Originally Posted by
Troul
idk how much you care about the finished look, but if you are, try to find accurate photos of the one/set you're eyeing up. Some look more grey, others have a higher gloss, then you have those with massive decals that cannot be peeled off.
I understand that a budget is of concern, but if for some reason you do end up having to spend the loot... maybe you could find a source that'll offer to sell a pair of fronts if you dont have any need for a rear wheel built.
Actually, the one thing about my current wheels I really don't like is the black out look. In fact, I had a local sign shop copy the original decals in a reflective silver/white which I intend to apply to the wheel set to break up the giant block of blackness.
But the more I think about it, the more I think I may just buy a complete wheel set (providing I can't find just the single front wheel). The idea is I can always set up the shallow rear wheel with a bigger cassette for more hilly courses.
In case you didn't know, Reynolds wheels are made in Hangzhou (two hours drive west of Shanghai).
So you don't want to pay the cost of Western brands, and you also don't want to buy from China. What about Giant? They're made in Taiwan. Taiwan isn't much cheaper than Western brands though.
I did not know that about Reynolds. Very disappointing to learn, but thank you for the info. I'm a huge supporter of Taiwan businesses. I would absolutely look into Giant.