Opinions on wheels

[Cinci Jim]

So this winter I will be swaping the wife’s Legend from Campy Record 10 to Dura-ace 7900. I’m doing this as we have 10 other bikes with Shimano on them and this is the only Campy bike, so it is a fleet compatability issue.
The Record will eventually end up on a travel bike, as it is a good group for travel – compact crank & a 13-29 cassette.
The question is wheels! I was originally thinking about White Industries H2/H3 hubs laced into Velocity Areoheads. This is what is on the Kirk Tandem and I think it is a great wheelset for the money.
But Bonktown has been having a lot of wheels recently and I picked up a couple of wheelsets. Thanks to the great return policy, one or both of them could go back.
I picked up a set of Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLRs and a set of Reynolds Attacks. Both are clinchers. Anyone have any opinions about either?
The Mavics have a bling factor to them & have aluminium braking surfaces so no swaping of pads (I realize I could overcome this with the yellow Swissstops). But they are an intigrated unit, no upgrading hubs or anything in the future. Also it is a high profile wheel, so riding in crosswinds might be an issue.
The Attacks are all carbon and I worry some about the carbon braking surface and the brake pad issue. But if I wanted the hubs can be replaced with other, nicer hubs in the future, so there is an upgrade path. They have a lesser bling factor to them in my mind. They have a lower profile to them as well.
I love the White hubs and the Areoheads in matching colors look cool on the bike.
Anyone ridden all three or care to comment?

[Bruce K]

Jim;

For brakes just use the Swiss Stop Yellows for the Attacks and you'll be fine.

They stop well and don't chew up the carbon rims.

BK

[thwart]

I have a set of the Attacks and like 'em quite a bit... They have that 'damp the chatter' carbon ride, and yet are nice and stiff when climbing. And yet the rims are shallow enough that riding in crosswinds is very do-able.

At $700 new and unused they are a downright steal. Take off the stick-on Reynolds labels and they're fairly stealthy.

Also have a set of wheels with WI H2 hubs (altho not laced to Velocity rims). Can't go wrong there either. That wheelset will be a little lighter than the Attacks, and can probably be built 1/2 a pound under the Mavics.

So, IMO:

Flats riding most of the time---Mavics
Hills and climbing a big part of your routes, and like color matching---WI/Velocity
Mixed flats and hills---Attacks

[ultraman6970]

Jim what are u going to do with the group??? You will sell it right? If you do I'm kind'a looking for a set of brifters.

THanks.

[Cinci Jim]

Jim what are u going to do with the group??? You will sell it right? If you do I'm kind'a looking for a set of brifters.

THanks.

The old group will be put on a frameset (still to be found) that will be hacked with S&S couplers first, making it into a travel bike.

Sorry, not for sale at the moment.