Wheel Upgrade - recommendations?

[jyyanks]

I agree with indysteel. I'm having a set of custom wheels built and I had no clue what I was looking for. I contacted a person highly recommended by another forums and gave him my weight, riding style, budget and what I was looking for and he recommended a build. I wasn't sure at first if what he gave me was ok so I did a lot of research online, asked a bunch of cycling friends for opinions and made some tweaks. Now, I'm getting custom wheels built for less than what it would have cost for me to buy comparable off the shelf ones. Good Luck!

[pll]

I think the problem with custom builds and wheel descriptions is that they are very subjective. In one bike shop, where I bought my bike and was asking about wheelsets, I was told the Mavic Ksyriums SL and the Zipp 101 would be stiffer rides than what I had (DT Swiss R1700, stock with my bike). As it turns out, the Zipps feel plush to me.

Another issue that catches my attention in wheel discussions is that it seems the only case I know off (in an industrial economy) in which custom is cheaper than off the rack.

[indysteel]

I think the problem with custom builds and wheel descriptions is that they are very subjective. In one bike shop, where I bought my bike and was asking about wheelsets, I was told the Mavic Ksyriums SL and the Zipp 101 would be stiffer rides than what I had (DT Swiss R1700, stock with my bike). As it turns out, the Zipps feel plush to me.

That problem applies to factory built and handbuilt wheels, as your own example suggests. Regardless of what route you go, it pays to read a lot of reviews (yes, you can find reviews on handbuilt wheel builds and the individual components) and get more than just one person's subjective opinion. Remember, too, that wheels can feel different based on what tires you run and at what psi.

I can't speak to the economics of custom versus factory wheels. Perhaps Wahine can weigh in with her SO's perspective. Obviously, you can get very expensive custom wheels that cost as much as or more than a comparable factory set. But for those among us looking for a solid pair of all-purpose wheels, handbuilts can be a very economical choice. At the time I had my wheels built in 2007, a comparable set of wheels at the same weight would have run me more and likely would have been overbuilt for my weight.