Strong, well-built, low cost.

Not the lightest wheels out there. May be flex for heavier riders.

This is an update at just past the 2 year mark for the Performance Fuegos (rebadged Alex A-Class 320) wheels. First off: I've finally broken a spoke on my rear wheel! That's given that I've been using these wheels for over 3000km as my commuting/training wheelset (I splurged and got an FSA race wheelset) and given that I was involved in one major crash with them at the 2003 Victoria Bastion Square criterium, nicking the rear spokes. After about 11 months of sheer abuse (riding in rainy Vancouver weather, not bothering to spin out water from the bearings, not drying the wheels out, etc.) with me weighing in around probably around 160 pounds with all my commuting gear on, a spoke on the rear wheel finally went. The rear bearings and cassette body also are starting to show their age. BUT - both wheels are still fairly true and the front wheel bearings are still smooth. Performance has been top notch given all the abuse I've given these wheels, including winter potholes and the usual road/grime of the Pacific NorthWest. Bottom line: these wheels have proved their worth. I've noticed on the web that the Alex ALX320 wheels come stock on some lesser well-known cyclocross bikes - I can attest to the burliness of the wheels! While not 100% completely bombproof, they fairly come close. I'd also like to post a retraction on my previous posting - the Performance Titans are rebadged Neuvation M28 Aero wheels (http://www.neuvationcycling.com/wheels/m28.html).

Similar Products Used:

Open pros laced to Ultegra (standard 3x), Rolf Vector Comps, MA3 laced to 105 (standard 3x), Neuvation M28 aero rims, FSA RD-400 wheels.

Fairly light (~1650 grams), strong enough, aerodynamic, cheap(!), reliable.

Difficulty mounting some tires, they can be a little slow to spin up.

I've been quite impressed by these wheels. For $250, I got a relatively light, aero, and strong set of wheels. I weigh about 155 and have ridden these wheels hard and fast over everything from smooth tarmac to chip seal and they've stayed true through the thousand miles I've put on them so far. My old bike (Giant OCR3 with 105/Ultegra) got hit by a car while I was on a warm-up ride, and although the frame was dented in two places, the wheels are still true. Power transfer seems good, and they are fast on the flats. I've had some trouble mounting tires (Vredestein Fortezza SE) but besides that, I've had no problems.

Similar Products Used:

Alex DA13, Bontrager Race Lite

Great performance for the price - Highly recommended

Could be smoother breaking surface

Great wheelset for the $$$ -- They are faster than my previous Shimano and Bontrager sets. Have not had to true them after 1 year of riding, not the smoothest of roads. I have to agree with the previous review that they will catch crosswinds -- I thought it was just me until I read that.

Similar Products Used:

Bontrager -- Shimano (cheaper Shimano, don't remember model)

PRICE! Almost unbeatable value for the money. Spin up quickly. Much faster than the Cosmos. I noticed the difference the first time I rode them--they seemed to have added 1 mph or so to my average and the effort level to get there seemed lower. Have stayed true despite some rough winter roads I've ridden them on.

Braking surface has a "lump" where the weld is. LBS tried to sand it out, but its still there. Too many stickers--I took them all off and the wheels have a stealth look now.

Purchased these after a road hazard (4-inch nail) punctured the rear rim on my OEM Mavic Cosmos wheelset. Have been very pleased with these wheels for the most part. They spin up faster than the Cosmos, and their aero properties are clear--for better and worse. Pretty fast on the flats, climb very nicely. But very sensitive in cross-winds, I've had to lean into the wind a few times to maintain tracking. I am 175lbs and I have not noticed any substantial flex in these. They climb well, and they are also very quiet. No creaking or plinging when you stand or climb. I rebuilt the Cosmos to use as winter wheelset (put some 25cc tires on, they weight about 75% more than the Michelin Pro Race on the Titans). When I swapped back to the Titans, I felt like I'd gotten a new bike--that much faster and lighter.

Similar Products Used:

Mavic Cosmos.

Low cost. Fairly lightweight. Strong.

Unknown name brand, store branding. Some flex, not recommended for heavier riders (+175 lbs). Not lightest wheels.

