Besides the real gains of having a new set of wheels, A nice set of tyres or wheels does normally improve the look of your bike. I have experience with all sorts of people when in comes to wheels. Some want lighter wheels to reduce the weight of the whole bike, not necessarily to go faster. Some might want wheels that make you feel the part.... maybe you cannot or you don't want to go fast but the wheels give you the feeling you need and it can be as simple as swamping a front wheel with cross pattern to one with radial pattern, does it make a difference? Who cares, if the rider feels better about his wheels then that is fine. It's a psychological advantage if you like that lots of people benefit from or are victims of (whichever way you want to look at it) Sometimes I wear clothes that make me feel like a new man and that is the same effect an upgrade has on some people. I remember that a new pair of trainers used to make me feel so much faster and yet I wasn't even competing at all
