Originally Posted by hokiefyd

Are you a heavier rider? It may help to upgrade to a 36-spoke (or more) wheel. If I'm not mistaken, your Escape probably came with a 32-spoke wheel, which is fine for most riders. Heavier riders can benefit from a wheel with more spokes. Additionally, wheel assembly technique and materials can help, such as the use of high quality spokes, nipples, and eyelets. Eyelets are fairly uncommon on less expensive wheels, but they do distribute the force of the nipple over a wider area at the rim and can help stave off fatigue failure like this (similar to how a washer can distribute the load of a nut or bolt head).