Dimago123

I have an AllCity Mr. Pink which was their endurance geometry road bike with oem wheels that I’m thinking of upgrading. Max budget is $1000. Should I buy a cheaper carbon set of wheels or have my lbs build a custom set of wheels on aluminum rims? I’m nearly 200lbs and my average cruising speed is 17-22mph and I ride pavement only

datlas 

Either is reasonable.

The carbon fiber ones are way more bling, but I am a substance over style kinda guy so would get a good pair of hand-built aluminum.

GhostRider62

I would go with strength. Carbon. Sapim spokes. Something like a pair of Yoeleo or one of the others like it. $1000 will do it.

Symox

I would check out Pro Wheel Builder and get something with at least 32 butted spokes in a 3 cross pattern and hubs with cartridge bearings.

TiHabanero

Although I only use aluminum rims I am amazed at the durability of carbon rims. Only seen one of them crack at a spoke hole and that was after 3 years of use. I recommend DT Swiss 240 hubs for absolute best durability, cheap Chinese carbon rims, and either DT Swiss DB spokes (my preference) or Sapim DB spokes. Only use brass nipples to avoid corrosion with carbon rims.

mstateglfr 

What do you want out of the new wheels?...lighter than stock?...more aero than stock?...wider than stock?

Dimago123

ideally a stiff set of wheels that roll well. As I’m relatively heavy for a cyclist I don’t know if when weight matters much. I would be rolling 25-28mm rubber

biker128pedal

Go aero. It’ll look cool and roll fast.

Edit: after looking yes carbon aero wheels. I need a frame like that for my spare parts build with Aeroles 5 wheels but with rack mounts.

https://allcitycycles.com/bikes/mr_pink_classic

tempocyclist

I'm a full-tilt aero deep section carbon kind of guy, but on that bike a set of hand built alloy wheels would be great.

mstateglfr 

Maybe call prowheelbuilder.com and ask them to recommend something within your budget. Personally, I would just get a handbuilt alloy wheelset from them for under $500- either their house build or something with a 23mm rim(like H+son Archetype) and some bitex hubs laced with butted spokes. 28 front 32 rear is plenty.
disclosure- that last detailed build is what I have on my main road bike which is steel with zona tubing that has eerily similar geometry to the mr pink.

A handbuilt set of wheels with proper tension and good hubs will roll well, like you want. And being nearly 200# isnt heavy. I wouldnt think twice to read that over half of adult cyclists are more than that.
prowheelbuilder could give you an option for carbon wheels too as they have a carbon house rim that would be right at your max budget.

msu2001la

If this is a rim brake bike (pretty sure it is?) I would definitely be looking at alloy wheels. Carbon wheels are awesome, but braking on carbon rims is not. Unless you are dead set on carbon and willing to accept the trade off here, alloy is likely a better choice.

For a $1000 budget, you can get some really nice alloy wheels. Sapim CX ray spokes and fancy hubs from Chris King or White Industries are possible in this price range. A custom build like this will be light and fast, and these boutique hubs are really solid and typically get faster with age. Probably the last set of hubs you'll ever need to buy.

There are many options out there for a build like this, but I have had great experiences with Psimet (who is also a longtime poster on this board, builds a ton of wheels, and runs a great local shop and race teams in the Chicago area, and is just generally a nice guy):
​​​​​​https://www.psimet.com/shop/road-whe...ess-rim-brake/

Give them a call and they can talk through the pros/cons and help steer you in the right direction.

SoSmellyAir

Even on the latest (2020/2021) carbon wheels with carbon specific rim brake pads/shoes in perfectly dry weather?

Russ Roth

Carbon for me is also too much of a tradeoff with rim brakes. Want a little more aero go with a velocity aileron rim with white industry hubs, I've got two sets of them in the family and you won't go wrong with the build. Better is those rims with king but that is tight to your budget. Prettier is the ailerons in a color to match the bike or hubs and with WI you'll probably still be just in budget.

SoSmellyAir

But Velocity Ailerons (Velocity Wheels - Hand Made in USA (velocityusa.com)) are disc brake only?

Sy Reene

+1 on the Prowheelbuilder option, or another off-the-shelf option:
https://us.huntbikewheels.com/collec...wide#techspecs

BritishV8

I ride a sortof simliar bike to the OP... a Soma Smoothie. (Shorter wheelbase... but still steel.) I'm lighter (at ~170 pounds) and not particularly powerful, but I'm fairly hard on wheels anyhow. I ride in all weather and all times of day/night, I hit a LOT of potholes, and I occasionally ride on gravel. Not to brag, but in 2020 I rode 5400 miles, averaging 22.7 miles and 1400ft of elevation gain per ride. Those averages are brought down a bit by shorter/flatter/slower rides that I enjoy with my wife approximately weekly. Except for those "recovery rides", I always ride alone. Since I'm never trying to keep up on a group ride, watt saving aerodynamics don't mean a lot to me. I do try to set lots of PRs on Strava and I do pretty okay on the leaderboards... but I care more about climbing that headwinds. I think it's weird how little tires have been discussed on this thread... tires and wheels must be discussed together. I've tried road-tubeless and it's not for me! (I like high inflation pressure, for one thing. I don't like getting sprayed with sealant, or trying to remount a sticky mess at roadside after repairing a puncture that didn't repair itself...) I'm presently running 28mm Continental GT All-Season tires... though in the past I've enjoyed running sportier tires in the summer. So...

When I was shopping for replacement wheels, I chose Campagnolo Zondas. I think they compare well with other wheels mentioned in this thread. Certainly the company is reputable. They have great hubs. They're relatively lightweight and robust for alloy wheels. I think they're cool looking. And they're a bargain! Less than half the budget mentioned above... so you could buy two sets and swap between "dry" and "rain" set-ups or whatever.