General: Wheelset recommendations?

I need new wheels. What's the best option out there for longevity (take some abuse) and a smooth ride for my road bike for under $200.

Thanks,
Ryan

you already have a cassette im assuming? if so you can get entry level mavics on ebay for like 200 or a little more. it's up to you.

DP18 - $150ish
Alien Wheelset - $169ish
IRO Wheelset (only black and silver) - $199ish
Velocity DV- $250ish

For city riding dp18s are pretty tough, if you think you are going to be the next Mat Hoffman on your bike, then maybe not.

i'm using my shimano hubs for the rear... I guess i'll just sell the rear formula hub and spoke. The front will be fine. I'll just use the weinmann dp18s with the formula hub. I do about 25 miles a day in the city so i think the weinmann's are a nice cheap ass alternative. I hear they're strong. With this I think I won't have to change wheels for years. All i do is city riding and the occasional long weekend rides of 40+ miles. I wonder how much shimano rx100 front hubs are worth. There's no point keeping it around.

Posted By: rye_shootoI just realized I can't use 105 hubs on the rear so those mavic pro's won't work out. I can only fit a 7 speed cassette on my bike. The width in the back is 128mm, unless they can space it out but i doubt a 105 is compatible with 7 speed cassettes. It won't fit my rear dimensions.

This is for the aluminum Cannondale frame you've talked about in this thread, right?

I'm not well-informed/well-Googled on 7-speed Shimano freehubs, and which quality levels are still scroungeable. Essentially, nobody's made 126mm rear hubs in 15 years, other than Phil Wood - and Phil only makes 126mm fixed and freewheel hubs, not cassette-fitting freehubs. But if you're still thinking about building up a wheel with a spiffier hub, and you're using friction shifting (or Shimano indexed shifting), then a switch to an older freewheel hub might make a lot of sense. Shimano made plenty of them, in all quality levels; so did Campagnolo, which will also work. You'll have to buy freewheels, instead of cassettes. But any 6/7-speed cassette will work, regardless of manufacturer - not something you can say about cassettes.

And because they're all old, they're often available for cheap. I run Campy on all my road gear; I recently picked up a Super Record 126mm rear hub (circa 1985) and a pair of C-Record front hubs (circa 1989) for $20 at a local bike kitchen.

Or, if you really want the gold-plated, indestructible solution, you can look for a Phil Wood hub. Sealed bearings; rugged as hell. It'll probably outlast you.

Rye,

As much as I hate to say this, with all the money you're putting into that C'dale, you could get a used bike with 8spd, maybe 9spd gearing on Craigslist.

Check out the Trek 1420 light tourer in my profile (the before picture, specifically). I paid $250 for that bike last summer, with less than 500 miles on it. It's also a far more comfortable ride than the very harsh late-80's/early-90's Cannondales.

By the time you're done putting in wheels, and any tuneup stuff you need, that $200-400 could have probably bought you a 2003-2007 bike with 8 or 9spd Shimano Tiagra if you're patient enough to browse Craigslist. If your C'dale is rideable, I'd do only what you have to do (true/tension the wheels, tune it up) and just keep an eye out.