I have been lurking around in the forum for a while but the recent delivery of some gift certificates has caused a much needed hemmorage of cash.
I am looking at running a HED 3 rear and a front to be named later for some very hilly Half IM’s. Timberman to be specific. That in mind what are the collective thoughts on a much bigger than average triathlete. race day will 235 LBS and HED 3’s. I raced oly’s last season on ksyriums and liked them. THoughts
Hi,
I just got a set of HED H3 for christmas. Of course I had to try them and the first impression is very good. I also have a set of Ksyrium SSC I used as race wheels in the past. I have 200 lbs and see no problem with the HEDs at my weight. I had to select between Zipp 404, HED H3, Mavic Cosmic Carbon and Bontrager Race Carbon and took the HEDs. You’ll have to wait till season end 2004 if you want a detailed review from me.
regards,
Frank
A guy your size should be fine with a Hed 3 front. It is aero and rugged. You shouldn’t have any handling problems in the cross winds given your size, and the extra few grams wouldn’t matter either.
It’s a misconception that weight has anything to do with being able to handle a H3 front. I’ve seen big guys (180+) get blown around with H3’s on the front and little guys (-140) handle them perfectly. I’m right in the middle, and I almost never take off my H3 front unless it’s just howling.
It’s all about bike handling. Being able to pedal fast doesn’t mean you can handle a bike well. Although everyone thinks they have great bike-handling skills, in reality they don’t.
“race day will 235 LBS and HED 3’s.”
pete pennsyres used to borrow my HED3s to race his tandem in masters nationals. that wheel is probably the strongest in your, or anybody else’s, garage, including 40-spoke cyclocross wheels, etc.
At your size you can’t go wrong with the Hed3’s. You won’t notice the extra weight even in the hills. Go for the front one also. You don’t want to go with some wimpy 16 spoke race wheels with spokes popping under the pressure. Get the Hed3’s clinchers and you’ll be able to ride them full time with no problems. But just for the record, I wouldn’t call Timberman a very hilly course. That is one fast route. Sure there is that hilly section in the center going out and then again going back, but other that it’s go man go!
Ihave the 4 spoke Corimas and weigh 150 and have no problems in any winds. You have to feel the wind and anticipate, and never freak out. Too aero of a front makes “no hands” a bugger though.
Irondad is right, often it IS about bike handling…
BUT, it is also about correct geometry of the bike. I’ve had some bikes that were obviously better than other bikes for time trialing…those good time trial geometry bikes seemed very easy to ride with H3’s on front…even when the wind was up. Bikes that weren’t of the correct geometry for time trialing felt like a parachute was tied to the front handlebars, even in a mild breeze!
I have raced H3 front and rear, but I prefer an H3 front and disc rear…my bike handles better with this combo. The wind’s push on the front and rear wheels more closely evens out, so the bike stays straighter in a cross-wind.
BTW, I’ve hit holes, manhole covers, and even went airborne over a speed bump with my H3…it’s still true within manufacturer’s specs. I’d get another if anything happened to the one I have.
Well I am a couple cookies over 95 kilos and totally believe in the HED 3 as one tough wheel. I run a read Hed3 disc and love it too. I have never heard a harsh word for the use of the HED 3 on the big guys. G
Weigh 175, trained and raced entire 2003 season on HED 3, front and back. I dinged the front rim after training on some farely rough roads. I am going to check with HED to see if anything can be done to repair it.
I also have a fellow cyclist who weighs 200+. I believe he has about 4 sets of these HED 3s. He races them on the track, the road, I think if he could get them on his mountain bike, he would.
From a durability standpoint, these wheels are hard to beat.
JT
“race day will 235 LBS and HED 3’s.”
pete pennsyres used to borrow my HED3s to race his tandem in masters nationals. that wheel is probably the strongest in your, or anybody else’s, garage, including 40-spoke cyclocross wheels, etc.
Serious question: Dan, I usually train on mavic cxp33 36 spoke ultegra hub wheels and plan on using my HED3s only for racing. But, if the HED3s are really the absolut most strongest wheels on this planet then they might be used as everyday wheels?
Of course they were a little more expensive than my mavics, but besides the price it would make sense riding them everyday?
regards,
Frank
Thanks For all the advice:
What are the collective thoughts of the Bargain stuff that Hed has either the race used stuff or the wheels .043 inches out of true. .030-.050 seems like I wont even notice, am I correct in this.
“But, if the HED3s are really the absolut most strongest wheels on this planet then they might be used as everyday wheels?”
well, they’re expensive, so you’ve got to weigh the cost of bullet proof wheels against what happens to ANY wheel when you roll it over a pothole. the wheel won’t break, but the rim will dent. forewarned is forearmed.
that said, i have a set of HED3 clinchers, and if i was going on a remote, unsagged tour, these are what i’d take. i’ve been on enough solo tours in southern mexico or out in the boonies, and i’ve broken spokes en route, and it puts a crimp in your intended mileage each day (plus i’ve got to do the tour with spare spokes taped to my fork blades). better to have a wheelset that’s not going to blow up on you.
My old roommate rani nto the back of a ford explorer at 40mph when we were motor pacing. He smashed his specialized trispoke into the back bumper. nice dent in the bumper, 1 flat tire and the trispoke came away w/out a scratch. One tough wheel.
“What are the collective thoughts of the Bargain stuff that Hed has either the race used stuff or the wheels .043 inches out of true. .030-.050 seems like I wont even notice, am I correct in this.”
I was running HED 3’s on the front and back of my Kestrel. I used to get monster-death speed wobbles at 30 - 35 mph all the time. Finally I traded in the front for a HED Alps - my LBS said the front HED3 was out of true and sent it back. I wonder if this wheel is one they are selling.
The bargain wheels hed is selling are un used and do not meet the trueness specs set for for manufacturing. I just wondered if .031 of an inch is a perceivable amount of “untrueness”. For the record h3 rear .031 out is $300.00. Cheap enough to make it a training wheel and by another for racing?
I don’t know what this is worth, but I called them on this and they said that they are still safe and you shouldn’t notice wobbling when you are riding. The thing is, they don’t really feel they can charge full price for these and that’s why they are cheap. I ended up buying a pair but haven’t ridden them yet.
Just triggered the order I have H3’s coming my way that are .031 out of true. Mrs. Hed said that she can only warranty them for 8000 miles due to my size. Full 2 year warranty otherwise. I am stoked !!! I will take extra Joy in passing the little guys on my new H3’s. As a reference point “.040 is a milimeter with a tire on the wheel will not seem out at all” says, Mrs. Hed. Really nice bunch of folks and I will do business with them again.
Kevin, can you give me a call? I have a question about your wheels. -andy 888-246-3639
Super Clyde,
Did you get your Hed3s? Does the .031 out of true make any difference?
And finally, do you feel any faster riding them?
Thanks,
Mike