I am riding a 2007 Specialized Allez which has for stock Jalco GX460 Wheels. I was considering buying a new bike this year, but talked myself out of it. I feel like I would rather beat the crap out of my current bike because it works well enough for me and shes treated me well so far in her life. Just for some more info; I raced last year for my University (4 races + 2 or 3 on my own in the summer) and am planning on racing much more this year. Especially now that I know how much I enjoy the sport.

I find that these wheels suck major !@#. Have had 2 broken spokes and have had to be trued more than a few times. Plus they seem to be pretty heavy.

So heres my questions:

1) Would it be even worth getting new wheels for such a low-end bike? (Figure it shouldn't matter since I could use these wheels on any future purchase)

2) What will I notice with an upgraded wheelset?

3) If it is deemed worthy, what would be a lower cost pair of wheels that would be a dramatic upgrade?

Thanks in advance

Get this front.

And this rear.

1) If your bike is working properly, nothing added is WORTH the money, but if you WANT it, go for it.

2) What you notice depends on how gullable your mind is.

3) Similar to the above, the Forte Titans are pretty much the same and cost less. I hope you're light, though, as low spoke counts on cheap wheels mean limited durability. If you want durable, I suggest something like Open Pros laced to Ultegra hubs.

I am relatively light. I weigh in between 165-170 right now, pretty low bf% since I have been wrestling (and hence cutting weight) for the past 10 years. In the season I will probably drop to 160, but doubtfully much lower. Too much upper body mass for a cyclist...

So urbanknight, what your saying there is no actual benefit to a new pair of wheels? (Besides possible gain OR loss of durability)

1. Changing tires & wheels make the biggest difference in bike handling and feel of any upgrade. Upgrading from what you currently have needn't be too expensive.

2. More sure cornering, perhaps better acceleration at a relatively low price point. You have to invest more than you could probably justify at the current time to get enough aero at a light enough weight to make a huge difference in overall speed. Also, probably less spoke breakage.

3. The neuvations aren't bad at that price. ROL Volant, soul 3.0, soul 4.0 for around $300-400 are other good alternatives. The 4.0 is getting to the point where you might start noticing the aero advantage. Or get some handbuilts.

Would making a wheel upgrade on an '07 Specialized Allez be worth it? Or is it best just to wait until this bike needs an entire overhaul, which would equate to an entirely new bike. Considering that the first suggested wheelset is half of the overall cost of the entire bike. Or is a wheel purchase completely justifiable no matter the quality of the overall bike (in general terms)?

The heart of any bike is the frame. The allez may not be a top end bike- but it is worth upgrading the parts to go on it. The main thing that will influence the ride of a bike are the wheels and tyres. There are plenty of whels around that are better than the stock wheels and not all of them are expensive. I would always go for handbuilts- but that does depend on the skill of the builder. I am lucky in that I have an excellent wheelbuilder And Mavic CXP or open pro rims on Ultegra hubs seem to be the favourite for a cheap wheel. And as to tyres- Conti 4000s or Michelin PR3's seem to be the main choices.

And wheels and tyres do not stay with the bike. Keep the old wheels for when you sell the Allez.

If you are going to upgrade wheels plan on keeping them even if you sell the bike. Your 07 Allez will go for the same amount no matter what wheels you have on it short of Zipps. If you sell replace the stock wheels and keep the ones you buy.

If you are on a limited budget the only thing that makes sense to me is getting stronger wheels. They can be had good and cheap. If the stats I found on your wheels are accurate 32spoke open pros/ultegra will be LIGHTER than your low spoke count wheels and are likely to be stiffer too.

Alright. So if I were to purchase the Neuvation wheel set (which they claim is 100% hand-built). This product would come in complete except for the cassette. Will I also have to purchase a new cassette? Will I need to buy any tools to put the cassette on? Or would it be best to buy these online and then bring the rear wheel into my LBS who can then order the cassette and install it for me?

If you're asking those kinds of questions, it's best if you buy the wheels, take them to your shop and let them sort it out.

i have the 2008 allez and rather than neuvation i went with the race x lites by botranger
AMAZING improvement, super stiff and light
easily worth the 1000 price tag

^^ I own the Race X Lites (Al clinchers) and they're definitely not worth $1,000. Nor did I pay that much.

No, you asked if you would NOTICE anything. There will likely be some gains, but they will be tiny.

At your weight, the Forte or Neuvation wheels will be fine. They will be a more aero and lighter than your current set.

On a related note, those Reynolds Solitude wheels have been showing up on ebay lately. They look like a nicer choice with a deeper rim, a few more spokes, and the same weight. I just don't have any personal experience with them.

You didn't say which of the Allez models you have but even if it's one of the lower two it is the right frameset for you to get into racing. I agree with some of the others here. Get some decent, reliable wheels that you could keep if you replace the bike later. I'm not talking about $1k wheels. Don't catch the bling fever many beginners get. Go for reliability. Make the bike fit you. Then get some races under your belt. After that you can replace what you don't like.

Im looking at those Neuvation wheels. They seem to have gotten the most positive reviews on reliability and value, plus it is right in line with my price range. I don't want to spend much more money than $200-300. Is it worth upgrading from stock bearings to the ceramic bearings or would it be a safer decision to just save the 100 bucks?

I think the general consensus is that the ceramics ain't worth it.

Ceramic isn't worth it until you're at the sort of level where people are giving you the stuff for free anyway.

I have those rims and I weigh 205, they seem to hold up real nice. HUGE improvement over my old 36 spoke boat anchors. I'm in the process of removing the 6,000 stickers that came on them though. kidding, i think it's like 36 stickers.

You can use those wheels you have now for the wheel pit/ wheel truck.

You can use your old cassette if you want to, but then you wouldn't have a spare wheel ready to go. You might be able to buy a new cassette plus the two cassette tools online for less than what your bike shop will charge you for a new cassette plus labor to put it on. But the bike shop labor charge to put one on should only be about $5 or $10.

Here is a good deal on a cassette lockring tool:https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...in%2FFreewheel
Here is an inexpensive chain whip to go with it: https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...in%2FFreewheel

You can check Parktool.com, bicycletutor.com (video instructions) or a bicycle repair book on how to use the tools. It is pretty simple.