What's Next?

It's really up to you. If you are using a traditional bike stand, you can mount the bars, add the derailleurs (but you can't adjust them yet), the brakes (can't adjust those either), or get your wheels built. I'm sure mechanics have reasons for a certain order of progress but I chose to replace the "mock-up" wheels with the final ones. I found some Neuvation M28SLs on our local Craigslist for $150. This is half price and I was considering them anyway so I went to take a look. This guy must've really taken care of his stuff! They looked new to me, were straight, and spun forever. He claimed to have only a few group rides on them and maybe a race or two. I had $160 and since he didn't have $10 change, I said just keep it. I took the wheels, extra spokes, and skewers and left happy that I had scored such a nice pair. I weighed them both and, without skewers, they weighed 1565g. Light for clinchers with semi-aero rims. I weigh about 165 so I hope they aren't too weak at that weight.
Since I was running a Campagnolo 8 speed before, the extra gear on top and bottom should be noticeable, especially on the hills. The SRAM cassettes are Shimano compatible so the tool for that is the same (seen in the pic at the top of this post). There were rumors (from online forums) that the free hub is different for Shimano 8/9 speed cassettes and 10-speed cassettes. John at Neuvation said he had heard nothing of the sort and I had no issue either. Perhaps they are speaking of derailleurs and gear spacers in the cassettes? The SRAM gears come new with a quick loader so you just align the loader on the free hub and slide them on. Even without it, each gear slides onto the hub only when the cogs align. You will also need a chain whip - something to hold the hub/cassette from spinning as you tighten the lock nut using the above tool. It would seam that the hub could hold itself since it's opposite of the freewheel direction but this just isn't so. You can use an old chain and vise grips or a bench vise but you would have to be very careful. Do yourself a favor and drop the $20 on a chain whip or make one. Whatever you do, don't try to wedge the cassette or clamp onto the gears with anything. Though I've improvised several times, it's best to keep such barbaric tools as vise grips and channel locks away from your bike. Remember, top end cassettes from any major mfg. are lightweight and are often made of unique materials (titanium) and are about $150. Take it to the LBS if you are willing to scrimp here.
Mount your tires. The tires were the only thing I reused at the time. By this posting I have received my Continental Attack/Force GP tires and have them mounted. These come only as a matched pair and are considered "racing tires" by some. They are lighter than the Michelin Megamiums by about a full tire and are supposed to be pretty durable. 199g for the front and 211g for the rear. That's pretty light for a clincher set. "Hand-made in Germany" might translate to "Hand-changed (on the roadside) in Kansas City". I have yet to flat on our regular routes this year so I'm hoping these will prove durable enough. Tip: When searching for bike components go to:

There are also other similar review sites for cycling gear but by searching and cross-referencing data you'll get a good idea if a part is appropriate for your purposes. I'm convinced that many of the bad reviews, with tires for example, are from those who did not do research and now are angry that a "race tire" they just had to have developed a flat after only 500 miles. Really? Maybe you shoulda looked that one up! I'll likely eat my words but I'm going into this knowing the risks. I'm remembering the whole "strong, light, cheap" thing.
Once the tires are mounted, (you don't need to know how to do that do you?) slap them on, mount the wheels, and stand the bike up. Step back and take a look. It's starting to look like something.