spokes. But with the quality of material on all but the cheapest wheels and the fact that machine-built wheels (while inferior to hand-built) are BALGE these days, someone who doesn't ride long distances might never break a spoke. I've only broken two ever, and one of those was on the tandem which is a special case.
[1] ie, each spoke crosses 2 otheres between hub and rim.