I have a 1981 Schwinn Traveler I use as a commuter, and am not happy with the braking on it. It sounds like the main reason for it is the steel wheels on it, so I'm thinking about upgrading to Aluminum. I did look briefly at a LBS, and it seems like they start at around $30 for used ones. Is there anything in particular I should know before buying anything? Such as things to look for/avoid?

I also heard that getting Kool Stops would also help. Any idea what the improvment of these would be vs. buying new wheels?