Cheap wheel recommendation
 

Are there any super cheap (sub-$200) wheels you would recommend for road tires? I'm basically just looking for something to have on hand with slicks if I ride with friends on their road bikes. I doubt I'll ever be putting serious mileage on these wheels but I do want something good enough to keep as a backup set even after I upgrade bikes.

I'm looking at something like this

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...2_10000_202478

Forgot to mention I'm a fat guy right at 200lb... the HD seems like a good fit for heavier riders.

You can usually get Mavic Aksiums on eBay for under $200. At 200 pounds, you might be nervous about the low spoke count, but I'm also 200 pounds and have been using a set of these all summer with no troubles.

A friend of mine swears by Neuvations.

I have a pair like these, from a local builder, and they are super strong and perform like much more exspensive wheels: http://www.ebay.com/itm/280732820458...84.m1438.l2649

Velocity A23 & Shimano 105 make a solid build for any rider.

That build won't be less than $200.00 though. I just put a set together and when you put rims, hubs, spokes and nipples and cassette together, you'll be well over $200.00.

But, like you said, it's a solid set.

dude 200lbs isn't heavy. you can ride just about anything you want. those wheels you showed are VERY HEAVY and slow. they are bombproof for me at 240lbs, they are overkill for you at 200. as others mentioned, look for aksiums or you may get a deal on some ksyrium equipes

If you don't mind, how was the weight with the a23 / 105 combo?

I just bought a new set of Shimano WH-R500 wheels for my cross-commuter for $129 at Jenson. They look like they ought to be beefy enough for the job.

Sorry, I've not measured the weight.

Check Out Vuelta. Their road wheels are not known for being especially light, but are hand built pretty solid from what I've read. Nashbar usually has them for a steal.
Check out the Corsa Pro:

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...5#ReviewHeader

I weigh 150 and I ride Chris king hubs/A23 rim 32/32. Overbuilt some may say for my weight. But that $h!t aint breaking. Go overbuilt to reduce the likely hood of failure. What good is a wheel if its broke?

I'm not the OP but I'm also in the market for a cheap set of wheels. I like the look of the Vuelta Corsa Pros in your link above but I'd really like to get the Vuelta Corsa Lites if possible. I IM'ed with Nashbar on the weight limit on the Corsa Lites and he said about 250 (I am 230 lbs). I wander if that is really true for a wheelset that is only 1500g. Anybody have any advice? Should I stay with the Corsa Pros just to play it safe.

I liked the Aksiums okay when I had them--pretty stiff, rode well--and my hardest-core buddy has them on his pit bike/commuter. But there are two issues with them for my money:

One is that everything (save the rims, I guess) is proprietary, and I had to run all over town looking for somebody with spokes in stock when I broke one trying to adjust the tension. As a corollary to that, the spokes tend to bind in the nipples and the nipples are also made of something roughly as durable as parmesan cheese. So maintenance, if you have to do it, is a nightmare.

The second is that my rear hub flange exploded after about a year of ownership, which is to say commuting every day on Chicago streets. The wheels are now completely unusable--I traded the front one to my buddy for a cheap set of handlebars and threw the rear one away.

I'd recommend going for a cheap hand-build--Shimano XT hubs [EDIT: or 105, or your favored road hub if you've got 130mm spacing], standard spokes, Velocity/Alex/Sun rims or something. You're actually not gonna sacrifice much in terms of weight; the Aksiums are pretty heavy, especially the rim. You might spend a hundred more bucks, but given the durability/repairability issues at hand you'll be better off in the long run. At least, for my money.

I got a set of Forte Titans on sale for $130 from Performance. ($140 checking today)
Around 1755g for the set. Shaved almost 1.3 lbs off the stock wheels on my Fuji.
I'm using them for road now, but might try them in some CX races and if succesful then get another set when they are on sale again.

+1 on the Titans.

I am 225lbs. (on a good day)

They are hard to beat when they are on sale.