The psychiatrist is in. And that's a good thing, because nothing is worse for your mental health than trying to figure out what wheels you need to complement your otherwise perfect bike. Changing around wheels utterly changes the character of your bike, and that's why most people we know own multiple wheelsets -- it gives one bike multiple personalities.

True equipment tycoons typically own 4 wheelsets: A beater set of handbuilts for winter training (Ultegra hubs/DT rims); carbon clinchers for go-fast training at the peak of the season (Reynolds Attack); shallow, carbon, tubular wheels for hilly races (Zipp 202); deep, carbon, tubular carbon wheels for flat races (Zipp 404 or 808). While this is certainly good for Competitive Cyclist's bottom line, as fellow bike racers we disagree with the complexity of this approach. Rather, we prescribe the following:

Step 1: Get a single set of race wheels. They should be carbon and they should be mid-to-deep depth. The hard, cold fact is this: A set of Zipp 303's or 404's (or Reynolds DV46's) is both outrageously aero AND plenty light for even the worst climbs. One set of race wheels -- it's really all you need.

Step 2: Get a badass set of handbuilts. Look at the spring classics. You hardly see fancy-pants carbon tubulars there. (And when you do, the outcome ain't pretty.) Riders who live for results in the cobbled monuments of Europe can't chance flat-spotting a carbon rim half-way through the race. And deep-section rims generally ride harsher anyways, so the upside of aerodynamics comes with an equal downside of brutal road shock. A shallow alloy rim is perfect, and they should be mated to a high end hub with butted spokes and brass nipples.

Your handbuilts will last 20,000 miles without giving you grief. You can train on them year-round, and in especially brutal races -- we're thinking of Rouge-Roubaix, Boulder-Roubaix, Tour of the Batenkill, etc, etc -- you'll count on them to deliver you mechanical-free to the finish line.

And that's exactly what we're offering here: An amazing set of handbuilts. The rims are Black DT RR1.1's. They're 20.4mm deep, the braking surface is machined, the rim joint has Strength Boost Welding Technology (SBWT) which means two small sleeves are pressed into the rim ends before the rim is welded and the seam gets CNC machined. The spokes are silver DT Competition 14/15 gauge -- butted just enough to save substantial weight without compromising durability. The nipples are brass to add additional longevity to the wheelset. They're 32 holes front and rear. And the hubs are Shimano's peerless Dura Ace 7850's. Since they're 7850's, they're compatible with any Shimano 9 or 10 speed cassette, plus any SRAM cassette.

But here's where we go bananas: This isn't just any set of handbuilts. We've gone ahead and tied and soldered the spokes. We use bee-keepers wire and lead-free solder. The wire does the work, and the solder keeps it in place. Why do we tie & solder? It hardens the wheels up in all dimensions. By tying & soldering them, it effectively increases the flange diameter of the hubs, increasing torsional stiffness. The interlaced crosses are locked together when you tie & solder them, which braces the spokes, making them laterally stiffer and more durable.

You certainly can't build a superior set of wheels for under $700 for your Shimano or SRAM-equipped bike. Hell, you probably can't do it for less than $1,200. These are man's wheels, and if you pile on the miles there a set of wheels you indisputably need in your arsenal.