MartianDestiny did a good job summing it up. I went the custom route because, for the money, I got a much lighter wheel, built specifically for someone my size, than I could have gotten off the shelf. I went with a build suggested by SadieKate and Jobob and have been very, very happy with them. Velocity Aerohead rims, Sapim spokes, and White Industries hubs. I love, love, love the hubs. Beyond having to true them once after they were broken in, they'be been completley maintenance free. I, personally, also liked working with the wheel builder. The whole experience felt like a "guilty pleasure," but in the end I got a great product for the fraction of what I might have otherwise paid for wheels of a similar weight.