by 11.4 on Sat Nov 26, 2016 3:18 pm
People keep recommending old 1980s rims like the Mavic 280s and 330s. Honestly, they weren't good rims back then and aren't now. Back then there was a crazy weight focus -- people even drilled out the tire bed of rims and tore off base tapes, but then still had to deal with 28, 32, and 36 spoke wheels.
Today, whether you're light or not, there are a few good alloy rims that are great for training. The HED Belgiums are probably the best, as far as I'm concerned. Pacenti, DT, H+Son and a few others also come to mind but not with quite the same durability and quality. These can be raced quite nicely and lots of people have won on them. If you're training, you can opt for $3000 carbon wheels but if you don't want to go that route, I don't think anyone is making life easier by going to Crono 20s or GEL280s. A railroad crossing or pothole will ding those regardless of your weight. It's a training wheel. If you are actually only riding for enjoyment and not to race, I'd still say that you don't need better than a HED Belgium, or if you do, what you really want is carbon. But remember that deep-section rims only pay aero dividends at high speeds. If you aren't riding 25 mph or faster, those deep carbon rims are just for show. At least buy a Hyperon or something in that vein to get durability in a lower weight, and go with tubular. (Yes, now I went and said it.) You get a durable and light wheel that way and can use a lighter tire with fewer problems to maximize the benefit.
I just hate to see riders on team rides who pulled out the light alloy rims from thirty years ago and are on the side of the road with a cell phone because they ran over a one-inch branch and killed a rim. That's not really what we're about, is it?