Today, I had my first broken spoke (rear wheel--broke in the middle). I rode seven miles home w/the tire rubbing against my rear brake and wobbling. Downhills were interesting!!! Unfortunately, my LBS won't have it repaired until Wednesday afternoon, which means I have to ride my clunker Trek hybrid until then.

My question to the TE experts is how best to avoid broken spokes. The bike path on which I usually ride has a couple of rough sections with some pretty bad "tree root bumps." Will it help to lift my butt off the saddle when I go over rough terrain? I usually try to on the worst spots, as my road bike doesn't have much in the way of suspension If this will help, I'll get into the habit of doing it anytime I encounter a nasty bump that I can't avoid.

If this is a stupid question, forgive me. I've only been riding outside regularly for about six-seven months!!