Wheels are the what makes a bicycle a bicycle and continue to be the most popular and most effective upgrade a rider can make. The burning questions is, what wheels should you buy? Well, that's what PRW is here for, to help you choose the wheelset for your bike.

If you are time trialing, there is still no faster option than a disc in rear and a deep section front wheel. For situations in which a disc is either undesirable (very stiff 30+mph wind conditions) or not legal (road racing), we recommend a deep section wheelset with a rim profile of 48mm - 90mm. Look for a wheelset that combines the advantages of highly tuned aerodynamics, with very light weight, and incredible strength. For road racing, take a look for a aero wheelset (29 mm - 58 mm) that also is farely light. A lightweight wheel, with a low rotational moment of inertia, makes for wheels that accelerate so fast, you'd think you are Nico Mattan.  If you plan on being off the front all day long, a deep section (48 mm- 58 mm) carbon wheelset offers improved aerodynamics and ride comfort.

The properties of carbon fiber these days allows companies to design a rim which is vertically compliant to absorb shock, but laterally and torsionally stiff so as not to flex when cornering, or climbing out of the saddle. The end result is a wheel, which actually reduces fatigue over long distances, especially helpful for shoulder and back pain resulting from riding in the drops for long periods or over questionable surfaces. We have a huge selection of race and training wheels in stock. Here is just a few of the brands we carry:

HED - Some time in 1985 Steve Hed emerged blinking from the gloom of his garage with a prototype aero wheel in his hand. Twenty-five years, hundreds of hours of wind tunnel testing and dozens of top-level professional victories later, Hed is making the fastest wheels in the world. In the past three years alone, the winners of all three Grand Tours and numerous Pro Tour wins were on Heds.

The 2011 range is made up of the fastest wheels they have produced so far. Two years in the making, they have completely reworked rim shapes, both tubular and clincher, to devastating effect. the new wider rimn profile is already being copied by other brands, even though Hed has been doing it for a couple of years. The Ardennes series of wheels is one of my personal favorites for Alberta riding and racing.

Reduced weight and improved handling across the board. The new wheels have lower drag than their predecessors and much lower drag than other manufacturers' wheels of the same rim depth. OK, so Steve doesn't build them in his garage any more, but every HED wheel is hand made by expert wheelbuilders in Shoreview, Minnesota. Although Hed wheels are constantly evolving as they gain more knowledge, the top-quality workmanship that goes into making them will never change.

CAMPAGNOLO - Campy makes more than just amazing groupos, they also have one of the biggest and best selection of wheelsets on the market today. As always Campy's attention to craftsmanship and detail is carried over to their wheel program. Come see the latest from the Italian giant.

FULCRUM - A few pedal strokes are enough for a professional racer to understand whether a wheel performs. A few pedal strokes to decide whether those wheels will lead him to victory, whether they will make the difference in those moments that count. A few pedal strokes to discover whether they are light and reactive, easy to accelerate, suited to changing of rhythms, whether they shall prove priceless when called upon during uphill attacks. A few pedal strokes to discover the effectiveness of their dynamic balancing, 2-to-1 spoking and aero spokes.   An off-shoot of Campy, these wheels possess the same Italian craftsmanship you have known to expect.

MAVIC - no stranger to wheels and racing, from Roubaix to Manchester Velodrome they do it all. All of Mavic's products go through the same process: from ideas to early prototypes, project group management, design, extensive testing in the Pro field and in the labs. Production or assembly with 100% of wheels finished by hand.