Originally Posted by
ericm979
The "cheap" wheels that come with good bikes aren't bad wheels, they're just heavy and/or not as aerodynamic as expensive wheels. But they make perfectly fine training wheels, and if you are not racing you don't need expensive racing wheels.
Sadly, this hasn't been my experience. My Madone 5.2 came with Bontrager Race wheels.
1. "Race" is a misnomer, as they are really heavy, and not the least bit aero.
2. They have been trued up 3 times, but finally held true.
3. I experienced 2 catstrophic blowouts, where the tire bead came off the rim, and I had to bring the bike to a stop from moderately high speed while sliding the rim on the pavement. Looking for clues, I believe the root cause is a sloppy weld. At the weld joint, there is no lip to hold the tire bead.
It is travesty that the manufacturers put crappy wheels on good bikes. I believe it is to push post-sale upgrades, as well as to boost the initial margin on the bike sale.