There’s nothing exactly wrong with the hubs, but I figure there is a reason that most people would consider it suboptimal to connect $100 rims via butted spokes to knockoff hubs. And I agree that the bike shop should not have recommended this idea when I was an impressionable noob.

Now that I am an impressionable advanced beginner, I am looking at Colorado Cyclist’s build of Easton rims over DA hubs. Just over 700 bucks for the wheel set after discount code.