Originally Posted by cydewaze

So, a few years ago I was in the market for a wheelset. At that time, I wanted a "do everything" wheel, and the best choice in my price range ended up being Psimet's A300. These have been a great, all-around wheel, and I'm very happy with my choice.

The only drawback of the 300 was that, being light weight and non-aero, they lacked the feel that I'd gotten from some of the aero wheels I tested. The slightly heavier, more aero wheels seemed to be easier to keep rolling once they were moving, especially on the shallow rollers that make up at least 90% of my riding in this area.

Today, I was in my LBS, and he had a pair of Bontrager Auras on the wall. These are an alu rim with a carbon faring, which I like, because I can swap wheels without worrying about brake pads. They're also only around 400g heavier than my (very light) A300s, so not total boat anchors. I also like the fact that I can buy them from my LBS, and I really like my LBS.

Now, for the MSRP price of the Bontys, I'd have a lot of other (and maybe better) choices, but these puppies are on sale for $575, which is a pretty significant markdown. The actual model of the wheel on sale is the Aura Comp, which I can't find any reviews of, because they come stock on some Trek bikes. I think these wheels are unused take-offs.

The closest wheel that I can find a review for is the Aura TLR 5. The difference between the two is that the 5 has straight-pull, "stacked" spokes (apparently "stacked" has something to do with lacing) whereas the Comp has J-bend spokes. The 5 also has white decals and the Comp has more subtle, black ones. I can get the Aura 5 for another $100.

So... should I buy:
1. The Aura Comp, with the J-Bend spokes and black decals for $575,
2. The Aura 5, with the straight-pull spokes and the white decals (that I can probably remove) for $675,
3. Or something else (that needs to stay close to the $700-ish price of the above, otherwise I'll be divorced).