Originally Posted by
Smokehouse
...and your post is 100% why I rarely get into gear conversations.
Listen, I have a giant hill that is right outside my home...a hill I have to coast down, then ride back up every time I ride. A hill large enough that other local riders attempt to set speed records on it. I've taken it literally 100's of times...or more. The hill is so large, I refuse to push it with pedaling, I can easily coast down it at 40+ mph...if I were pedaling it would be higher (my max on it was 52 mph back before I stopped pushing things...). So...coasting down the same hill, 100s of times, on different wheels and different tires, I have a good set of data to go off of.
I'm not claiming anything is snake oil...or that some piece of gear made me a pro racer. I'm saying that the wheels I currently own ride quite a bit nicer than my stockers...which may have a whopping 300-500 miles on them tops.
I'm really not trying to argue with you on whether they ride nicer or not. But as to the OPs question, why they ride nice and how much (if anything) that costs is the issue.
For some people, a wider rim or tire that they can run at a lower pressure can make a noticeable difference in comfort. They might also notice a handling or rolling resistance difference. Others, especially if they are relatively light might not feel any improvement. But either way, it does not really cost anything, it is just a matter of being appropriate to the rider. (Obviously if you need to buy something new it will be at some cost, but the technology is nothing new regardless of what HED wants to say).
Now, there are wheel components that cost money. Say CX-Rays at ~$3 a piece compared to standard DB spokes at ~$1. The advantages in aerodynamics and weight may or may not be useful to a rider depending on their circumstance.