This is an update on the Fuego (Alex ALX320) wheels, now that I've been using the wheels for about a year, with the rear wheel being in use full time on my bike. Note that I don't have Fuegos per se, but rather the ALX320 wheels (the website for Alex wheels is http://aclass-wheels.com/). Bottom line: excellent value for the money. Same caveats as in the previous review (not for heavier riders), otherwise wheel quality is excellent. Wheels are completely user-serviceable and spokes can be replaced with standard bladed/straight gauge/butted spokes). Wheel strength is good - I've used my ALX320 rear wheel on my bike for over 1000kms of riding this winter, and there's been no problems. Braking surface is good as expected, and durable as well - the wear on the Alex rear is better than my Mavic MA3 rim up front (although that could also be due to lower rear brake strength). Wheel strength has also been good for a low-spoke count wheel. My rear has come out of true, but that was after some 800 kms of hard riding over winter and city roads, no surprise there. Not too much noticeable flex in the rear or front, but then again I'm only 135-140 lbs. Note: Some people have emailed me about the previous review I made on the Fuegos, and it's been confirmed talking with Performance store staff: the Fuego is a rebadged (read: relabelled) ALX320 wheel that is made specifically for Performance Bike. I'm also speculating that the Titan wheelset currently for sale at Performance is a remodeled ALX320 wheel - rim height for the ALX320 was originally 25mm to meet UCI code, but I think the Titans use a slightly deeper rim (27mm), hence the increased weight of the Titans.

Similar Products Used:

Open pros laced to Ultegra (standard 3x), Rolf Vector Comps, MA3 laced to 105 (standard 3x).

Light and Strong. Price. Performance warranty.

Decals--to many of them. I took them all off.

This review is for the performance Titan Road Wheels. They are a little heavier then the fuegos but stronger. These wheels are a dream to ride-smoothe and fast. Went up two big hills and down at 50 miles an hour,no problem.

Similar Products Used:

bontrager select

Inexpensive, fast solid wheel for the lighter rider. Uses standard components if you need to repair.

Performance notes a maximum weight of 175 lbs - this may indicate certain structural limitations.

These wheels are actually rebadged Alex Rims ALX320 A-class wheels, which you can view on their website at http://www.aclass-wheels.com. Compared to the Rolf Vector Comps that came stock on my Trek, the wheels are a little bit flexier, but the Comps are known to be a stiff wheel. However, I'm a lightweight rider (135lbs), so take this with a grain of salt. After 1 year of use, mostly racing, the wheels are still almost perfectly true (front and rear), and that includes abuse such as racing on tar-sealed gravel roads, gravel roads, and various pots. Cornering is steady and solid, while acceleration in crits is fast, faster than my Vector Comps and Open Pros. No problems with braking surface or hub spinning - bearings are still fine after about 1500km on them.

Similar Products Used:

Rolf Vector Comps, standard 32 spoke Open Pros

fast, stiff, somewhat light, price, Performance has great customer service.

I had two bad wheels, hub do not spin that well, even when working correctly.

I am totaly disapointed in these wheels. On my first ride something did not seem right. Then I discovered when I spun the front wheel it would only spin a 1/4 turn. I returned it for a new one. After about 150 miles the rear wheel was not spinning correctly, something was rubbing in the hub. After resetting it in the dropout it worked ok for about 3 miles, then I had to mess with it again. I was 30 miles from home and had to mess with it every 3-4 miles. Needless to say I returned them and will be buying something else.

Similar Products Used:

Shimano, Mavic

Strong enough for cyclocross (180 lb rider). Aero enough for time trials (dropped 2 minutes off my 40K versus old wheels).

Rear wheel is unbalanced out of the box, but doesn't seem to impact performance

I have raced a season on these wheels without any problems. I then put cyclocross tires on and raced a cyclocross season. After a total of 20 races, they have yet to need retruing. I think they tremendous wheels for the money.

fairly light, aero, stay true.

none so far

I had to true these wheels slightly after the first 100 miles and since then I've done 1500 miles without further adjustment. They're great.

Similar Products Used:

ritchey touring wheels (forget exact model), mavic cosmos