Do you guys recommend custom built wheels?

In the future, I would like to make a set of mavic open rims accompanied by chris king hubs, any performance spokes will do.

Is this a good idea or is sticking with prebuilt wheels a better way to go?

It's a great idea, but the big downside is cost; whether you have somebody build them or build them yourself, it'll cost you more than buying prebuilt, but if you build them yourself you'll learn a new skill, you'll have the satisfaction of riding on wheels you've built yourself, and you'll have the rim/hub/spokes combination you want.

Open Pros, Campy high flange hubs, DT Swiss double-butted "Competition" stainless spokes:

i was told that you can actually get cheaper wheels going custom as opposed to buying Zipp's or whatever...is this untrue?

It depends. For example Mavic-ultegra wheelsets can be bought prebuilt for much cheaper than the individual parts.
On the other hand, when you get into lighter clincher wheelsets, its cheaper to build your own. For example, this year I built up a pair with White Industries hubs, sapim cxrays, and niobium 30 rims for about $570. Total weight (with 28 spoke in the rear and 24 in the front) was around 1450 grams. You can't buy many (if any) new prebuilt wheelset at that weight for anything near that price.

If you plan on having more than 1 custom wheelset in your lifetime its worth learning to DIY. After two wheelset, the tools (truing stand, tensiometer, spoke wrench) will have more than paid for themselves by eliminating labor costs. In addition to eliminating labor for the build, you eliminate labor for periodic truing, tensioning.

Yeah, build them yourself. The experience and pride alone are worth it. It seems complex, but I don't know anyone who came out of a wheelbuild with anything other than great wheels.

If you're going custom, get more creative than an Open Pro rim. They're expensive and nothing special (not particularly light or durable). Using Aerohead/Aerohead OC, you'll have a slightly lighter and more durable wheelset, and it will cost you about $60 less. Niobiums would be another good choice for a really light AL clincher for less money.

The DT rims are also popular choices, but I'd choose an Aerohead over a 1.1. If you want a deeper rim, the 1.2 is a little lighter (and less durable) than the Velocity Deep-V.

If you really want to save money, use Tiagra Hubs, and just upgrade the bearings for $6. They'll last forever and only weigh a couple grams more than Ultegra -- for $50/pr!

I am a bigger rider and I just had a set of Velocity Deep V's\Ultegra built. They only cost a few dollars more than the machine built Mavics the LBS was trying to sell me. They are very strong and very stiff wheels, I am very happy.

no.

Con: If they go out of true you have no one to blame but yourself.

Pro: If they go out of true you have no one to blame but yourself.

I have a pair of Open Pro's built up with C/K hubs 32 rear/28 front,DT swiss spokes 14/15 gauage
They spin up great and not much weight difference between the C/K hubs and the D/A that was on thier before.

I am planning on doing the samething too another bike that I have but this time instead of black c/K hubs I will use the polished chrome

the rear hub makes a buzzing sound when coasting /not peadaling, it is not too loud but it may bother some people.

Definitely do customs, whether you personally build or have them built.

a few months ago, competitive cyclist was selling zipp 360 rims (those used on 404's) for 430ish. that sale isn't there anymore, but let's just go with that for argument's sake. da hubs can be found for cheap on fleabay, new from performance right now (sale) at around 300. spokes plus labor, i imagine you could get a da/404 set for right at or under 1300 --> that is, if you would have snagged the rims at those prices

This is what I was actually looking for, my stock hubs right now are slight as hell!!

Can't talk about Zipps as they are way out of my finances- but I use a wheelbuilder in the UK. He buys in bulk and I will buy a pair of handbuilt wheels at less than the cost of hubs and rims on their own and all I pay for the spokes is if I want anything different to DT double butted.

And his wheels are superb.Better than any stock wheel sitting on the shelf within the same price range.

Curious about the final weight. If I go with Velocity Aerohead rims which weigh at 405 grams and Chris king hubs which weigh at 107 front and 247 rear. How much will a complete rim weigh, how much do spokes weigh? Is there anyway to get spokes like the Mavic flat spokes?

After doing some calculations, it seems like each custom built wheel will weigh in about 700 - 800grams, does this seem right?

You can compare prices and weight with an online custom wheelbuilder like Spinlite. I got a pair of Aerohead/Aerohead OC - Ultegras for $350 shipped. Nothing special, but they are well definitely well built. Sure I could have gotten the Open Pro Ultegras for something like $200 from Performance, but I wasn't paying for them and I wanted something will a little more character. Similarly I had a local shop build me some Deep V - Surly wheels that have taken an enormous beating and haven't needed a single truing in nearly a year. The biggest advantage to a handbuilt wheel in my opinion is (aside from getting to choose your parts) the quality of the build itself.

As for bladed spokes...they are usually hub specific, for example you wouldn't be able to get the bladed Ksyrium spokes through the standard drillings you see, but there are some bladed spokes available that have the same or similar diameter as the thickest spoke you'd be able to fit.

texascyclesport has a good price on handbuilt chris king/open pros.

Thanks for the heads up!

24h/28h spokes will weigh 319g with aluminum nips (both wheels)
Rim tape will be 36g (pr, Velox)

So, these would be about 1519g. Nice and light.

The Aerohead OC rear will be stronger than an Open Pro rear. So, good rim choice there.

What the difference on the amount of spokes? The more spokes the stronger the wheel? From researching online, front wheels accumulates less spokes than the rear. Could I have both wheels having the same spokes, such as 28 spokes? I think thats the least that Chris King offers.

You can do them both the same, sure. Front wheels aren't stressed to the amount the rears are (on my bike, ~70% of the weight is on the rear wheel), so you're really over-building the front, but if you don't mind that, you don't have a problem.

Customs can sometimes cost you a bit more, but if done by someone that knows what they are doing, will likely be as good, if not way better than factory wheels.

There's a guy I see on the local weekly training ride with wheels like this. He's a big guy himself and the road is pretty rough. I think he's pretty happy with these. Plus, you can get Deep Vs in a variety of colors (his blue rims look good on his blue/orange Giant), if that sort of thing is important to you.

i have 2 sets, both are great:

record 07 hubs 32 spoke f&r, niobium rims, sapim spokes 1480 grams
Tune hubs 28r/24f, niobium rims, sapin cx spokes 1279 grams

both are bombproof wheel, ligero wheelworks (troy watson) is the f"n man.... order now if you want them for spring though.

I built up my first set last year; all the parts were sourced from MG. I've been very happy with them and plan to build my third set this winter.