Gege-Bubu

I think I am ready to upgrade my basic wheels that came with the bike.
I have one year old CAAD8 and the wheels it came with are Maddux R3.0. It is nothing wrong with my wheels, they are just fine.

Why upgrade?
I have started triathlon this season and I believe the new wheels will benefit my performance and will shed off some seconds, if not minutes ))))

I don't think I need wheels that cost more than my bike, so I set up a budget of $250 and would like to stick to it (despite I have failed before to stay within limits on any bike related purchase)

After reviewing my options I stopped at Mavic Aksium and Shimano RS30.
They both are about $250.

Which one is a better bang for the buck?

Is there any other wheel set worth looking at the same price?

Where to buy? Local LBS or online?
Online has better prices, but shipping of $40-50 often makes it no deal

Thanks!

topflightpro

Neither options are worth your money.

If you are doing tris, you need something more aero. The Aksiums do well enough in aero tests - much more so than Ksyriums, but if you could save up another $200, you could look to get something with a slightly deeper rim, such as the Williams System 30 or Reynolds Solitude.

M_FactorX19

i agree with the above. the wheels you listed are what most people upgrade from. just dont want you to be disapointed.

check these out. they are not to much more than you said you could spend but should be a lot better wheels.
https://www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.com...d&productId=34

still for Tri or TTs i would want something more aero. say william system 30s etc. i paid under 500 shipped for mine and they are great wheels.

another cheap set thats more aero (just a tad heavy but still lighter than the 2 you posted above)
https://www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.com.../prod_184.html

there are also some easton crits on bonktown right now for $199!! better hurry!!

Gege-Bubu

I have not come across Easton Circuit...are they really that much better than I am looked at?.

Elvo

Soul S3.0 regulars. $390 shipped to your door.

wrr1020

If your dead set on either of the two wheels i would get the Aksiums. I would save up some more money and get something a bit more aero since your looking to do tris. One good thing about the Aksiums is they are a good training wheel, there bombproof.

SkinnyLegs

If I had $250 to spend:

$150 - Aksium wheelset on Ebay or CL for general purpose duty
$60 - Rear wheel disc cover for race days
$40 - Clip on TT bars

Gege-Bubu

I know this is not what everyone suggested, but cannot pass by a deal. I got craig list Shimano RS30 set for $120, and will have more questions soon about what tires to use for old and the new set.

ericm979

It's useful to have a second set of wheels. But those wheels aren't going to cut minutes or even seconds off your bike time.
If you want to go faster, look for inexpensive aero tweaks like aero bars, helmet, and of course your position on the bike.

M_FactorX19

for sure get a good set of tires. it can make as big a difference as wheels can. something like cont. gp4000's, gp4000S's, mich PR3's, etc.

riotgear

I love Easton Hubs. I used to run Easton Vistas (slightly more aero version of the circuits) on my tri bike. The build quality of the Easton has been pretty good for me.

I would also look at the Williams System 30 or Easton EA90 TT.

The Shimanos and the Aksiums really aren't worth it for the upgrade.

Velo Gator

Correct.

Though my TT bars were $200, so YMMV.