newbie question: Which wheels for steel road bike?

Actually, I'm an oldie that hasn't kept up with new road bike technology over the past few years.

I want to buy a new pair of clincher wheels with a 13-26 8 speed cassette. I am considering a traditional 32-spoke set (i.e., with Mavic Open Pro rims), or one of the new (to me) low-spoke aero-wheelsets.

I'm interested in getting wheel recommendations from those riding similar frames as mine.

I have a circa-1990 52cm Columbus SL (cro-moly steel frame, brazed with lugs) Marinoni road racer with Shimano Ultegra 7-speed components and 36-hole Ambrosia Durex Elite rims. The wheels are getting a little worn and my 40-year old knees can't get up hills with my 13-21 cassette.

I don't race, ride pretty smoothly, weigh 165 lbs and have access to mostly smooth roads, with lots of hills. On flats, I can maintain about 35 kph.

Any help would be appreciated

 

My experience - the hardcore aero wheels are very efficient, very fast, and look really cool. They also have a bone jarring ride, extremely stiff.

I've been riding Rolf Vector Pro wheels, about as aero as wheels get, with a deep dish rim, 14/16 spoke count, and radial lacing. After about an hour and a half on the road, my hands start going numb, and don't recover until I've stopped for a while. And that's with good cycling gloves. The Ksyriums I tried out last spring didn't ride much, if any, better.

This was on a carbon beam frame (Trek Y-Foil) that is known for it's smooth ride. A steel frame might improve on this, but not much.

I'd suggest that if possible, you borrow some aero wheels and ride them not around the block, but for 2-3 hours. Unless you like to sprint a lot, you'll probably want to stay with the traditional, cross laced wheels, and their much smoother ride. Getting numb hands halfway through a long ride is Not Fun.

I ended up getting a set of intermediate aero wheels (Campy Zonda), and the ride is much better. Went for a 3 hour ride last weekend, and hands were in good shape at the end. My legs were shot, but that's another story entirely...

 

if you want a comfortable ride, go with the 32 hole open pro rims laced 3x to some hubs of your choice...ultega, dura ace,or chris king.

 

Ditto on the Rolf Vector Pros. I've had a pair for three or so years. The wind resistance is minimal, so they're great for shorter, speed-oriented rides, like 1 to 1 1/2 hours max, which is all I have time for in the evenings. I have a titanium frame, so it's a pretty stiff combo overall. Pairing them with a steel frame might be a better move. They're built like a tank--I used to spend a lot of time truing my wheels. Now I never even have to think about my rims.

You're pretty light, so they'll feel even stiffer for you. If you're going out for leisurely rides, you probably shouldn't bother. If you want to cut through the wind like a knife and don't plan on taking them out for 50-mile rides on a regular basis, then they're worth a try. My bike shop told me that Rolf is about to launch an entirely new line of wheels.

 

I just got a steel fuji marseille and i put Mavic K Elites w/conti 4 season tires and its very nice.

 

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I think I'll go the comfort route with 32-spoke open pro rims - this also is the cheaper than the aero-wheelsets I've seen.

I'll put the money I save towards a my next bike