Road Wheels & Road Wheel Recommendations?

I don't think they would do that any more than Tiagra hubs would, the huge premium is buying you lighter weight, not longer life.

If you're going for a £500 upper limit, spending £350 on hubs wouldn't be my first choice. I'd rather have Ultegra hubs and CX-Rays than DuraAce hubs and cheap spokes.

Pretty much all that in terms of hubs.

If there is a real risk of them getting knocked about I'd have thought 105s would make most sense. They probably won't do anything more than Tiagra, but at least you won't feel like you're slumming it too much.