New wheels??......choices,choices,looking for sensible advice

[smokeysmoo]

But here's a ponderable question, other than looking pretty are there any real advantages of having 16(ish) bladed spokes and deep aero rims on funky machined hubs

For the average Joe IME, no.

When I got my CAAD I upgraded the stock wheels to Mavic Ksyrium SL's, and TBH the bike looked stunning with them on.

Then for various reasons I decided to go for a higher spoke count, but I needed to get the new wheels NOW so I couldn't wait for HB's and got a pair of Halo Aeroage wheels. I'd used them before on another bike and new they were bombproof, yet TBH I've never felt I've struggled with a pair of £200 wheels v's a pair of £400 wheels, but how much of that is down to the bikes knackered engine IDK

Hand built seem to be A: just as if not lighter, B: Just as if not stronger and C: Much easier to own and maintain long term? )

Yup, all 3 IMO

 

[HB_Dude]

Yup, all 3 IMO

So Smokeysmoo IYHO you're telling me that Shimano 105 hubs with nice black ss-db spokes on Mavic open -pro rims is probably the best wheel to invest in?! ( even if they're not all purrrrddyy )

 

[smokeysmoo]

So Smokeysmoo IYHO you're telling me that Shimano 105 hubs with nice black ss-db spokes on Mavic open -pro rims is probably the best wheel to invest in?! ( even if they're not all purrrrddyy )

It's horses for courses innit? I'd rather have a wheel I know I can get fixed quickly, (and hopefully cheaply), than one that I can't, and that build makes a pretty good looking wheel IMO as well, (but I needed wanted all black as well and they don't, or didn't do 105 hubs in black

One factor in changing the SL's I had was that my LBS had stopped fitting new rims to them due their construction, (don't ask I don't know), so as a result they now get sent to France for a re-build, so that's not going to be A: cheap or B: quick is it?

I'm not saying I wouldn't invest in such wheels again, in fact I was thinking about them just the other day, but I wouldn't have them as my only wheel, and TBH I can't afford them anyway for the foreseeable anyway