adrien

I have experience with both, though I tend to go hand-built now.

I don't like the proprietary Mavics, and their stuff can sometimes be problematic. There have been some issues. Oddly, I find their lower-end stuff better, more reliable. I've got about 300 miles on rental bikes using Aksiums, with zero issues. I am not kind to rental bikes -- tend to hammer them to see what they can do, and I rent nice, but different, stuff to expand my experience. But my mech generally winces a little when someone brings in a proprietary Mavic wheel, because parts take time, there are some known issues, pawls and hubs can be problematic, etc. Everyone I know with fancy Mavic wheels has a backup set, if that's any indication. I'm also not a fan of the branding, but that's nothing a little elbow grease and a hairdryer can't fix.

I like Fulcrums a lot. For the previous poster -- Fulcrum is indeed Campy, except they were an offshoot designed to go after the Shimano and SRAM users. Hard to sell a Campy wheel to go with Shimano, though that's less relevant now with all the 11 speed stuff out. My experience is with both ends of the spectrum -- Racing 7s (less expensive) and Racing Zeros (among the most expensive alloy wheels). The 7s on a bike I borrow in France, and the 0s on a $15k Wonderbike I rented for the first attack on Ventoux. The Zeros were incredibly stiff and responsive, almost to a fault. Solid, solid wheels. The 7s are great in feel, and have had no issues under the bike's owner over several thousand kms. And he's your size.

Of the two, I'd go Fulcrum, and go for the lower end. I would also consider something handbuilt.