That's encouraging because I'm also worried about how much effect the wheels have. My front wheel is the original 17 year-old wheel that came on the bike. I know most of the components on my 1995 bike are better than those on more recent bikes in the same price range so I'm guessing the old wheel is at least as good as that on a new 7.1 FX. My rear wheel is custom built and it's about 3 oz heavier than the stock rear wheel it replaced.

The craziest thing is that right now I'm spinning out gears I hardly ever used until this week. My highest gear in the middle ring is 83.5 gear inches (34 x 11) and I can count the number of times I've used that gear on one hand. This week, the slightest downhill grade or tailwind and that gear is spun out. I may have to re-think my drivetrain rebuild and go with a larger crankset.

Now, my biggest fear is that the Vittoria tires I will get later today will be more like the Armadillos.