> As for what they're worth, I couldn't say. As for how long they should
> last, 13,000 miles is about a year for me and well below that for many
pros.
> They had better last well beyond 13,000 miles. I'm still riding wheels
that
> have more than three times that and that cost about a third what a set of
> Rolfs used to cost.
Wheel durability is a complicated equation and the ultimate "your mileage
may vary" sort of thing. We have customers with well over 20k miles on Race
X-Lites and Rolf V-Pros, and other who kill them in under 10k. Same thing
for conventional wheels. Rider weight is *not* the biggest determinant
either.
You wanna know who kills wheels most quickly? The guy (always a guy) who's
trying to hang in there in high-speed "training" rides (not always sure what
they're "training" for) who can do little more than hang on to the wheel in
front of them. Finesse goes out the window as they're constantly running
past max, and, being towards the rear of the group, potholes just seem to
mysteriously materialize underneath their wheels. The best way to make
wheels last longer (under such circumstances) is with a wider tire.
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com