OK, so this is not to trash on low spoke count wheels, as some are perfectly strong and a fine choice if you dont have access to a builder.

That said, Im watching the Oscars and playing with some numbers on the lappie. Hmmm, what sort of wheels would I build up that would be quite fancy, but not stupid, unnecessary fancy, and what would the cost and weight be compared with common prebuilts.

I chose Velocity Aeroheads as theyre very popular, strong, and fairly light, though not the lightest. 32h rear, 28H front, nothing crazy there. Sapim Laser spokes, which is a bit on the light side, but one can always do fatter on the drive side. Brass nipples, as lets be conservative. Finally we build them on very normal and very nice Campagnolo Centaur hubs.

Heres the final numbers. Add $100 or so for labor if you dont do it yourself. Quite remarkable. One could easily go for a lighter rim and just blow the lightest out of the water, but with the spec, you have everyday strong wheels for a fraction of the price.