Basically the tl;dr is - wider tyres.

The Dupont design (Specialized, Hed 3) was designed around 19mm tyres... and that's just unheard of in the modern day. Running something wider is a big penalty for the wheel, and nobody really makes a tyre that is that narrow (and fast) these days, so you're looking at sourcing old Bontrager Aerowings or the 20mm Supersonic (for a clincher at least, some fast 19mm tubulars still exist although they are mostly track tyres)

Still a good wheel, but time wounds all heels or whatever the saying is

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

So you are saying if I got a used set I would not be able to find tires for it....blah.

I guess I'll continue searching for a 404/808 combination :)

Thoughts on the H3+, I think it is 25.5mm or something close to that. I actually picked one of these up and then called HED to ask about tires for it. Anne Hed answered the phone, and what an amazing knowledgable person to take the time to chat with me. I asked about the discontinuation of the H3, and she basically said that the patent ran out on it and other companies were producing a similar product(I think specialized) she also said the factory was in Italy(don't take that as gospel) and cost/logistics it just wasn't as profitable as it needed to be.

To the OP I have a friend that raced a lot in the 2000s and he bought the H3 for the very same reason you stated, bomb proof. I have also seen a post on this forum that said, "The H3 may not be the fastest wheel, but it is never a bad choice. I do have some Bontrager R4s(or something like that) that are 21mm I think laying around if you find a wheel let me know and I will check their size.

You can still get really fast tubular tires for the original HED 3. I sold mine to a track racer.

I think they make one or two track tubulars in a 19mm that have a protection band or whatever you call it.

When I did roll mine, the road had to be brand new perfect. Otherwise, the bouncing around meant I couldn't put power to the road.

As for the patent running out...........lots of Brits use the Selcof trispoke and the Superteam one or the PDQ one. I have no idea if it works out for them or not versus a 90mm.

I think we'll all miss that sound though: skip to 5:30 for sounds of the HED 3 under the power of the "one that shall remain nameless"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOQflZqzn_U

There are still a fair number of those NOS tyres out there, especially the more recent Supersonics... but yeah, it's pretty unlikely anyone is going to be working on/releasing high performance 19-20mm clinchers in the future.

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

Indeed, I was looking a an H3+ or GT3 before I finally settled on the new Trispoke from Revolver.
The H3+ is definitely a solid wheel, I know Xavier (of Aerocoach) has shared some data on them in the past, not quite as fast as the Jets they were using, but really close, and you can run modern, good tyres on it.

Mulrooney (of HED) said one time in a podcast that 21's or maybe 22's worked on the original H3... but TomA's data at the Specialized Win Tunnel definitely didn't support that.

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

Hahah...memories...

For one race I borrowed a buddies Renn Disc .....I was set up with a much faster combination than I deserved. It was amazing.

I have had my bombproof H3's for a long time (15 plus years) .. and still swear by them. They spend most of the time on my training bike now, but I still do the odd short race with them. I have had people want to buy them... but I don't think I would ever give them up. I also like the bling factor on them. A timeless wheel that will never die

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Member of the Litespeed Factory Team
www.litespeed.com

There was a recent podcast where an engineer for Look, that now owns Corima, was making an argument that for disc brakes the trispoke makes even more sense than ever. Part of the claim was the high spoke count of disc wheels. There was also something about wider wheels that now have clearance helping at yaw..... I don't remember all the details. It was kind of convinced when I listened.

72 - Look Cycle Product Manager Pierre Facomprez
Endurance Innovation

Product manager for the fabled French bicycle and component maker Look and chaser of two-wheel efficiency Pierre Facomprez is on the show to cover non-traditional wheels, wrinkly aero suits, and a really neat cockpit solution.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/...6491?i=1000493186365

Thanks, I'll give that a listen on the trainer tomorrow.

From a quick mental exercise, it checks out. The little shield thing that Revolver puts on their disc version also looks pretty good to the eyeball. The aero eyeball does lie... but it is aesthetically pleasing at least.

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

I have a 404/808 combo that I'm looking to sell. I haven't posted it on here yet, but I already sold my rim brake bike so I can't use them anymore. They are older, but are 11-speed and would come with the Durace 11-25 cassette. I can send you photos if interested!

