tcarl
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 561
Bikes: Roark, Waterford 1100, 1987 Schwinn Paramount, Nishiki Professional, Bottecchia, 2 Scattantes, 3 Cannondale touring bikes, mtn. bike, cyclocross, hybrid, 1940's era Schwinn
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 27 Post(s)
I don't have any wheels anywhere close to $2000, so I can't comment on them, but I can talk about what I have. I say Yes, they do make a difference. Examples: I weigh about 225. I have a very neutral handling old Italian racing bike (Bottecchia). For urban rides around St. Louis I ride wider rimed wheels with 700x28 tires. Bombproof wheels and stable, solid handling. For rural rides I put on narrower rimed wheels with 700x23 tires. I guess the bike's maybe a little faster, but the handling/performance is much sportier. I.e., not much difference in speed, but much difference in handling. I also have some noticably lighter, higher performance wheel sets I use on other bikes. Those wheels are definitely both faster and better handling, but not as sturdy for rough roads.