The Ascents are very nice. The hub is very good and the twin-thread spoke design seems like a cool innovation.

Neither wheel is aero, but the Ascent is certainly race quality.

I have no experience with Spinergy, so can't comment. But I know the Ascents are top shelf...

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

okay, i should have clarified. they are going on a road bike, not tri bike.

is aero still important?

Aero is still faster. Faster for breakaways, faster for sprints, faster for sitting in the peloton. But, it is less important than in TT'ing. If we are talking about you wanting the best wheels to win road races, then yes, aero is still very important. If we are talking about wheels that are good enough for general road competition, then you'll be fine with the Ascents.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Which one matches your bike?

I'd expand your search to similar wheels in terms of weight and "semi-aero" profiles..

check the American Classics 350 and maybe the Neuvation R28?

Both come in at a similar or better price point, especially the Neuvations. I haven't ridden them, so I can't comment specifically, but the reviews I've read have been quite positive.

The AC350 is not a comparable quality wheelset. The Ascent is a premium set. The 350 is average, at best.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

In terms of weight and aerodynamics, it's not such a terrible comparison. The 420, then.

All I'm suggesting is that the two wheels he's comparing at the start aren't pure substitutes either.

I have had some experience with both wheels. My wife's bike had the Velomax Ascent II when she purchased it a couple of years ago. A few months ago we discovered a problem with the twin thread setup when the spoke broke off right at the rear hub. The problem was that we couldnt remove the spoke. We returned the wheels to Easton/Velomax and after waiting over a month they said the hub was not salvagable and their best offer was to give us a factory second wheel at $70 off of retail. The LBS said that their customer service was extremely unhelpful. I am aware that the wheels were out of warranty, but I know we were not the only people to experience this problem of spokes breaking in the hub. It disappoints me that Easton/Velomax would not try to support their customers better other than offering a crappy deal on a wheel they couldnt sell in a store. They will not be getting any of my business in future. Our cycling team has spinergy as a sponsor and I have done some training on the Xero wheels. They have the benefit of really smoothing out the ride due to the PBO spokes, but I think the PBO spokes are an aerodynamic nightmare and I wouldnt choose to race on them. For flattish courses and crits I use the Spinergy Tilium SS with the steel spokes and Rolf Elan aero wheels for climbing courses. I think for racing/training I would look at something like the Reynolds Alta wheels or the cheaper Rolf wheels.