No. I've certainly looked into the Quarq option. I really want crank based power, and Quarq is my #1 choice. My #2 is SRM, but only if I could come across a Hollowgram spider cheap on Ebay. I like Quarq's price point as far as what you get. Of course, as a college student, cheaper power would always be awesome. I'm not to the point where I'd go for a Stages power meter. Especially considering I'd have to swap out my crankset anyway...

As for the wheels. At the moment, I don't race, nor do I even own a race set of wheels. The Powertap could be built into a training wheelset and used for all riding. I might do a few more triathlons next summer, but I wouldn't have a new set of wheels for them.

I just like playing with my options and hearing as many opinions and reviews as possible.

If you owned a power meter and don't use it in a race, you are missing the purpose of owning one. Especially in tri races where staying in appropriate power zone will allow fresher legs to close the race good. I did an Olympic distance before and went too hard in the bike leg. I fell apart in the running leg. Anyway... yes, training with power meter is important but evaluating your performance in races is critical. It's all about the data.

As for the reviews, you will have no issue whatsoever with the top brands out there. Quarq, SRM, PowerTap, Stages, etc. They are pretty solid. 1-2% variance in numbers is normal because of different measurement method. PowerTap MIGHT have lower numbers compared to the crank based PMs because it measures power at the wheel. There is power loss in the drive train. Just like any car, HP to the crank is higher than HP to the wheels. About 15% higher.

Bottom line, get a power meter. You will train differently.

I actually use the CycleOps PowerCal. It's an HR monitor that estimates power output. No bike mods necessary. I know it's nowhere near the accuracy of the others listed but when you consider the $100 price, I'd say it gives you a reasonable estimate of your power. It's more accurate than you might think though. Here's a review DC rainmaker did for it:
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/11/c...th-review.html

All stock '11 CAAD 10. Can't get enough of this bike. I'm actually suffering from withdrawals from being apart from it (dropped it off at the local bike shop). Looking to get replace wheels as my first upgrade.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/9...d3427ff0_b.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3731/8...a35a6b1b_b.jpg

Congratulations! Nice bike.

What wheels are you getting?

Thanks! Not sure about the wheels. Nothing fancy, but looking for something that is around 1500g for the pair. Any recommendations?

these match your bike well and come in at 1527g http://www.boydcycling.com/30mm-rouleur/

I have them on my CAAD7 and love them.

Love the pics! Mine's pretty much stock like yours except for the saddle. I like yours better though because it's got the white detail on the fork and seat+chain stay. I'm not totally against the dark grey that's on the 2012 models but I wish all the detail was either dark grey or like the 2011 and all white.

seymour1910's recommendations on the Boyd's are good. They're light, durable, and affordable.

If you're not into racing, and is just looking for a good wheelset for training or all-around riding, I recommend Fulcrum's Racing Quattro. Same price-point as the Boyd's, but a bit on the heavy side though (1800g). Oh, and they're made by Campagnolo :D

+1 on the PowerCal. I'm not serious enough about power to buy anything more expensive than this. I got it for $80 on sale.

I have around 5,000 miles on my Boyd Vitesse wheels. Love 'em, and they take a beating.

Ok, so I went up to the LBS to drop off my bike to get the Premium + fork installed....figured theyd have a compression plug but they didnt and have to order one for it to work, no big deal, I can wait...but then they tell me my brand new ea70 stem wont work because it is straight pitch or something, I honestly dont even know what this means, he said I need an angled pitch or itll crush the carbon steerer....not sure why easton would make a brand new stem that would crush carbon with that being the material of choice nowadays. Can anyone help me figure how I should go about this...? LBS are all personal friends, they wouldnt tell me wrong.

Does this mean that I cant have the stem flipped? He said mine is "straight" in needs to be "angled" I need help.

It will work.

I don't know your friends, but I'm guessing they just didn't use the "right" words and did it the "right" way explaining it to you.

There is a version of the EA70 that is "straight" - the steerer clamp and the stem are at 90° with each other. When installed on the bike, it'll have an upward tilt relative to the ground (+17° on a 73° head tube angle). Most stems have an angle (84°/6° being the most common) that when installed will have a "flatter" angle (when used at -6° - 'flipped' down) for a more aggressive position, or "higher" (at 84° - 'flipped' up) for a more upright/relaxed riding position. Flipping the "straight" stem does nothing.

