I have been racing for a few years on an old Hed 3 clincher front wheel and it has become very difficult to find a narrow tire to fit the very narrow profile of the Hed 3 rim. Are there any fast 19-20c clincher tires still in production?
Considering the potential for very low Crr with modern 23c tires, does the old Hed 3 still compare well with the wide aero wheels that are common today when factoring in both Cda and Crr?
Thanks!
Is the Conti Supersonic 20mm still in production? It’s what I use on my HED3, and I think it’s one of, if not THE fastest combos for a front race wheel. My only gripe withe the HED3s is that sometimes I think I might die in wind gusts.
Yup. With a 20mm SS it is probably still the fastest wheel in the 0-5 degree range. The low frontal area and watts-to-spin probably make up for OK (but not great) Crr.
My guess is the only faster wheel for a low-yaw application would be the H3+ with the tubeless Vittoria. While there isn’t a lot of testing data that I have seen, the initial data suggests a super low Crr. If it isn’t an aerodynamic turd, it might be the new fastest wheel combo, especially on a bike with a wide fork like the Speed Concept.
The H3 probably won’t handle as well as a lot of the new spoked wheels because it won’t be as laterally stiff, round/true, and it doesn’t have much vertical compliance, but it is hard to beat for straight line speed.
Is the Conti Supersonic 20mm still in production? It’s what I use on my HED3, and I think it’s one of, if not THE fastest combos for a front race wheel. My only gripe withe the HED3s is that sometimes I think I might die in wind gusts.
Yes: http://www.wiggle.com/continental-grand-prix-supersonic-folding-road-tire
Thanks! I saw that too but since it was pretty much the only place I could find it I wonder if they’re just closing out old stock…
Continental makes both the Supersonic & GP4000S in 20 mm. Vittoria makes a 20mm tire that is also readily available.
I’ve always felt faster on my H3 + aerowing/suso20 than on my Jet9 with 23SuSo.
Very scientific data.
most of the data I have ususally seen on the H3 has looked like this.
^ Chart has an H3Deep fwiw
.
^ Chart has an H3Deep fwiwAnd of course it doesn’t say what tire is used.
I have a Hed3 (front and rear) that I love, but that’s strictly aesthetics. Bought on here for $750.
They seem to roll forever (scientific observation). With 23c tires front and back.
A little practice in crosswinds is always necessary at the beginning of the season. Never had a problem, but practice is necessary.
I will assume that if I were to spend a couple of grand I could probably save several seconds in an Olympic, my inner cheap doesn’t allow for that.
(occasionally I out a wheel with a cover on the back, equally fast, but not nearly the same aesthetic)
I went with a 20mm Continental GP4000S over the Supersonic for better puncture resistance (for the front).
Zipp most likely did not use a narrow tire on the wheel. In Tom A.'s recent testing at the Specialized Win Tunnel, the H3 with 20 mm Supersonic only lost to the Jet 6+ with 24 mm Turbo Cotton and Flo 90 with 23 mm Superson from -5 to +5 degrees. At low yaw, the H3 + 20 mm Supersonic beats many more modern setups.
I love the H3/20mm Supersonic combo, but I’ve had terrible luck with that tire - 5 races, 3 flats.
^ Chart has an H3Deep fwiwAnd of course it doesn’t say what tire is used.
I always thought HED’s old data matched some of the other independent test data. much better. I watched an on-bike test between an 808 and H3 and those results don’t mirror the Zipp data.
Toss in the negative watts to spin arguement from biketechreview and that Zipp looks really suspect. Maybe Zipp put a cross tire on the H3.
what Vittoria tire is that? I used to run a 20mm Vittoria Crono on my H3, not sure they make them other than the Pista track tire
I love the H3/20mm Supersonic combo, but I’ve had terrible luck with that tire - 5 races, 3 flats.
That is either really terrible luck or something else. Did you stop and find the sources to the flats each time you flat? I recommend people run them in training to have a better feel of their durability and give people confidence in riding them. I have provided a handful of anecdotes over the years about my own use of SS. This year I have done 8x 70.3, and have gone 8 for 8 with, 6 of them 2:10 or faster. It is a great tire, and one that if you ride in training, I think will more than prove how flat resistant it can be.
what Vittoria tire is that? I used to run a 20mm Vittoria Crono on my H3, not sure they make them other than the Pista track tire
Vittoria open corsa evo cx 20mm
A genuine question: if your covered rear wheel is ‘equally fast’ (I.e. Not faster), then why not just stick to the H3?
I’m interested largely because I use a pair of H3s (well, H3 front and H3 deep on the rear) and I am convinced that this is a faster set up than when I use my (Pro) disc wheel.
It’s a reasonable question. Truthfully I have never tested them on a comparable course. And like many people I convince myself at different times with different results.
I am going to test the combination soon, because I finally have a course that is measured, has no stops (rolling or otherwise) and although slightly rolling country side, it’s about as flat as you can get around here for a straight 10K test. Which means I can do 20K (out and back), change and go again maintaining the same effort. I have tested a couple of things on this course, this will be the next.