Reynolds Assault

Price Paid:  $650.00 at eBay

Favorite Ride:
Anything by the coast

Bike Setup:
Specialized Tarmac SL2, SRAM Red, Zero Gravity Negitive G, Swiss stop yellow carbon king pads....

Summary:
I was actually looking to replace a set of Zipp 404's I sold about a year ago but at the price point used 404's are going for I started looking for other options.
These wheels were to take over for my Mavic Ksryium - SL's on the flats.
I had previously looked at the DV46's but didn't want to fork out that much $$$ and ran across these. My biggest concern is the weight restrictions and was a little hesitant as i weigh in around the 200lb range currently but after reading the reviews here and some other write ups/reviews on other sites and decided to take the plunge.
They spin up and seem to hold speed well even for a lower quality hub. Offer a fair amount of road dampening esp compared to the Mavics and the combinations of my frame and these wheels offers a very plesant yet fast ride.
The original black reynolds pads were very noisy once warm and drove me crazy. I went to the Swiss Stop Yellow Carbon King pads and they are significantly quieter plus i got a new set of brakes! ;) They still can squeal at times but i think it's a matter of keeping the pads in proper alignment and also clean.
Braking performance is very good for a carbon brake rim and i can haul these down as rapid as I need to with out concerns.
Cross winds do affect these but not to a large degree and it's to be expected, i wouldn't consider this a weakness just a matter of physics with a large profile rim.
I originally intended these to just be used on the flats but have been riding them on all my rides so far without hesitation as the seem to perform well in all situations.
For the price you can buy a new set of these for what a used set of Zipps go for!

Strengths:
Light, spin up easily, hold speed with less effort than others, good dampening, not overly stiff, can handle a wide range of PSI in the tires, SEXY!

Weaknesses:
Stock pads from reynolds are NOISY!

Similar Products Used:
Zipp 404, Zipp 303, Easton Tempest II, American Classic 420...

Price Paid:  $700.00 at Craig's list

Summary:
My first carbon wheelset. At one time I considered going tubular but decided it's not worth the hassle as I don't race.

A big improvement over aluminum clinchers. To me this seems like the holy grail of wheelsets as it excels at many important attributes of a wheelset at a reasonable price.

1. At 46mm deep they're nicely aero

2. They're noticeably more comfortable than aluminum as they cut out a significant amount of road buzz.

3. They're stiff even with the low spoke count. I'm 205 lbs and don't notice any rubbing of front brakes or windup in the rear wheel.

4. Weight is a very competitive 1525g- remove the ugly decals and they're down to the magic 1500g point. I can feel an improvement in acceleration and climbing vs the Neuvation wheelset which is around 1700g

5. They're strong and durable: they're rated to withstand 150 lbs of pressure and they're recommended for everyday riding/racing with no rider weight limit. Reynolds offers the option to back this up with a 3 year no-fault warranty against breakage for a couple hundred dollars.

6. The hubs seem solid and roll very smoothly

I've now put about 2000km on this wheelset and they're still very close to perfectly true- pretty impressive for a 1500g wheelset considering I'm 205 lbs. I ride them on all sorts of terrain and have hit minor potholes at high speed.

For me going with the Assaults over the Attacks was a no brainer as they're only 25g heavier for the set but considerably more aero as well as being stiffer due to the deeper rim profile. For a lightweight rider, the Attacks may be a better choice especially if doing a lot of riding in the mountains in windy conditions where the deeper rim profile could be a handful.

I rated them a 4 overall but would give them a 4.5 if that was an option as the downsides are minor compared to the many upsides.

Strengths:
aerodynamics, comfort, stiffness, weight, durability, price compared to similar carbon clinchers

Weaknesses:
braking, need to remove tires to true (but I haven't neede d to yet), minor difficulties in cross-winds especially on descents (will be worse for lighter riders), rear hub freewheeling noise

Similar Products Used:
Easton Tempest II, Neuvation

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Price Paid:  $1500.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Anything Down Wind

Bike Setup:
Calfee Dragonfly

Summary:
I bought these to replace my five year old Dura-Ace wheels. First Carbon wheels I've owned. I have a full carbon bike. The wheels are great. I tried a pair of Flashpoints before these and these are much smoother. They seem to want to just roll easier than the Flashpoints or Dura-Ace's. The ride is definitely better. Little bumps don't seem to be there. I checked my tire pressure the first few rides because I didn't think my tires were inflated....they were. I'm 200+ lbs. and so far after 200 miles they are still straight. Braking is fine. Maybe a little worse than metal rims, but I don't feel like I lack braking. Haven't bombed huge hills but at 30-35mph downhill they're fine. The brakes don't make any noise. Both Reynolds and friends who have these say they'll hold up fine over time. If that's the case.....I'm sold. I do really like them and they look great.

Strengths:
Smooth, light, great looking.

Weaknesses:
None so far.

Similar Products Used:
Dura-Ace, Flashpoint

Price Paid:  $700.00 at rbr,ww classified

Favorite Ride:
Longhill rd. d'town-zion rd

Bike Setup:
Tarmac Pro SL2, Campy Record, Easton EC90slx bar/token stem, specialized phenom saddle(143), alligator I-Link Cables (friggin awesome)

Summary:
Couldn't pass up the deal for this set. Over 20mph, the deep section seems to make a difference. they dampen the rough roads nicely. Descending with them is a particular strength. Climbing is pretty good also. They're not mushy while killing it over a slight rise. Tires set up nicely on them.
braking is slightly less powerful than non CF wheels, but not scary at all. Occasionally they squeel. Strangely, I like it! :)
These are everday wheels, are completely true at about 700 miles on them, despite a handful of nasty hits/rocks/branches.

Strengths:
Noteworthy aero advantage over 20-22 mph, and especially at 45-50mph. Light-ish weight doesn't adversely effect climbing, despite deep rim. Nice bearings. Staying true so far. They look good.
come with valve extenders, spoke wrench, pads, tire levers, warranty cards/info, etc...
an upgrade from my easton tempest 2 wheels. wonderful value for an everyday wheelset, worthy of racing, if needed. dampen the ride nicely...

Weaknesses:
freehub is loud, although this doesn't effect performance. braking pulses slightly. but does NOT hurt confidence.

Price Paid:  $1100.00 at LBS

Bike Setup:
Specialized Tarmac SL2, SRAM Red

Summary:
Initial impressions are fantastic. The hubs roll smooth, wheels were straight and true out of the box. The smoothness on rough pavement is amazing and they do seem to slice through the wind quite well. Plenty stiff at 1000W. Braking is less responsive than aluminum, but everybody knows that anyways. It's still good and modulation seems okay.

For the money, I can't think of a better everyday carbon wheel.

Strengths:
Smooth ride
Aero
Stiffness
Price

Weaknesses:
Braking?