+1 to the thinking that wheels are a long-use upgrade...

My first "real road bike" when I was in college was a Schwinn Super Le Tour. I think I paid $300 for it in 1982/3. I quickly discovered just how much I loved cycling and wanted to do some amateur racing. Within six months I had ordered a set of wheels from a "pro/am" cycling shop about 100 miles from me. They were Mavic clinchers with Campy Super Record hubs. IIRC, the cost of those wheels was about what I paid for my bike. I later moved them over to a Rossin with Campy SR in 1984 as my all-purpose wheels.

Forward to 1989. Married with a kid on the way. Working a full-time 9-5 (or more) job. Rossin's been hanging in the garage for a couple of years. I bought a Specialized Sequoia sport-tourer. Put those Mavics on it...made it ride so much better. Do a couple of thousand miles on them over the next year or so.

Fast forward to 2010. Overweight with Diabetes, high blood pressure. Need to get some exercise. Decide that I've really missed riding these past 20 years. I bought a Raleigh hybrid to "get back into cycling". I still love riding but as I get fitter, I need to ride drop bars. I go into the garage and get that Sequoia down from the ceiling and the LBS gets it back in shape. Guess which wheels are on it - those Mavics.

Obviously I can't put those wheels on any new frames due to the width, but good wheels aren't just an upgrade...they're an investment in your bike, your riding, and yourself. My advice would be to buy the best wheels you can. If you keep riding, you'll likely never regret it.

Charles