People favor different brands (and wheel types, i.e. disc/spoked) in different places, in my experience. I was thinking Zipp 404s too, most people seem to like these, and obviously they are very popular.

As for tubulars, I don't feel they are a bad option actually ... I only ride clinchers because I haven't ridden much at the velodrome, but I've ridden thousands of miles on the road which equates to many flats. Low track experience, high road experience although nothing professional obviously. These wheels are going to be ridden a little more conservatively than my clinchers, so I am not afraid of them being tubular. Flexibility is actually my least concern for these wheels since they will be used specifically. I don't wanna be the guy riding Zipps downtown.