As for the compression plug, it is required for carbon steerers to avoid the stem clamp from crushing the steerer tube.

Never knew that the "wrong" angle of the stem could crush the steerer though.

Yeah, thanks for the reply, I didnt think Easton would make a "higher" line of stems that couldnt be used to clamp carbon.... it even has the torque requirements on the side ya know?! But yeah, compression plug is a must, just didnt have one! Thanks...... edit: and yeah, this is 6 degree stem so

I just got a set of Vitesse wheels from Boyd Cycling. I love them. Plus the customer service with Boyd is awesome.

My favorite CAAD10 color scheme ever. Classy, classy, classy. When I heard my shop had one more CAAD10 left, I was hoping for this color scheme (it was an option on that year/model). I like my white/red, but that right there is drop dead gorgeous.

Looking forward to pics with the new wheels!

Haven't posted in this thread for years. This thread is like an upgrade mania! My CAAD10 is still stock and it hasn't stopped me from racing with it. This might be the wrong thread to post this, but I hope you guys realize that you do not need to upgrade anything on the CAAD10 since that bike is already beyond the abilities of almost everyone who posts here. And the stock RS10 wheels are very good. Sorry, but upgrading to cheap wheels just to save 300g doesn't really do much. Each of your water bottles weighs two times more than that. And if you look at that $400 Boyd, it's not really much more aero either since it's deeper than the RS10 by only 6mm! If you really have the bug to upgrade the wheels, at least save up and get a real upgrade that will make a difference - you'll be looking at $1000+ deep aero wheels. It still won't matter much though because unless you have the speed, those wheels won't give you any benefit. You'd be far better off investing in a trainer or even getting a bike fit.

This is just my experience. You can continue now...

Duly noted.

lol...wow...not everyone uses the term "upgrade" the same though. Just because someone says they want an upgrade on wheels it doesn't mean they are searching for speed or some kind of phantom improvement. An upgrade for some people is just a stronger wheel. I weigh 225 and I couldn't keep RS10's or RS500' true. I broke many spokes on each. So, while my Boyd's didn't put me in the tour, it was an upgrade for me because they have never went out of true and I have never broken a spoke. Since you did bring weight into though, I dropped from 2100g to 1500. To some people upgrade just means appearance, and when they are spending their money that's as good a reason as any.

The vitesse upgrade by most is not about just aero and weight. The biggest benefit is ride quality. The RS10s don't work that well for larger riders 180lbs+.

If you're too heavy for the wheels to stay true, then of course it's an upgrade. But I think what ends up happening is a lot of people new to this sport get the wrong idea that somehow a wheel upgrade is necessary because it is going to benefit them somehow. I rarely see the rider weight as being the reason for upgrades around here and it seems more like the exception than the rule It would help others if that specific reasoning is mentioned. For me, the RS10s rarely loose their trueness, but yes, I'm only at 155 (still too fat for the sport, but getting there).

Oh, and as for upgrading for the looks, I won't touch that. As long as the person knows that's exactly what he's doing, at least he's informed. My impression is that it's not the case most of the time since members keep mentioning how much "better" ~$350 wheels are than the RS10s or similar stock wheels. I could be wrong, but at least that's the impression I get.

I bet that's not a real hay bail.

Yeah I'm kinda with excelsius here. I don't want to step on anybody's toes by knocking their weight or taste in wheels. I very much agree that everybody should be informed as to the specific reasons for buying anything not just bikes and components. If durability's your reason great! Doing it because it looks like everyone else is? I suppose if $400 is worth it to feel cool... However also got the impression upon joining this thread late last year that RS10's suck and you seriously need to look at new wheels asap. I thank those few that said otherwise. Mine are still going strong; only needed trued once after a pretty nasty spill on some freezing fog last December.

Rather, I think you could find a large number of other things that would be money much better spent.
Example: A powercal (mentioned a few posts ago) for $100. Or really if you're looking at the $400 range, how about getting the powercal ($100) + a garmin edge510 ($329 currently on strava's store) + a strava membership ($free but priceless). That's $429 VERY well spent. Really considering power training but on a tight budget? Lookup "Golden Cheetah v3" (also free).