Originally Posted by
howellhandmade
It's subjective. For me, the stiffer and edgier, the better. I bought a used set of Ksyrium SLs with aero spokes in the rear and carbon spokes in the front. They're 850g lighter than the stock set they replaced and way stiffer, and I love them. I've heard other riders complain about the harsh ride from the same wheels. I think a wheel upgrade, budget permitting, is good bang for the buck. If they're lighter than your current wheels, you'll notice a difference and you can always sell your current bike with the stock wheels and put the amazing wheels on your new bike.
Not disputing your assessment of the Ksyrium SLs but there are learned opinions that tire flex is so much greater than wheel flex that it is impossible to feel the difference between wheels. I, for one, am not sure what to believe. I will say that it is hard for a wheel that much lighter than another to be stiffer. Not impossible, but somewhat uncommon. A good portion of that weight on the old wheels was going into stiffness: heavier gauge spokes and/or more of them and thicker walled rims. The added weight in the old hubs wouldn't much affect stiffness but the rest of it would.