Evaluating Wheels: flex, etc?

[Starfish]

I'm not in the market now...kind of just interested in learning about the whole scope...

But, right now I just ride for fun, so far anywhere up to a century. I really enjoy climbing, though not great at it. Dream of doing a 1-day STP (Seattle to Portland), and aiming toward hilly rides up to 150 miles. Right now mostly riding 20-60 mile rides with about 2-4K elev gain. My bike is hilarious. We are both overweight, so counting grams is silly. I have mountain gears on the back and aero bars on the front! It is comfortable and has been durable. I'm not muscularly strong, but I like riding long, and hope to get faster at it so I can do longer, mountainous rides within time cutoffs. I know the number one performance upgrade I can make is losing 15 pounds. If I ever even thought about racing in a local thing someday, I'm most interested in time trials.

Just kind of interested to learn more about wheels.

[Veronica]

I ride what a lot of people consider to be a stiff wheel - Mavic Ksyriums. I had been riding the other wheels for about two years and wanted something a bit lighter and more aerodynamic. My husband loves to do research, so he went looking for what he thought would best fit my stated desires.

I describe the difference in feeling as, I could feel the road better and I felt like I was more stuck to it, like I had better traction. I use either 23 or 27mm tires. With the 23s there is a definite increase in speed, none really with the 27s. But I like the feel of the wheels so that's okay. I also feel the bumps a bit more - but on a steel bike with a Brooks saddle, it's not really an issue for me. The only time I've felt like it was an issue was on a bumpy climb (Morgan Territory) when I was wearing a one piece top with a shelf bra. But I also want ZERO boob movement when I ride.

V.

[maillotpois]

I have to second the Ksyriums. They're fast downhill!! I can outrun heavier riders who use different wheels. And they're rugged (so far). I've never needed to have them trued, and I've hit some major bumps/holes (especially this year!).

[bikerz]

I have the same wheels as V amd MP and I really like them - they made the single biggest difference in my appreciation and enjoyment of my riding, and my sense of stability. I had a lot of trouble with what felt like flex in the stock wheels that came with my bike, and I broke a spoke on them after relatively few miles. They olf wheels felt squishy to me when I would stand on a short climb. These Ksyriums (Ksyria?) feel very solid and strong.

[Starfish]

Thank you. I'm finding this really interesting. I have been riding a couple years and definitely still feel like a novice. It is fascinating to me that you can really pinpoint the difference the wheels make, vs the tires, etc. I sure do appreciate everyone's willingness on these boards to be so helpful. I'm new on the boards, and really enjoying it. Thanks to all!