I am looking at getting a Hed 3 front and rear wheel setup. Does anyone ride this or have any thoughts about it? I want to stay away from a disc because it can get very windy where I live which would make using the disc difficult or impossible on certain days. I have ridden a front and rear tri-spoke (old specialized wheel) a couple of times as a loaner and it worked well but given how expensive a wheelset is I wanted to get some feedback. Also I already am riding with a power meter.
I have a HED 3 front and rear clincher set that I will see you. Rear has been used one time, IM Wis. Front has been used more but is in perfect shape. Zip me a message if interested.
I have a pair of 650c Hed 3 tubulars. The aluminum rim cap and sturdy (but not featherlight) rim and spokes make this a bomb-proof racing wheelset. With the weight savings of tubulars (Conti GP) over clinchers, the wheels come in about the same as my training wheels in weight (OP Rims/Ultegra 600 hubs, 28 F/R, Michelin Carbon tires). I can tell no difference in weight from the training vs racing wheels, other than the aero benefit. I guesstimate a roughly 0.75 mph - 1.0 mph benefit. That being said, they are relatively stable in cross winds (I have used in 15 mph gusts successfully) without too much trouble.
The only real setback to mention, IMO, is that there is not a wheelcover made that can be added or taken off. If an Alps or other spoked wheel was used in the rear, a cover could be installed on calm days. I suppose one could be fabricated for a Hed 3 rear, but I have never seen one.
Great wheels. Very fast. Get the Hed3c and you have a very light, very fast, and bomb proof wheel set. It can be argued and proven that this is still the fastest wheel set available with the exception of the rear disc wheel.
I am sure someone will say that the Hed 3 is difficult to handle in cross winds. I don’t think this is the case and I have ridden the wheels with sustained winds of 20+ mph, gusting to over 30. There can be a little movement on the front end, but you get used to it quickly and it is no big deal.
Fantastic wheels all the way around. Strong enough to train on every day as well if you want to. Great value considering how expensve race wheels have become over the last few years. Great company, great product. Just a fantastic choice.
I was planning on the Hed 3 carbon so I am glad to hear the positive feedback. I was thinking of getting the Tubular but I guess if a great deal was to be had on the clincher then I could live with it. Going to use as a race wheel only so the wheels should have a long life.
If it is a race wheel only I would go with the Hed3c. At 1500 grams for the wheel set it is just too hard to pass up. I know weight doesn’t really matter but why go heavier when you don’t have to? Hed3c is only available in tubular.
I have a pair of HED3c. After two near-crash experiences in strong gushing side winds, I decided to limit the use of the front wheel to non-windy conditions. The side vibrations on the front wheels can be hard to control even when a truck passes you fast on a downhill. Be careful. I am 160 lbs and my coach had the same experience at Wildflower this year and he is 185 lbs.
I agree with tjs completely! I too, own a pair of Hed3 Trispokes. Great wheels!
Don’t believe everything you hear from the nay sayers about Hed3 wheels. Most (of the nay sayers) haven’t ridden the wheels, they are only repeating what someone else has told them or they have read. Then they went and bought Zipp wheels or something else. I, however, can speak from first hand experience.
Another issue, I believe, is just experience on the bike in a multitude of conditions. The less experienced one is riding a bike, the more likely one might have “issues?” with Hed3 wheels in a crosswind the first time they experiencce those conditions. After one has some experience (as tjs indicated), it doesn’t take a lot of experience, it becomes much less of an issue. Forgive the analogy but its a little bit like learning to ride a bike for the first time. One falls down after a short distance because one has virtually no experience maintaining one’s balance on just two wheels. With a little practice one gets much better in a very short time. This little fact is something most who own and complain about Hed3 wheels fail to recognize. They just quit riding the wheels because they are “hard to control.” Why didn’t they do the same thing with their bikes when they were learning to ride them? Go figure.
The same can be said of almost any deep carbon front rim. I had the same problem with my Zipp 808 front last year during IMWI. There is a small price to pay for performance. Everyone is different though I guess.
So how much wind is too much before you wont use the wheel? Is it possible to use it and just accept that you have to pay better attention during some parts of the race? I mean, if you’re flying down a hill at 50 mph some warning lights should be going off already :).
I finally broke down and bought the data off of biketechreview.com last night. I debated buying it for the longest time. I am glad I did now. It’s worth it to anyone looking to buy $1500-$2000 wheels. It certainly changed my mind a lot on the Hed3.
i have a set of tubbies, although i am trying to switch to clinchers. I love the Hed 3’s only set of race wheel I have ever had and you notice a difference.
I live on vancouver island and we get some strong winds and I have never had any issues.
Don’t believe everything you hear from the nay sayers about Hed3 wheels. ______________________________________
I am a naysayer. I owned a set. I returned the front before it was ridden so much that they would not take it back. The rear had had a cassette installed so the retailer would not take it back.
