I was afraid about the wind, too (I live in the Chicago area), but they feel better than the stock wheels and the Aksiums I had on my older bike. With Aksiums, I felt the wind on the spokes, it was sharp and sudden. The feeling with the Zipps is very different and easier to handle than the Aksiums. And (this might be a bad thing for you to know) the Zipps are used in cyclocross, too.... I got them for under $1k. A splurge, for sure, but when I get out of bed at 5AM for a morning ride during a weekday, I don't regret it a single bit. They are fun to ride and they look great (blingy, but not too much). *Love*.