Among many things I’d love to learn to do would be wheel truing, and even building.

I base this on the fact that both you and The Boy rode your bikes with more frequency than I last year, you both broke a spoke, and I did not. Tires gradually lose their true from the perpetual use of riding, as well as the wear and tear of the little bad things we do to them each time we hit rocks and curbs, or fling the bike into the back of the car. I also see on his blog Halifax Steve is trueing his wheels all the time, and he rides a couple times each day.

You certainly could always use more spokes, but on rides where you aren’t loaded for touring, I don’t think they’re entirely necessary. When balanced properly, your wheel should be able to support you quite easily, and judging from the picture, I’d be willing to bet that your spoke went wonky because the wheel was no longer true, rather than vice versa. Talk to a mechanic you trust about how frequently you should have your wheels trued. Many places do it for under ten bucks, or you could take a class and learn how to do it yourself. There’s a New Year’s resolution!