I am looking to upgrade the size 700 wheels that came on my Quintana Roo Kilo bike, which is a introductory triathlon bike. I would say I’m an beginner/intermediary triathlete and ride on flat surfaces down here in South Florida. I was looking to spend around $750 and am curious what are some good values in that price range. I was considering either used Zipp 404 or used Hed 3s, but am having a tough time finding such wheels at those prices. I would obviously consider new wheels but I’m not sure what I can get in that range. Does anyone have recommendations?
You want a disc on the back for maximum performance. For $59.95 you can get CH Aero covers that are wind tunnel tested to be as good as anything else. That still leaves you almost $700. for a front wheel.
$799 for those Spinergy wheels is a tough deal to beat.
Or use Ken’s method. Heating iron, $15, Monokote $11, glue $3 and time. Then you have an extra $40 for a front wheel 
But the Spinergy’s are clinchers, so they aren’t race wheels…
Ebay 404 on the front (be patient; they come along now and then). Either a CH cover or a do-it-yourself cover on the back.
In order of priority, a deep-dish front will save you the most time; the disc/cover in the back will save a little bit more.
Keep in mind that, in the best of scenarios, this is a minute in an Oly race, and maybe 5-7 minutes in an Ironman. So don’t get too worked up over not having “race wheels”.
You can save even more time by taking yoga classes and learning to ride with a low front end.
"Keep in mind that, in the best of scenarios, this is a minute in an Oly race, and maybe 5-7 minutes in an Ironman. So don’t get too worked up over not having “race wheels”. "
This is not a true statement according to John Cobb. A set of 404s or equivalent race wheels will cut approximately 4 min off a 40K time trial compared to a set of non-aero wheels and you’ll also have more energy for the run. A disc wheel will cut another 1min for a total savings of 5 min. The easiest way to improve your bike split is to invest in a good set of aero race wheels like Zipp 404s, Reynolds Stratus, and/or a disc. Notice I said “easiest” not “best”.
"But the Spinergy’s are clinchers, so they aren’t race wheels… "
not true, I use them for TT on some courses, they rock!
"Keep in mind that, in the best of scenarios, this is a minute in an Oly race, and maybe 5-7 minutes in an Ironman. So don’t get too worked up over not having “race wheels”. "
This is not a true statement according to John Cobb. A set of 404s or equivalent race wheels will cut approximately 4 min off a 40K time trial compared to a set of non-aero wheels and you’ll also have more energy for the run. A disc wheel will cut another 1min for a total savings of 5 min. The easiest way to improve your bike split is to invest in a good set of aero race wheels like Zipp 404s, Reynolds Stratus, and/or a disc. Notice I said “easiest” not “best”.
I’ve seen this before - they are comparing a high-level, high-cost race wheel to your standard road 32/36 spoke wheel on most road bikes, not the 16/20 bladed spoke semi-aero rim wheel that comes with most every triathlon bike. I’d like to see the same study done comparing a 404 to a Bontrager Select or an Alex ALX320, but they don’t do those comparisons.