I have wrote about why I like the HED JET 6+ and why I think it is the best value wheelset in triathlon at the current time especially at less than $1000. No problems recommending them. 6/9 combo also is a great choice.

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I read you article and that has me leaning that way. Cost, quality. Etc. thanks!

More than welcome. You will love them. Just make sure to lower the PSI.

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Personally, if I'm looking at Hed Jets which are alumnium rims with a bonded carbon fairing, then I would also consider Flo. As it happens I have a Hed Jet 9 front paired with a disc on my race bike, but that was the best option for me in the UK at the time.

Is an aluminium brake track important to you? It is to me, but I live in West Yorkshire where it is wet 50% of the time and hilly 100% of the time. But I gather the iTgMax brake track on the Mavics is very good, for what is effectively a carbon track.

I will be purchasing a pair of HED Jet 6+ this season, but if I had the money I would be buying Zipps. Not just for the name, but they are one of maybe three companies I trust to make reliable full carbon wheels and all of their products are made in the US! Arguably, of course, they are the fastest, most stable setup you can buy, if you can afford them.

Ditto Gerlach. HED Jet+ & Black wheels are almost perpetually on sale somewhere at 50% to 60% of MSRP. I bought a set of HED 9/Disc Black wheels for around $1,500 including shipping. Currently, MyBikeShop has a set of 9+ wheels for $1,100. This is OK, but they may be better on a future sale or if you are a MBS member. So, research typical sale prices of the HEDs as a cost baseline.

Second, multiple people on the forum (Jim@ERO, Thomas Gerlach, Grill, etc.) consistently post public data (or allude to private data) that the HEDs are (or close to) the fastest.

So, when you combine the value pricing; likely fastest or near fastest; and intangibles such as braking; width, weight, brand, etc., the HED wheels bubble to the top for carbon+aluminum wheels. High or higher priced full carbon wheels like the Mavic's, Zipps, and others have a steep hill to climb to justify their cost.

With all due respect, I've owned the super9/808 zipps, and really other than the bling factor, there was nothing special about them. Like any carbon wheel, the brake track doesn't compare to aluminum, and there is zero evidence that they are any more stable or faster than HED's or others (assuming same depth wheels). There were plenty of times my 808 got caught by the wind! Luckily I'm 175-180 pounds and don't get blown around too easy. :)
The zipps are super nice, but not 'better' IMHO.

I did say arguably ^^; I am not a top end rider who is commenting based on experience on Zipps. As a prospective consumer, I just formed this opinion based on hours and hours of reading and research on all the race wheels. I think it is VERY hard to prove that one wheelset is better than another, which is why there is so much debate. I completely agree with you about the brake track. That is one of the reasons I am going with HED (no changing brake pads, better braking, etc.) I also agree with another commenter about HED being the best cost to performance ratio or however he/she put it.

But, IMO and probably in the opinion of many (based on my research), Zipp and ENVE would be at the top of the list as far as performance, but it is indeed hard to justify the cost when they don't seem to be THAT far ahead of less expensive options.

I am in the opposite camp. It seems like most of the published comparisons and comments against confidential tests within this forum do not claim Zipp and Enve to be the fastest. In particular, it seems like the 404 & 808 have been the marketing punching bag for competitors publishing wind tunnel claims have faster wheels. And, the base 404 & 808 wheels were downgraded a little to lesser grade of spokes with the introduction of the NSW wheels. Couple all that with some of the forum experts with their tests, and it may have been a few years since those premium-priced brands were fastest. Other shifts to consider are that Zipp pivoted its marketing message around intangibles (handling, stability, comfort) over performance. Not to diminish those claims, but they are not all defined and measurable like raw speed.

On the other hand, if you're making a product, and it becomes the marketing punching bag for everyone else, the you know you've made it.

I totally agree. Zipp absolutely earned the right to be that punching bag. They have a strong brand promise and established history as the fastest wheel on the market. They are overwhelmingly the most popular wheel at Kona and the wheel of choice for many wheel rental shops. No question their historical position is merit-based. It is just that the competitive marketplace likely caught up and passed Zipp in recent years, so they are relying more heavily on their Brand and marketing than objective performance (speed) advantage.

How do you think the Bontrager Aeolus Comp 5 TLR compares to the HED 6 wheels?

Specs:
50mm carbon fairing
23 mm outer rim width
17.5 mm inner rim width
tubeless ready

Just curious as these wheels came with my Speed Concept and I am contemplating race wheels for this season now... Should I upgrade to a HED 6 with a wheelcover for racing? Or a HED 6 and Disc for racing? Not sure how the Aeolus stacks up.

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Ryan

It depends on what you want out of wheels and your own goals. You already have an aluminum braking clincher, with decent aerodynamics. You could always add a disc cover on the back and you would be good. Could you upgrade to a HED 6+ that is a bit wider and get some benefit you bet. Personally unless you have very specific time goals it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to upgrade.

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HED Jet+ and AeroCoach Aeox are easily the best options on the market at the moment.

Can get hed jet + for under 1k currently. Had been looking at blacks, but hard to justify 1k more in price, I can buy a 9+ or disc for rear with the saved money. Still drawn to the allure of zipps, but again significantly more $$$. It seems pretty straight forward to me. And have not seen anything negative about the hed jet 6+.

Any one have thoughts on 9+ vs disc for rear???

I have these wheels, bought them by ST recommendations few weeks ago, but haven't ridden them yet, waiting one more week until snow will completely gone.

Works perfectly fine for me. I was worried about a Jet 9+/ Jet disc setup coming from a Jet 5 set before. While it is a bit more work to control in the crosswinds it wasn't really that bad. Helps that I'm around 180lbs (+/- a few).

This season I've been upgraded to Jet+ Disc for this upcoming season (only doing short TT's this season though).

Disc. Always disc.

I originally bought a 60/90 combo. I upgraded myself to Jet Black 9/Disc. I wish that was my original purchase. I would have saved a chunk of coin.

How is the handling with front 9. I’ve read canmbe challenging

I have my race next week on april 21, i'll try to write my opinion.

I have only ridden them once outside so far, but I will know more over the next month. I did not notice a thing in that one ride. I had 60mm in front before, and I never really noticed that either. That is why I regretted getting the 60mm originally-- I bought the smaller front based on handling fears that turned out to be a non-issue for me.