Lanterne rouge,
I think Paul makes some good points. What are you getting when you spend all that money for Ksyriums?
I also have to agree with Dan, aka Slowman, about Campy hubs and Open Pro rims. I have 3 sets of these wheels. Two sets are with Chorus hubs, 32 spoke Open Pro rims and 14 gauge straight spokes. These are “bombproof” everyday training/touring wheels. I keep a 11-23 cassette on one and a 13-26 cassette on the other. The third set is built with Chorus hubs, 32 spoke Open Pro rims and 14-17 gauge double butted spokes. These are my climbing wheels. I usually have a 13-29 cassette on these. I use them for rides like the Assault on Mt Mitchell.
BTW, did you realize that with the cash you would spend on Ksyriums, you could have 2 sets of Chorus/Open Pro wheels? At least as durable and far easier to service if service is ever needed.
My first “race” wheels were a pair of Rolf Vector Pro wheels. I wasn’t as knowledgeable then, as now, about fast wheels. I also have a set of Hed 3’s that cost $1,800.00. The cost of the Rolfs plus the cost of the Heds. And a Renn disc is on the way. A version of the 575 with a Campy hub is supposed to be ready to ship April 1st.
Depending on what kind of racing you are going to do may be an influencing consideration in your decision making. In road races and crits, drafting and tactics are far more of an issue than “aero” wheels. Conserving your strength/power and staying with the front group for the critical moment/break is more the issue. Secondly, its far more likely that you will get tangled up with some one and damage a wheel in pack riding. Then you could be without the Ksyrium, while it is sent back to Mavic for service. My riding buddy was without his Ksyrium wheel for the entire summer while it was being “serviced.”
If you are considering time trial events, then the Hed 3’s certainly deserve serious consideration. Granted, they cost a little more, $300.00 more, but if you get serious about time trialing, you will want a pair, (they will also come in handy in a lot of tri events) and then they will have cost $1,700.00. The cost of the Ksyriums plus the cost of the Heds.
My advice would be to buy the Chorus/Open Pro wheels now and save your money for the right wheels for your needs after you decide what kind of racing you really enjoy and wish to commit to. Then buy the best wheel for that purpose without cutting corners, realizing that you will enjoy them for many years and that they will make a difference for you that you can measure with results.
Lastly, remember the biggest issue is the “engine” not the equipment. A poor engine with the best equipment will still finish a poor second to a good engine with average equipment. The rider makes much more of a difference than the equipment does until you reach the highest level of cycling.