How much difference does a new wheelset make?

[Seajay]

As said above. Tires and Wheels make a huge difference. Consensus among those who actually look at data seems to run along the lines of wheel aerodynamics making the biggest difference. Even at the expense of slightly higher overall weight. That said...a lightweight aero wheel with the appropriate tire inflated to the correct PSI would be ideal.
I've heard that the biggest performance advantage for the least money comes in tires/tire pressure.
Remember that anything you can do to clean up aerodynamics will allow you to be faster with the same output. Clothing, helmets, ride position (to a point), bottle cages, cable housing

[Velocivixen]

I went to Pedal Nation this weekend in Portland and spent time talking to Jude Kirstein, owner of Sugar Wheel Works, and she said that wheels can make a world of difference. My question to her was "would different wheels make a difference for someone like me who is a newby or would only elite competitors notice the difference?". She had a lot to share on the topic. She had some wheels she made out of some sort of Italian wood - just gorgeous. Not that this answers your question, but new wheels could be a good thing.

[oz rider]

Do you know what your current wheels weigh? If the wheels are standard you might be able to find the total weight of the wheelset (then add tyres); otherwise you can get tyre weights and rim/hub weights from manufacturer and retailer websites, which will give you something concrete to use in assessing potential upgrades - either factory or custom. The weight in rims and tyres is rotating weight so it's more significant than elsewhere. Unless you are putting an enormous amount of power through them, or there's some particular issue like weight, most factory wheels will be sufficiently stiff for the average rider and cheaper than custom. But I do love my custom wheels.

[limewave]

Thanks for all the input. I wish I could afford custom. But after looking at the prices, I'm going to have to find a good deal on factory wheels. Cycling on a budget is tough! Part of me is wondering about just sticking with my bike as is for another year or two and cross my fingers we can afford a new bike at that time. Another part of me thinks I ought to invest in an upgrade in the wheelset and cross my fingers that my bike holds up another 4-5 years.

[Aggie_Ama]

The only reason I went custom was I get 20% off them. They are still a bit spendy but I also had to spend a certain amount to get my full insurance payment and not wanting a carbon mountain bike meant I needed to spend about $1k more to hit it. So I understand they are not for everyone.

Depending on what you have now you can get some wheels that will be a huge upgrade without dropping a lot of money. Might want to start watching towards the summer if you can wait for the next year models to drop and then you can find great deals on this year's wheels. That is what DH did when he got some upgrades for his mountain bike.

You can always keep your wheels and sell the stock ones if you replace the bike.

[arielmoon]

Absolutely! Wheels and quality tires make a substantial difference, especially to someone that is used to riding heavier wheels.

My stock wheels were 1800 grams. I recently rode 1500g Zipp 404 carbon clinchers for fun (WOW!!! but $$$) and a set of Industry Nine i30 at 1450g. With both wheels I felt a difference especially when trying to stay on a fast paceline. Did I still get dropped by the A riders? Sure. But, I stayed on longer, recovered faster and had a blast.

Also consider lighter tubes like latex.

[jobob]

Indysteel, Sadiekate , dauchsund and I posted ad nauseum some time back about what a huge difference a new wheelset makes, and how surprisingly affordable (and downright economical) a well built set of custom wheels can be.

Look up posts by indysteel or sadiekate with the keyword "wheels". If you want to narrow your search, add either "custom" or "handbuilt" to your search. If you want to get to the crux, throw in the term "white industries hubs".