Who has them? Pictures please. Are there any classy light wheels out there?
I'm trying to find a sub 1600g sub $500 wheel set.

Just remember: "Light, Strong, Cheap: pick two", and shop carefully.

SP
Bend, OR
(No firsthand experience with "modern" wheels - I'm still on 32 spoke Open Pros)

You might get farther if you ask the question on the road forum, where people are more up on the latest and greatest.

I would not call them cheap but I have a pair of Mavic Krysum (is that right?) I got in '04. they are OK but I like my 32 or 36h tubulars much better.



sorry not a very good pic but on the bottom of the rack is the same bike with regular tubular wheels

Slightly used Mavic Ksyrium SLs can be had for 400

Kinlin 270 or Velocity Aerohead laced to Velocity or Miche Primato hubs 24/28 or 28/28 with CX-Rays (or Revs/Comps and save $85).

My training wheels are Ksryium SL. They are great wheels, light and very strong. I'm starting to see them more and more at CX races. But, they're not particularly aero. And they have proprietary spokes, rims, and hubs, so if you run into a structural problem you just can't pop into an LBS, have it fixed, and be on your way.

Isn't this pretty typical of "boutique" wheels these days?

SP
Bend, OR

I'm running almost all modern wheelsets.
Alex ACE-19, Mavic Cosmic & Ksyrium Elites, Bontrager SSR Aeros, Shimano WHRS-10, Ultegras, & Hope/Ambrosio.
The exception is a set of Campy Vento deep-V's, and no one yet cares if they're not light, or modern.

Only the Ksyrium Elites and Hope Tech/Ambrosio (tubulars) are that light.

Frankly, outside the Hopes and the Elites, the rest are all about the same and I don't notice weight differences.

Used:
Ksyriums (not Equipes)
Aksiums aren't that far off
Fulcrums
Bontrager
Eastons
Sometimes, a set of Zipps comes up, almost always tubulars.
Tons of others, watch your load limits.

New:
Vuelta's
Nuevations
PBK always has some on sale
Fulcrums
Bontrager
Not sure if $500 will get you the weight you want.

You might look at Williams.



I rode this wheel for 5 miles one day (neutral support when I flatted at a local race). Seemed pretty stiff.

I really like my Mavic Kysrium Elites. They don't quite meet your criteria, though: Retail price is $650 for the set, and the published weight is 1550 grams. Mine have given me a couple thousand trouble free miles so far. Keep in mind, in '09 Mavic did a major re-design of the Ksyrium Elite, with the rims getting extensive machining between the spoke holes to shave weight. The '09, '10, and '11 models are close to a half pound lighter than '08 and earlier. They had a reputation for being bombproof before, and they seem to have retained that quality with the new design as well, at least in my experience. Since this is C and V, I'll mention that the Ksyrium Elite is the highest you can go in the Mavic line of road wheelsets without getting into aluminum spokes and carbon bits on the hubs. Here are my '09 Ksyrium Elites on my '90's Pinarello:

I love Neutrons (nee Nucleons...I have 1.5 sets) and Protons for that matter!

I looked into Williams i like them a lot and got fast email response from them.

Open pro rims on ultegra 6600 hubs are pretty classic looking and quite low in price though I do have a craving to put tubulars on this bike-need to stick with a cassette wheel though.

I still do not understand the fascination w/ low spoke count wheels, whose sole benefit is reduced air turbulence. The way to enhance a wheel's strength-to-weight ratio and to get by with a lighter rim, and therefore a lower moment of inertia, is to increase the number of spokes. Give me at least 32 spokes any day (like that last Bianchi picture, above).

Blackset race ten is $350 shipped. Just around 1500g with skewers and tape. They're rebranded kinlin rims, 26mm profile I think, not pointy like mavic cxp33 but like old school rolfs. Hubs are rebranded...I forget, but they're pretty nice, very very smooth. The stickers are cheap and easy to peel off. Avoid the rim tape and go with good old velox fonde de jante. They came well built, no complaints. Not much "bling" factor though. Have to wait until all this crud and snow and ice is off the streets before they get a real world test. I'm sort of nervous about the alloy nipples but plenty of people seem to be okay with them. Oh these wheels are recommended for riders under 195lbs.

There is also psimet who builds wheels for guys on the roadie forum. Nice guy and everyone seems to dig his builds. I'm sure he can give you some options at your price and spec points.

Then there are Soul wheels from (I think) singapore. They have a good rep for affordable and light wheels.

Good luck.