I went into my LBS yesterday and was talking about wheels, the employees told me that wheels are wheels and as long as they are trued they are the same in performance. So why are there sets of wheels that cost as much as a few thousand and sets of wheels that cost a few hundred? is it a scam?

If they were telling you that all wheels perform exactly the same, they're wrong. The type and quality of your wheels can make a difference in weight, in ride quality, in braking performance, in aerodynamics, in load-bearing capacity, and other ways.

With that said, many of us wouldn't notice too much difference between one set of quality wheels and another. There are some that do, though, and some of those people are willing to spend a lot of money for the difference.

There are correct as in if properly trued, a cheap set will go round in circles the same as an expensive set, but you don't just buy an expensive set for that.

If you are looking to pay out a lot on wheels, you are looking for performance, normally aero, say in time trialling, where you are looking for seconds over a set distance, an expensive set can help with this (although you need a really good engine first).

Different uses will have different requirement, tourists will want strong and durable, road riders light weight and aero. Many factors involved here.

wrong.

The shop is exaggerating in the other direction.

The shop is overgeneralizing to make a point...but read "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt, and he'll express similar sentiments.

You have wheels and wheels but it depends too of the rider level. Marketing does a lot too, if one company tells you that you will get like 50 MPH faster with their set people will buy them. IMO the shop was just making a point but it depends on the wheelset too.

If you are just the casual rider that goes to work using a bike and during the weekends rides like 50 miles at 15 mph average, then pretty much any wheelset will do as long it is in good condition. If the guy is a racer, then they will get the faster, lighter and strongest wheel in the market because sure the cheappo wheels the casual rider is using wont work more than a week w/o having to repair them.

For example the big M have wheelsets for regular people that are pretty good at that level (this is when marketing kicks in), for serious racing those called "reliable wheels", wouldn't stand a chance of even been in the list of possible brands/models considered for a team. So it depends, IMO the guy at the shop was kind'a making a point. At the same time, if the rider sucks, that rider even riding a bicycle made of AIR with zero drag the guy will suck.

Wheels make a very small difference in the performance of the bike.

Under absolutely optimal conditions, including the rider in the optimal position, a consistent wind, and cranking out 300 watts (which most people don't do), a top-of-the-line $2500ish wheel would save you 15 watts over a typical wheel. That translates to a difference of 23.3mph vs 24mph, or completing a 40k TT about 2 minutes faster. In the real world, the performance advantages are probably half that.

There is a small percentage of people who do genuinely need that advantage. There's a lot more people who believe they need it, but don't. For the average cyclist, it doesn't make a difference.

for the average cyclist there isn't much difference. For someone who races there is.
Most places talk up the products they sale, not tell you that you don't need them. Not a very good business model they have at your LBS.

For my average training ride I have a difficult time telling the difference between say a Mavic ksyrium Elite wheelset and a 32H DT Swiss 465 Ultegra hub wheelset.
However, it is different in a race.

After wanting to get a copy of this book for many years and finally coming across a copy at Powell's in Portland, I took a few minutes to flip through the pages. I really don't like the 4th grade level it was written to.

I know my shop pushes 32 spoke alloys because they get sick of 200+ pound guys buying 16/20 wheels sets and complaining about them not staying true. Yeah if you're racing there is a difference. Small difference but in a race that can matter. If you're out rec riding with the local group on race wheels and your wheelset is a maintenance nightmare well thats you're own fault.

that sounds like a shop I'd be interested in going back to because he's not trying to get me to buy something I don't need. Well, need depends on what you wanted the wheels for.

Think about it. How complicated should it be?

Both.

99% of the riding public will never notice a difference beyond the tires and tubes.

Then you have the last 1% that may.

Completely false. Some brands of wheels suck (the low end ones much more than the high-end), some brands are known for being bulletproof - except certain models.

It depends on your point of view and what you are trying to sell. If by performance, they mean, the wheels roll/spin and can get you and your bicycle from point A to point B, then yes, they are all the same.

If you measure performance and set standards for different factors, like weight, aerodynamics, etc., then yeah they are different.

Scam or not, if you like the wheels and you have the means, you'll buy it and proceed to rationalize the purchase in any way that fits your value and sensibility.

...and if you don't have the means, then you may find a way to not like them and claim that you don't want them, because "wheels are wheels". Or you could genuinely not like them, but what would be the fun in that?

Worth repeating.

i felt a difference when switching from Alex "A-Class" wheels to Soul S4.0s, but i'd probably attribute that more to the hubs than the actual wheels (rims) themselves. but at the end of the day, the S4.0s just look better, and that's what's really important here, right?

or if you don't have the means, just put them on credit. It's the American way. Buy now, worry later.

W.r.o.n.g.

I am not your average cyclist. No one has ever accused me of being that good. Anyhoo, though, I can tell teh difference between heavy wheels and light wheels. It is subtle, but even I can detect it. Rotating mass, angular momentum and all that physics stuff.

Some wheels will help you save as much as 20 seconds in a 40 mile race. Is that worth $1,500?

Does it include a strava KOM?

Sounds like a good, honest bike shop.