Road racing wheelset? Which one? Can you decide for me?

Question

Now I need a new pair of wheels that is for sure as you guys have said on previous questions. So, which one should I get between these three and keep in mind which ever one you would get I would too because I am just not sure. I am puzzled and need some picking experience from others. Now I don't anything crazily expensive, just which one is the best bang for the buck!

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/16288-365_MADF67-3-Parts-75-Wheelsets/Maddux-Aero-Racing-F60-Road-Wheelset.htm

OR

http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=587 Now those come with tires and tubes already so that is a huge plus. BUT the tires could be c**p and cause plenty of flats. So i need what you think on that one too.

OR

http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=550 Now are those shimano compatible, it doesn't say. I need that or else these are out then.

Answer 1

If your goal is to get the best set of new wheels you can for around $200 then check out Neuvation.  Their M28 Aero3 set is on sale for just over $200.

John Neugent, the owner, used to be CEO of the company that is now SRAM and he runs this company himself, from his home.  I know several people who use these for training wheels and they've had good experiences.  A few have experienced broken spokes or even cracked rims but they've always been replaced at no charge.

The Neuvations have Shimano compatible freehubs.

Sometimes Nashbar or Performance (same company) will have blowout prices on lower end Shimano brand wheels, as well as their house brand wheels, so check their sites for bargains too.  Always check for online discount codes before you order from either of them.

If this question is truly limited to the 3 that you have linked, of those I would chose the first Vueltas (Shimano) because I've seen that brand before.  With the tires (ad doesn't say what model) that's a hot price and Bike Island has a good reputation.  The Campys are not Shimano compatible.  Never heard of Maddux, and I've been around cycling for a long time -- but new Taiwan labels pop up pretty often.

When your budget improves I recommend that you buy better/lighter wheels.  Quality wheels are the best bang for the buck in bicycle upgrades.  Think of the physics: they are rotating mass -- and that's without getting into dependability.  But you can always keep your cheaper ones for training.

Good luck, and safe riding

Ben

Answer 2

The third set have a Campagnolo compatible freehub, so they're out of the question for you.

I've never heard of the other brands. Get a cheap Mavic Wheelset. The 'Aksium' wheelset is good:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/c...

Answer 3

I agree with Ben. Neuvations are an awesome buy for the money. The Mavic Aksiums are good too. I ride on Neuvation M28 Aero3s on my '07 Felt F85. I used to have a set of Aero 2s (which I transplanted from an older bike I had) and I had the infamous hub/spoke  breakage issues. My wheels were well past warranty and John Neugent (the owner) had a new wheelset sent to me within a few days. How's that for customer service? If you email him, he will respond within an hour or two. The longest I've waited was 3 1/2 hours. He really stands behind his product and his customer service is second to none. My Aero3s have a different hub design and I haven't suffered any problems with them. Oddly enough, my '05 Felt F55 has a set of Neuvation M28 Aero2s and I've never had a problem with them. That bike has almost 15,000 miles on it Maybe a bad batchon the others? Doesn't matter because John will take care of you either way.  Performance Bike sells a Mavic Open Pro wheelset for around $200 with Ultegra hubs. Stop by a store or check them out online. I'm in the Clydesdale category and those wheels are know to be decent enough performance wise, and durable enough for even the biggest riders from what I've been told.