I'm looking for a nice new wheelset for my bike.
 

Hello everyone, i'm pretty new to road cycling but i've been learning quite a bit and riding a lot. I'm looking for a nice wheelset that will bring my bikes weight down a little bit (2009 Specialized Allez). Also something aero would be great. I'm not looking to spend over a thousand dollars or anything, but I want a quality wheelset that will last me a long time. Any help is appreciated.

What Allez do you have? The Triple, Sport, Comp, etc.

Unless one of the higher end ones, I'd say save it to go towards your new bike in a year or two.

If one of the higher end ones, I gotta say the Mavic Ksyrium series covers a lot of prices very nicely.

My wife got a great set of wheels custom made by a local bikeshop for about $700, with White Industries hubs. He even alternated spoke color by her request. There may be a shop in your area that builds wheels as well.

But, you might it get the benefit you're expecting. There is a point where for a normal cyclist there is diminishing return. Myself, I just replaced my tires with foldables. Lighter tires and on the outer edge of the wheel where lighter makes the most difference. Still not sure I really notice it. But cheaper.

Mavic Ksyrium SL

Good solid light wheel

A good hand built is also a good choice

With your budget you can get some nice wheels:thumb:

It's these: http://www.boydcycling.com/vitesse-alloy-clincher/

After making the mistake of buying Zipps, Ksyriums, etc, you'll pretty much always end up with something like these in the long run: http://williamscycling.com/sys30.html

Not that the others aren't great wheelsets, they're just impractical for 99% of riders. The difference in money is better spent elsewhere. But at the end of the day, you have to buy what puts a smile on your face.

boyd, williams, reynolds, and soul are the top 4 wheels that come up everytime someone ask's this question. I think you can do very well on ebay so long as you dont mind slightly used gear, you just have to spend a few more bucks afterwards and have your lbs retension and true whatever you buy.

Neuvations anyone? Hard to beat for the price, still loving om M28s.

Boyd, Williams, Soul or go custom with Psimet.

OP, what do you hope to get out of new wheels? If it's just weight, save your money and get a pair of Vuelta Corsa Superlights. Best weight/$$$ value out there. $350, 1465g. Don't be fooled into thinking that expensive wheels are going to make you faster. Especially as a new rider you probably won't notice a difference at all. You probably wouldn't even notice the difference in weight if you go with the Vueltas. There are a whole bunch of great wheels in the $200-500 range that look good and will last a long time (Forte Titan, Soul, Neuvation, PSIMET, Mavic, Easton...). I just have a feeling you will have MASSIVE buyers remorse for spending $1000 on wheels.

Vuelta does make a good wheel. If you are thinking more like $500-$600, definitely contact Psimet/go custom.

Being a newbie myself, I'm also looking at my 1st major upgrade with a nice wheelset. Could you (or anyone) go into more detail as to why buying the higher end wheels was a mistake and why they are impractical for the majority of us?

Because you will literally be throwing your money away. For about $200-400 you can get a really nice, light weight, durable and good looking wheel. The question I have for you is, what do you THINK an expensive set of wheels is going to do for you? I would bet that if you bought a set of $150 Forte Titans and a $1000 set of Zipps that you wouldn't notice a difference. Experienced riders might be able to tell the subtle differences, but a new rider most likely would not.

Titans are solid, but sadly, Performance has discontinued them. Hard to believe, but confirmed at store and 800 number level.

Rol comes up quite a bit too.

WTH? I wonder why they discontinued them. They were the best deal in the whole store. I still keep my original pair in the garage as backups.

I have a set of Soul S4 and they are decent wheels for the money. This past winter, I bought a set of Easton EA50 AERO wheels with the red hubs and I have been very impressed with them so far (for the money anyway). I think they have them on the Performance website. I paid in the $375 range for my set if memory serves me correctly.

At this point, don't bother wasting your money on just lighter wheels. Ride more and figure out what you want from your wheels. Once you know that, you won't need to come here to ask what wheels to buy.

Wheels can truly change your bike, so unless you know what you want: lightweight, aero, tubular, tubeless, low spoke count, high spoke count, carbon, aluminum..., it's kind of a crap shoot. Anything you buy will be better than what you have, but it may not be the best option.

My GF has a Cannondale Synapse and we took off her factory wheels and put on a pair of psimet's I had. She won't give them back. She didn't think it would make a difference, but she loves them. She said they made her bike ride smoother and she is definitely faster than she was.

Some of that has to be the wheels/tires because she isn't riding any more than she ever has (meaning she rides rarely). There isn't a placebo effect because she has no clue what those wheels cost or who psimet is--and doesn't care. They were the wheels I took off my bike to put on 50mm Boyd wheels.

I think wheels make a big difference. Whether that difference is a positive or negative depends on the wheel. So even for a beginner rider, I think you will notice a difference in good wheels. I've only been riding for about 3 years and have two bikes and three sets of wheels. I can tell a difference in all 3 sets. Factory Giant Defy wheels, aluminum Psimets, and the carbon Boyds. They all ride totally different. Unfortunately, wheels cost so much you can't just buy everything and test. You end up taking a leap of faith. If you don't like something, you can sell it but you are going to lose some money doing it.

If you can get psimet to return you email--I would definitely see what he can do for you. If you can't, Boyd Wheels are also very nice. I have Boyd wheels because I gave up after about a year of trying to buy a second set from psimet. Don't get me wrong, I like the Boyds (I like them more after every ride), but I really like the psimets (and they are heavier than the Boyds).

I'd also like to try some zipps, but that price makes my wallet cry.