Choosing the right wheel
 

I'm upgrading my wheels since my old pair are wearing down, and am kind of overwhelmed by all the choices.

H+ Son TB14, 105 hubs, 36H -- $209 (sale)
Open pro, 105 hubs, 36H -- $219 (or $209 for 32H)
Open pro, ultegra hubs, 36H -$269 (sale)
Velocity A23, 105, 32H - $199
Velocity A23, Ultegra, 32H - $249
Shimano RS21 - $170

I'm a 150 lb rider with up to 25 lbs of gear. I plan on running 25s, with option of 28s.

3 big questions
1)TB14 vs open pro vs velocity a23
2) 105 vs ultegra. It's basically 50 bucks more -- is there a noticeable difference?
3)32H vs 36H. Leaning toward 36...
Appreciate your input!

I am a lot heavier than you are, by over 100 pounds, but I just bought wheels myself, and really like them for training wheels. I have Mavic Open Pros with Ultegra 6800 hubs and DT Champion straight spokes, 36H front and rear because I didn't want to spend extra for a custom 32/36 set at this time. I did get some 25c Continental 4000s II clincher tires and Continental tubes for the ride and durability. Having said that, if I had a little bit more in my wheel budget, I would have gotten Pacenti SL23 rims, and pairing them with some White Industries T11 hubs would give you some really nice wheels that won't totally break the bank. Fairwheel Bikes has a nice review of several rims as well as several road hubs.

BTW, the guys who sold my wheels said that you could use a very rough rule of thumb of waist size = rear spoke count to determine what your wheels might need (I didn't find any 40 spoke wheels, though :D ), but there are many more variables to consider, like straight vs butted, round vs blade, aluminum vs brass nipples, how the spokes are laced, etc. Also, he told me that almost no one NEEDS as many spokes up front as they do on the back wheel, so if you have the opportunity, maybe get 28/32 or 24/28 to save a bit of weight.

I'm 205# and ride 24/28 ... I wouldn't dream of 32 or 36 count.

Hi thanks for your input. So narrowing down to 32H choices, what do you think about these two:

H + plus Son TB14 Polished Silver - Shimano 105 Hubs DT Comp [we2995 & we2996] - $250.00 Velomine.com : Worldwide Bicycle Shop, fixed gear track bike wheelsets campagnolo super record vintage bike (TB14 rims, 105 hubs, 32H double butted DT swiss competition) - $250

H + plus Son TB14 Polished Silver - Shimano 105 - DT Champion [0072774740895] - $199.00 Velomine.com : Worldwide Bicycle Shop, fixed gear track bike wheelsets campagnolo super record vintage bike (same, but DT swiss champion 2.0) - $200

are double butted spokes worth 50 bucks? for 250 I could maybe just get the A23 rims with a 32H ultegra hub...

I'd like to stick with 32 as my minimum (thats my waist size too ;)) because I do commute on this bike and sometimes carry a decent amount of gear.