I bit the bullet and ordered a new rear wheel. This one has 36 spokes; the spokes are stainless (not alloy) and the nipples (don’t laugh) are brass, so in theory this wheel should be pretty strong. By comparison, my current sh**ty wheel has 24 spokes and the original wheel had 32 spokes which seems to be the standard for 26″ wheels.
I’m still a little bit annoyed at my LBS for recommending the Mavic Crossride to me since I explicitly asked them whether it would hold up under the weight of a rack and the stress of disc brakes. “Oh sure, these spokes are beefy.” Though I guess I can’t be *too* mad since they broke up the wheelset and I was desperate for a new wheel at the time. Live and learn, though I don’t seem to be learning the “you get what you pay for” lesson very well.
Anyway, the wheel is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. I’m looking forward to it, since I noticed that my new spoke is already twisting and it’s completely bound to the nipple. I will never buy a wheel with straight-pull spokes again.