My problem is that neither were round. My first ride (winter) was on the trainer - it felt like a washboard. I was so bummed. I sent them back to HED and they replaced both. The replacements were not round either, in fact, i think the front was even worse. I sent HED an e-mail and copied them by snail mail also to see if there was any way to get a really good wheel (I even offered to pay them extra), and I never heard back from them. When HED never responded (still haven’t) I decided to return the front wheel at least.
So, I still ride the rear because i cannot afford to drop more money. I got a Flashpoint front that i am very pleased with.
This has been discussed here before and there have been a few others who have had this issue (though, admittedly, not nearly as many people complain as do rave about their experience). What some have suggested is going to a retailer and inspecting several wheelsets then choosing the best one, if it is round. I wish i had done that instead of ordering from a web retailer. But, ultimately, I wish i’d gone with other wheels from the start. I have been disappointed with the wheels and also the response form the company. It is possible that i am simply more anal than all those who rave, but i doubt it. I think i just got some substandard product, twice!
Sorry to hear of your negative experience. I have knowledge of occasional side to side “wobble?” of some wheels. Many of these are seconds that did not meet Hed tolerances but Hed sells as is at reduced prices. I have not heard of an out of round issue with the wheels before.
Since all the wheels are made from a mold, all the wheels should have or not have that same out of round issue unless it is a bearing issue unrelated to the wheel.
That sucks. Sorry to hear about your problems. I guess this is something I would be concerned about. Having a wheel that isn’t round (and I am sure it does happen with all makes and models) would be a major buzz kill. I would definitely go to a retailer and look at several sets before I bought them. I would be very careful. Spin them, look at them closely and even put them in a truing stand. I guess you can’t be too careful.
I can’t believe Hed wont help you out. That just seems so unlike them. Have you talked to them on the phone?
I’ve owned two sets of H3 wheels - one in 650c and the other in 700c. I will say that my 650c set for whatever reason, seemed more twitchy on the front end than my 700c front. I don’t know if it was just the pure smaller size or the front wheel’s interaction with the fork or what? On my 700c bike, I have no adverse handling issues what so ever - it is very, very stable even in very windy conditions.
I think the H3 (aluminum) wheelset is a great choice for an all round training/racing wheelset. If I were going purely with a set to race on, I’d get the H3C and save some weight.
I spoke with them on the phone the first time. At that time I explained the problem. Thay told me to send the wheels and they would look at them. I agreed to send them and asked them to get back to me to figure out the best resolution. I called back a week later and the person who answered the phone told me they simply replaced them. I figured that was the end.
I must say they were good about getting me the replacements.
Frankly, I thought the e-mail and letter set forth the history and problems so clearly and a little more persistently. I asked them to tell me what they were willing to do and asked them if this was a problem they had seen before. I wanted to know what I needed to do to get a mint set of wheels. I was not willing to simply give up at least the rear wheel that i had since it was the best of the four I had seen up to that point.
So, now i’ve ridden it is a few races and on some training rides and i’m just bummed. I’ll admit that it probably does not make a bit of difference for my MOP self. But i like shiny new stuff and i was disappointed.
I do not mean to flame HED. I hope it does not appear that way. But, i just get frustrated on this forum when everyone simply gives kudos and i feel the obligation to simply say that not everyone is thrilled.
I used the Specialized TrSpokes (same desing ans the Hed 3) front and rear (700s) in a LOT of USCF TT’s, and some multi-sport races. Nice set up. I also have a front Hed 3 and rear Renn disk in 650s that I used all season. I found the Hed 3/Renn combo to be a LOT more stable in any kind of crosswind than the dual 3-spoke set-up. Might be because of different bikes, or smaller wheel size, but the difference was WORLDS apart. And I’ve heard this is true by a lot of other people – that putting the disk in back really calms down the front, for some reason.
Don’t believe everything you hear from the nay sayers about Hed3 wheels. ______________________________________
I am a naysayer. I owned a set. I returned the front before it was ridden so much that they would not take it back. The rear had had a cassette installed so the retailer would not take it back.
My problem is that neither were round. My first ride (winter) was on the trainer - it felt like a washboard. I was so bummed. I sent them back to HED and they replaced both. The replacements were not round either, in fact, i think the front was even worse. I sent HED an e-mail and copied them by snail mail also to see if there was any way to get a really good wheel (I even offered to pay them extra), and I never heard back from them. When HED never responded (still haven’t) I decided to return the front wheel at least.
So, I still ride the rear because i cannot afford to drop more money. I got a Flashpoint front that i am very pleased with.
This has been discussed here before and there have been a few others who have had this issue (though, admittedly, not nearly as many people complain as do rave about their experience). What some have suggested is going to a retailer and inspecting several wheelsets then choosing the best one, if it is round. I wish i had done that instead of ordering from a web retailer. But, ultimately, I wish i’d gone with other wheels from the start. I have been disappointed with the wheels and also the response form the company. It is possible that i am simply more anal than all those who rave, but i doubt it. I think i just got some substandard product, twice!
I have had some of the same issues, with the wheel quality and customer service.