Yes....pls....ill pm you on here

Ha - that's funny! I have both a Hed3 and a Renn Kaiser (the silver one) sitting in the basement, Haven't ridden them in years. I keep meaning to post them in the classifieds. That was a great wheel combo.

10 years of development is what happened.

I have a rear H3+ I'm selling. All my bikes are now 12-speed and the H3+ hub cannot be upgraded to XDR.

I won't part with the H3+ front.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

I think the 20mm is still in the Conti product line.

There's a set of HED 3-spokes for sale on TheProsCloset right now - not sure if it's the same model as what you're asking about or looking for.

You may be right, I glanced at the Conti website, but didn't see the sizes listed.
*fwiw, they did change them a little at some point (can't remember the timeframe) and the later ones measure a little wider than the older ones. I think that info is somewhere in TomA's thread but don't hold me to it.

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

I'm looking to get a set of race wheels that I won't have to worry about for quite a few years. So definitely don't want to buy something with already limited options.

Thanks!!

Riding H3 in hard sidewind blows, could be a nasty experience (think Kona)

I converted to Zipp (still on Tubulars and rim brakes)

You can call him the goat and not say his name. Just saying.

What was the Hed 3 spoke disc that was around?

Years ago there were some clincher rear HED3 disc
I made a tubular long ago.

A lot has happened in the last 10 years, and the death of the H3 doesn’t even make the list. Spend two weeks on here and you’ll catch up quickly :)

Haha. I've been lurking

I'm rocking H3's front and rear. Front has the Bontrager 19mm aerowing tire. Rear has a Conti GP4000 21mm. I'm still riding my Trek TTX and am sure my rig with me on board is more aero than most.

I've raced my last few Konas on a set of GT3s and they are by far less sketchy than a 90 rear, 60 front descending Hawi. I have a set of H3+ now and will be my next set of Kona race wheels should we ever be allowed international travel again and I put in the effort to qualify.

I had one of those rear discs for a couple of years. Bought it from John Cobb's bike shop on a going out of business sale, it turned out to have a dented rim, was out of true and had flaws in the carbon, which was all in all quite disappointing. It was labeled "Prototype," which I removed. I managed to fix the dent to make it smooth enough to brake acceptably, but had to just live with the out of true. It was a very distinctive and wild looking wheel.

Eventually sold it as I decided to move to clinchers and got a pretty decent price for it even though I was very clear about its flaws, might have been a collector as it was a very rare wheel.

Must say I’m loving my h3+ on the front. It’s just such a great mix of aesthetics and feel. Feels much more stable / consistent than my old 90mm but I’d probably convince myself of that anyway just cause I love the look so much (born in the 70s$.

Haven’t got a rear h3+ so run an old HED jet disc instead.

I've been tempted to go "old school" and get a set but the only way I'm rationalizing this purchase to my wife is that this set of wheels will be a 5-7 year set. I just can't do it. Lol

Going back and forth on 404 or 404/808 combo. My A race this year is flat as a pancake but most will be hilly.

Renn Disc, Nimble Wheels, Aegis T2, S-Bend, Quintana Roo Typhoon, Computrainer, Powercranks and etc...i dont know many of these still exist. But certainly good memories...

I have 2 items on that list

 
i've tried hard to convince myself that the H3+ w/ conti attack is a liability for time trialling, but so far as I can see the data not quite supportive of that verdict. there's some that suggests the jet 9 is faster in some conditions, but not necessarily by a lot. and there's still the mystery of how much rotational drag matters, and is saved.

i suspect airflow interactions at the fork might decide it.

I'm still rocking a set of Nimbles. I love riding them. Use them on my TT bike as well as my road bike.

I bought a newer H3+ a few years back and the recommended Tire width is 23mm.
So I run Tubular Vittoria tire on it.
In fact, I think Ive raced a Hed 3 since 2004.
It’s Tubular, and it rides silky smooth and very fast. Paired with a Zipp Disc, in My opinion, outside the LAB, Real world conditions, probably the fastest set up.
Anyway, You can buy 23 tires and aerodynamically they match up perfectly. Probably find a steal on EBay.
A few Chinese companies make them too.

