I gave up on the Open Pro's because of persistant creeking in the spoke/eyelet area and, more catostrophically, a ruptured rear rim that occurred a month and a half ago after about 8 months of commuting use. In addition, both front and rear rims showed an extreme amount of scoring after such a short period of use-even when care was taken to maintain them and keep brake pads free of debris. I was also having problems with the XT hubs I had them laced to, the rear was constantly working itself loose. I decided to have a high-end set of wheels built locally that should be much more durable and reliable. After much consideration, I went with a pair of Velocity Chukkers laced to White Industries M15 hubs. The cost was substantial, about $800 but, should pay off in the long run if they hold up like predicted. As for performance: no creaking, more wear resistant, very stiff and, lifetime hubs with improved servicability. So far, I'm very happy with them.