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HED 3 Front
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I have solid bike handling skills. Currently training for IMUSA and tend to do most of my training / racing on rolling to hilly courses in the northeast. I am 5' 10" / 150 lbs., ride a kestrel talon and am going through the HED 3 / Alps / Zipp 404 internal debate.

My main question is - what is "windy"? It seems like Alps / 404's win out as a front wheel in "windy" conditions. Are these Queen K gusts or just normal windy days?

By the way - I think I am sold on the HED 3 rear (unless someone wants to try and talk me out of it).

Any thoughts would be appreciated…
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Re: HED 3 Front [tornado] [ In reply to ]
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i just went through a similar dilemma as i began my training for IMUSA '03. check out gordoworld.com and the forum there for a similar discusison for wheelset appropriateness at IMUSA. bottom line was that the course is fairly sheltered from the wind and H3s would be just fine. this made the case for my recent purchase of HED3s as i was most worried about the crosswinds at Placid, which is my A race this year. this coupled with the fact that they're quite bombproof sold me.

once you learn to handle the twitchiness of H3s on fast descents, you'll love the feel. and the slight weight disadvantage (when compared to it's competition) hasn't been much of an issue in my recent training rides. i don't think you can go wrong with any of the wheels you are considering.

see you in placid...
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Re: HED 3 Front [tornado] [ In reply to ]
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In Lake Placid you are talking normal windy days. My bike handling skills are pretty shaky, but I am able to handle a 404 on those hills in normal conditions. Sounds like you are more solid, so you should be fine with the Hed 3s.

I would really recommend going with a rear disc though. That makes for less handling problems than the Hed 3.
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Re: HED 3 Front [ajfranke] [ In reply to ]
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Although I am also a big fan of disk wheels for my own personal use Dan Empfield makes a compelling case for using a Hed 3 in a previous post on a similar topic. "H3 vs. 404" or something of the sort I believe it is. Happy New Year.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: HED 3 Front [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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When I raced in IM LP in '01, I used a Hed3 Front/back combination. The wind was not an issue, because of the tree cover. However, as posted earlier, I also found that the front was a little "twitchy" doing 52 mph on the downhill.

-Joe
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Re: HED 3 Front [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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If going with the Hed 3 would you recommend tubular over clinchers? Seems that the Hed 3 is rock solid and that you could use it for training as well. Thanks.
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Re: HED 3 Front [mb] [ In reply to ]
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MY plan is to go with the tubular - it seems to be the natural progression. Also, i tend to agree that the reviews suggest that you can do some training on them without trashing them. Just because i know myself (and the limited time I have to mess with my bike) I suspect I will be leaving the rear on most of the season.

Good luck, happy new year and thanks to all you have passed along their ideas
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Re: HED 3 Front [tornado] [ In reply to ]
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hey there---yeah i ride a Hed3 front. Its a very good wheel. I have a zipp disk rear, but if I had some extra dough I'd get the hed3 rear too. One tip, if you are low on cash, you can get the Specialized trispoke off of Ebay. thats not the trick though, if you get a freewheel rear specialized tri spoke, you can convert the axle and turn it into a front wheel. Some of you may know that, but others might not. That way you can get a heavier Hed3 and pay under $200.

Want: 58cm Cervelo Soloist. PM me if you have one to sell

Vintage Cervelo: A Resource
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Re: HED 3 Front [tornado] [ In reply to ]
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Run with the HED up front. I'm just a smidge bigger than you and had no problems running a full HED3 setup at IMUSA. If you spend enough time on the bike (which you will just by the nature of IM training) then handling won't be a consideration. The wheels are bloody fast for sure.





"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Pre

MattMizenko.com
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