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Jim Hallberg
USAC level II
USAT Level I
http://www.d3multisport.com
WATTS UP!!

Point of order that the tubular version was called GT3 and not H3+.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

That little tid bit of info about the GT3 not being available in clincher explains weeks of fruitless searching. Now to find a good set of H3+.

did hed ever make a clincher trispoke in a black plus/wide version? i thought so but i probably just remembering the gt3 tubular i guess

They h3+ is the wide version; it has black decals but not the special black brake track.

Yep, I too still race on my Nimbles.

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Team Zoot-Texas, and Pickle Juice

Not black, as they only came in standard alloy brake track, but I have an H3+ wide version on my tri bike right now :p

It's sure sexy lol

Here as well...

Nice speed concept. I just picked up a rear H3 plus for mine(still need a front). Have you tried tubeless on the HED clinchers? I’m looking at tire options now and haven’t seen much talk of tubeless for these.

I haven't, not really interested in bothering with tubeless. I use Conti GP5000 with vittoria latex tubes.

Were you the one selling those, trispokes made into the disc wheel? I think I may have bought one from you. Cool looking wheel, though a little heavy. :)

I had a trispoke disc at one point. Hit a pothole at lonestar down in Galveston and that was the end of that wheel. Mine was from HED though.

Here's mine!

Got a Jet 9 as well though, so sometimes a tough choice which front to roll.....

What do you base your decisions on for what to use between the Tri spoke and the 9? I have the 9 and have often thought about the Trispoke but can just never justify it. Help me justify it! Lol

 
http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/2015/09/

take a few away for power to spin, add a few for a bad fork/wheel combo. And if it comes to a tie, like an earlier poster, I just feel like the h3 is a faster wheel than the Flo 90. I can't define it but I know it when I feel it.

The consensus I have seen tends to be that they are pretty similar in a straight flst line, but the jet 9 edges outbthe H3+ when there are more crosswinds or hills.

So basically the h3+ would perform best on flat straight stages but the jet 9 stands out with hillier, windier courses.

That said, you won’t go wrong with either, and if the h3+ gets you pumped to ride cause it looks so damn good you may well eek out a watt or two more and perform better anyways.

Check out Josh’s post 20 and working with Alberto Contador he said the same thing despite what they were trying to tell him. I rode a Hed Stinger 9 for a while and a H3 then GT3 and I ended up selling my Stinger 9 as in some conditions it just felt slower. I now have a set of H3+ and a Jet disc.
https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...s)_P5988702/?page=-1

For those using disc brakes, looks like Vision is offering a nice looking trispoke disc brake wheel:


https://shop.visiontechusa.com/...isc-clincher-tl-2019

It’s interesting to me that there are still plenty of companies making Tri spoke wheels, yet the most-reknowned make of that wheel—HED—has moved on. I can only assume they weren’t selling enough to make it worthwhile. I can’t imagine there are too many people who will pay that kind of money for a wheel made by Vision. But, I would be interested to hear from someone at HED if they are willing to join the thread as to why they stopped making the H3+.

I'm guessing sales just didn't support continuing on with them. Generally considered old school, and sales number probably a very very small fraction of Jet style wheels. I think at this point the only advantage to a trispoke is looks (personal pref) and the fact that they are probably more bomb proof than most other wheels......but its not like we are seeing deep rim wheels falling apart...

With regards to Vision, odd that they list that trispoke, yet they still don't have a disc brake version of their rear disc wheel listed.

I’m sure you are right, it seems HED had the market cornered . But I guess even that cornered market was very small. It just makes me wonder how these other companies are justifying it. Maybe their Tri spokes won’t be around much longer either.

not saying this is the case with the vision wheel as I haven't really looked (and it was not the case with the HED's) but often spoked (3-4-5) carbon wheels are just rebadged open mold wheels. In fact, most of them are. In those scenario's it's pretty low investment for these large'ish companies to have one available. (same for disc wheels)

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

I was really curious when they confirmed the h3 was discontinued as well, and attributed it mainly to an industry-wide move to disk brakes.

Been waiting patiently for one of these to arrive.
Although it’s stuck somewhere as not a lot is coming in our out of GB at the moment.

https://www.lightbicycle.com/...-Twill-Vertical.html

^good choice

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com