When I break stuff, I always use it as an opportunity to upgrade...if I can afford it! For the last three years I've been using Bontrager XXX Carbon Tubular...a great wheel...but they make sweet aluminium wheels too.

I know there are different sizes of wheels... but i am not sure what i have to follow when buying a new one. My old twheel says .. 292 mm 6061-T6 622-16 and it is a Xero Lite XSR-3

I have no idea what these numbers mean? Any help?

Wheels are one of the best bike upgrades you can undergo...you just need to determine your BUDGET. You can spend $200 to $5000+ on wheels for your bike. The good news is that it is an investment because if you get a new bike in the future you can keep the wheels (at least that's what I tell my wife). The bad news here is that you have less than a week to make a decision. You can find some great deals on the Internet if you have an idea of what you want. Good luck!

1. Campy hubs would require a Campy cassette and derailleur. Shimano require Shimano components (or SRAM, which is generally Shimano-compatible). Check your rear derailleur, 99% of the time you will have Shimano.

2. Clinchers are the tires that have a separate inner tube and the pressure of the tube coupled with the rim and tire shapes cause the tire to "clinch" the inside of the rim. Tubulars have the tube built in and need to be glued to the wheel. If you don't know what you have, 100% of the time you have clinchers.

Alps strike me as more "racing only" type wheels -- they are lightweight, but will be more susceptible to damage than a typical training wheel.

I guess I'd view any of those higher end aero wheelsets (Zipp, Hed, etc.), with the possible exception of the Hed 3, as racing only. My thought is this -- they may or may not be as strong as a solid affordable training wheel, but they are a LOT more expensive. If you ride enough, wheels will get damaged--the trick is to minimize the expense if it happens outside of a race. If you're leaning towards a set of expensive race wheels, I'd really think about just spending the extra $100 on a bombproof front training wheel simply to protect your investment. Check out ebay or your LBS, people pull perfectly good easton or bontrager wheels off of new bikes and these can be had for relatively little money. You could also look for Alex or some other brands (chime in here folks--what are some other solid training wheels?).