I’m looking to upgrade the wheelset on my CAAD8, the stock Maddux ones feel very flexible and in the past I’ve had some issues with the rim separating at the seam (on a different bike).

These are the wheels I’m considering:

Campagnolo Zonda C17 $370 1596g
DT Swiss R24 $370 1725g
Mavic Aksium $250 1880g
Fulcrum Racing 5 $215 1650g
Shimano Ultegra 6800 $340 1640g

And the handbuilt option:

Shimano 105 5800 32H hubs, Mavic Open Pro rims, and DT Swiss Plain Gauge spokes
~ $310 ~1800g


I like to climb more than anything, and durability is very important to me.

Open to options, I’m assuming you get what you pay for to a certain extent, the only wheels I’ve found “so-so” reviews on are the Aksiums, the rest seem tried and true.