I have spent some time researching this and (for now) have narrowed my options to three wheelsets for my P3. HED and Reynolds are in the same price range, while Zipp is in a range of its own. Any thoughts from those who have owned these, or who have ridden more than one and have reason to compare? Would be interested not only in performance / handling opinions, but also customer service responsiveness should something need attention now or in the future. All clincher:
Reynolds Strike (66mm)
HED Jet 9 C2 (90mm) or HED Jet 6 C2 (60mm)
Zipp 808 (81mm)
Admittedly, the Reynolds & HED options may be more comparable to one another than the Zipp option.
I ride a 90/60 C2 combo. Can’t speak for any of the other options, but the Heds roll great and no issues on fast corners. Only potential issue on the C2s is if you have a bike w/ a really narrow chainstay in the back (e.g. Cervelo P2), the wider rim can pose potential clearance issues if you don’t have the wheel seated properly in the dropouts or the wheel comes out of true.
I’ve only ridden Zipp and Flash Point. For the the price, the Flash-Point 80’s (now the SRAM 80) are a great deal. They have the same aero profile of the Zipp 808, just no dimples and different bearings / hubs. If you are considering Zipps but don’t want to spedn that much, I would add the SRAM/FP wheels to your list, way cheaper than Zipps with most of the beneifts of Zipp wheels.
Also, from what I’ve read here you would want a toroidal rim profile, so that limits your brands to Hed or Zipp (SRAM and FP are made by Zipp).
From an aero standpoint 90 mm is fastest. Hed is likely better in crosswinds–at least that is what they say. Cost & weight are other issues I am not familiar with.
I ride the Reynolds and they’re bomb-proof. I have a friend who swaps them between his 'cross bike and his road bike, and has only ever re-trued the rear once (in 2.5 years).
The Jets are by far one of our fastest clincher wheel sets out there. It offers a nice all around ride that is extremely aero. Get the Flamme Rouge option and the weight goes down even more. I have raced with the Jet6/9 setup for years.
not that it matters but Chrissie Wellington won Kona on our Jets
Those wheels are all designed around different tire widths I believe. Well, maybe not designed in the case of Reynolds but probably fastest with different tires. Hed would be fastest with a 22-23mm tire, which also will be the fastest rolling most likely.
The Jets are by far one of our fastest clincher wheel sets out there. It offers a nice all around ride that is extremely aero. Get the Flamme Rouge option and the weight goes down even more. I have raced with the Jet6/9 setup for years.
not that it matters but Chrissie Wellington won Kona on our Jets
I like the Jet 6 or 9 quite a bit, but I had concerns about stability in wind with the 9. I’d prefer the 9, but your website urges caution using a front 9 if riding less than 25 mph in anything other than light wind. I’ve heard others argue that a similar wheel depth (in one case the person was discussing the Zipp 808 / 81mm) used front and back isn’t significantly affected by windy conditions. Not sure what’s true or not. . . I’ve seen just about every setup out there. I assume this is why you recommend / ride a 6/9 combo?
After a load of reasearch and deliberation I purchased Hed Jet 60 C2s for the front and back with a wheelbuilder disc cover for the rear. I’m really happy with the choice. Reasonable cost, versatile as I can use them with or without the cover, comfortable to ride and great customer service… although I haven’t needed much other than calling to ask some simple questions.
Yeah the 9/9 combo is very hard to control the slower you are going. The 6/9 offers a lot of aero advantages without sacrificing getting blown over
I have a 9/9 combo and there are just too many days when the wind is too iffy. Looking back, I probably should have gone with a 6/9 so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. I’m currently thinking about a Jet 4 or Stinger 4 set for road riding and figured I could use the shallower front wheel on windier days. However, I’m not sure if I’m ready to go to tubies and my featherweight fiancee is going to need a race set as well.
