That is some very helpful info! And good to see someone else in the area here!

I may be willing to come down in tire size for a race specific wheel (although I am definitely switching to 28s for my stock/commuting/training wheels). Most races are on closed roads, which gets me off of the shoulder and onto the less treacherous part of the road. That said, the ability of a race wheel to accommodate larger tires is a huge plus for me. It just removes a bit of anxiety for shooting down some of the descents. I hit an invisible pothole coming down Manoa Rd a couple weeks ago. I don't know how the bike stayed together, but more cushion would have been a lot better.

Are the Chris King wheels as aerodynamically sound as the HEDs? Or at least close enough not to worry about it?