I had a hed disc/tri spoke combo last year. This year I got zipp 808’s. They just don’t seem as fast as the hed combo. So first, is the hed tri spoke faster than an 808? Second is the hed combo due to be faster on a flat course than 808’s? How about hed disc/tri spoke v front 808 and rear zipp disc? Thanks.
“So first, is the hed tri spoke faster than an 808”
Zipp says no, Hed says yes. There is no real consensus. In the end both are fast and you are likely to see no difference in race times. It may go one or two seconds Either way. Seems that Hed 3 is plenty fast for a lot of TdF riders. I am sure it is for you as well.
“Second is the hed combo due to be faster on a flat course than 808’s?”
Isn’t a disc wheel always the fastest rear wheel? I would have to say the Hed3/disc is bound to be faster than 808’s- but again, I really doubt you most of us could tell.
“How about hed disc/tri spoke v front 808 and rear zipp disc?”
More of the same. I just have to believe the differences are really small. So small they probably can’t be measured reliably.
I hear the Zipp riders coming (of which I was for a lot of years). Everyone duck…
You spent $2,000 on wheels, whats $15 for a little knowledge.
I wouldn’t mind the $15.00 if the test was done a little better. I feel cheated after buying it and don’t recommend it for obvious (to those that have seen it) reasons. :(.
In the end all of these wheels are very, very, close. A handful of seconds at the very most over a 40k either way.
You spent $2,000 on wheels, whats $15 for a little knowledge.
Christ - please dont let the damn facts get in the freaking way!
I had a hed disc/tri spoke combo last year. This year I got zipp 808’s. They just don’t seem as fast as the hed combo. So first, is the hed tri spoke faster than an 808? Second is the hed combo due to be faster on a flat course than 808’s? How about hed disc/tri spoke v front 808 and rear zipp disc? Thanks.
Same tires on both combos?
My Porsche doesn’t seem that fast either until I look at the speedometer and it says 110.
What makes you think that you are slower? Have you done a time trial and had slower times? Or is it from how they ride? Perception is usually different from reality.
I’m just going on feeling. I’ve done one course which is identical to last year and my speed avg was about 2mph slower with the zipps than with the hed trispoke/disc combo. Although, I was a different points in my training, different bike etc etc. Very hard to compare in real life with so many variables.
I’d love to get a PM from you to hear why you feel cheated. If it is what Tom suggested I could point you in further directions to help you feel better about the data.
Sent you a PM.
Please send zipp 808 to me immediately for thorough testing. 
psuambassador,
I ride a Renn 575 rear Hed3 front combo and regularly beat a fellow club member who rides a pair of Zipp 808s.
Doesn’t that make the Renn 575 (disc) Hed3 combo faster regardless of whether I am a stronger rider or not?
Yes. You must be right. I have put in an order for my new renn disc already. I am anxious to test the setup.
psuambassador,
Personally, I don’t think you can go wrong with this choice. But I think you missed my point.
It was that the fastest rider made whatever wheels he rode the fastest wheels. I’m confident that if he and I traded wheels, I would still beat him by approximately the same amount and as frequently.
A pair of Hed3’s are pretty fast too! Don’t sell them short.
I know. I don’t think my sarcasm came through.
I used to run twin H3’s. Then, I went to Renn disc rear, H3 front. Then, I went to Zipp 808 front with Renn disc rear.
In my mind, the disc is THE wheel to have in the rear; even in windy conditions. Since side winds tend to blow the rear out from under me, this naturally leans the bike into the wind, which is a countering action to the wind direction…so, as long as I stay “loose” and let the crosswinds do what they do, and stay a little further away from the white line, there’s no problem with crosswinds and a disc for me.
On the Front, cross-winds push the H3 more than the 808 on MY bike(s). Crosswinds tend to push the front wheel to steer away from the wind…which is NOT a corrective action, but worsens the effect of the wind. Depending upon your Head tube angle, fork Offset, as well as perhaps your fork shape, and this could be exacerbated or attenuated somewhat compared to my bike(s). (You could test this by lifting your bike, keeping it level, and observing what a cross-wind does to your handlebars…you’ll see your handlebars turn away from the wind.)
Then, there’s the posted wind tunnel tests, which show the H3 has less drag than the 808 (ooohhh, relying on memory…it’s been a while since I researched this) ONLY at cross-winds from an “apparent angle” of 20-25 degrees, and perhaps higher. However, “Apparent angle” is determined partly by your speed, partly by the angle from which the wind is coming, and partly by the speed of the cross-wind. (For example, if you are going 20 mph, and you have a 20 mph crosswind coming 90 degrees off your bike, the “apparent angle” of the wind is 45 degrees.) BUT, when a crosswind of that strength is occuring, the steering forces become of more concern with the H3, so, less drag than the 808 or not…I prefer the 808 in these conditions.
Besides the 808 being more stable in a crosswind on my bike(s), the 808 has the BEST wind tunnel values at all the shallow apparent wind angles. Consider the fact that a cross-wind apparent angle at rider height is higher than the cross-wind your bike wheels are experiencing because of the wind speed is lower next to the GROUND, then unless you are talking about a pretty stiff wind, your wheel’s apparent angle of wind is MOSTLY pretty much within a few degrees of the direction you are heading.
Lot’s of theory…what about real life? My very best Bike leg was done on twin H3’s…the fact is, I was in the best shape of my life on that day, and I would have still had my best Bike leg even if I were to have been on twin 32 spoke wheels that day.
Superior fitness trumps every time. But, best wheel selection in my mind is Disc rear, deep dish front.
I will be going witht he Zipp 999 disc with the hed 3 up front. I rode the Zipp front and just didn’t like the feel. I prefer the Hed 3 for the front. The disc was a Zipp 999 clincher disc. It really was great! The terrainI ride is rolling hills very similar to the IM-Moo course just on the opposite side of Madison. This is my winning combination!
And what about the Nimble Crosswinds? They don’t seem to be so popular anymore but do look nice
SteveMc
I tried a Nimble on the rear…sent it back. My experience was it definitely wasn’t as good as the H3 I had on the rear on my bikes. Might work better on other bikes…
I once bought some Nimbles after selling my HED3’s. Long story short…I sold the Nimbles a few months later and have gone back permanently to HED3’s.
Nothing beats a HED3. Unless its a straight uphill race. My race combos are Zipp disc/HED3 front or for fun and a change, Zipp disc/Mavic 3G front. The 3G bearings are top of the best…nothing is better…the damn wheel spins literally for 10 minutes on the bike rack.