HED testing indicates that the drag #'s for the wheels are great.
Is it comfort, durability, aesthetics?
I’m looking at HED’s aero charts right now.
I’m looking at the H3 tubie vs the stinger 9
These wheels have similar handling in crosswinds. In a huge fat range of yaw angles, the stinger9 has a LOT less drag than the H3.
also it is not clear what tire they had on the two wheels when testing. The stinger would have less penalty for wider tires, for those that wish to use wider tires.
then we can look at the stinger6 - very close at low yaw, stinger6 is better at middling yaws, then worse again at very high yaws.
and the stinger6 would be cake to handle in any wind condition.
So then, what are the reasons not many people use the H3? random popularity, aesthetics, and pricing probably. it has nothing to do with rational reasons, people are nuts.
I’m looking at HED’s aero charts right now.
I’m looking at the H3 tubie vs the stinger 9
These wheels have similar handling in crosswinds. In a huge fat range of yaw angles, the stinger9 has a LOT less drag than the H3.
also it is not clear what tire they had on the two wheels when testing. The stinger would have less penalty for wider tires, for those that wish to use wider tires.
then we can look at the stinger6 - very close at low yaw, stinger6 is better at middling yaws, then worse again at very high yaws.
and the stinger6 would be cake to handle in any wind condition.
So then, what are the reasons not many people use the H3? random popularity, aesthetics, and pricing probably. it has nothing to do with rational reasons, people are nuts.
What about weight? Or longevity? Or maintenance? any comparisons there ?
Jack, I just put up another post. You know the best place to buy 6001 cartridge bearings for HED3. Thanks
the weight difference is in the realm of <50 grams, so no appreciable difference there.
longevity - H3 you can’t true it if something goes wrong, but its pretty stout. the clincher versions sometimes the brake track metal comes apart from the carbon though.
stingers - don’t know how durable these are. I’ve got one but it gets very few miles
Jets are pretty stout in some ways (standard metal wheel, you can true it) the fairing is delicate but never sees any stress. I see some REALLY olds ones that people still ride around on.
two situations where the H3 might be THE wheel to use:
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You are fast and there is no wind. You can run a 19/20mm tire no problem. Up front this might be the best wheel. (see Bjorn)
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You are at kona, or somewhere else really windy where a disc is not allowed. H3 might be the best rear wheel.
this based on the H3’s drag being really good at very low, and very high yaws.
Jack, I just put up another post. You know the best place to buy 6001 cartridge bearings for HED3. Thanks
nope!
For what it’s worth, the H3 is officially endorsed by Ryon Graf as an essential part of his grad student budget TT rig.
…as are wheel covers and aluminum cervelos!
I’ve never seen a HED3 fail for any reason. I’ve used HED3’s from way back 15 years old. As good as new and never had a problem. Now if you smash into a pothole and dent the rim, which I see alot of from pictures on eBay, then yes, they can be damaged. The only reason I don’t run them now are:
- Don’t climb for sh*t, at least for me.
- Comfort… the new deep section wheels, due to “spokes” the wheels are much more comfortable. This said, HED3 's may be faster IF you can hold the position on them as they are a tad vertically stiff, thus harsher than a spoked wheel. If you move around on a HED3 more then you would a deep Stinger, Jet, or most any deep wheel, then I think you may be giving up any aero advantage the HED3 had over that spoked wheel. Spoked wheels are much more comfortable on long rides.
…“my HED3’s are brand new, Specialized, lightly ridden for only 3,000 miles. The pics show a small dent (read- "huge”) from a pothole I hit. I’ve ridden the wheel many miles and this does not affect the structure of the wheel…Retail was $1250…asking $1150 firm!!!" : )
For what it’s worth, the H3 is officially endorsed by Ryon Graf as an essential part of his grad student budget TT rig.
…as are wheel covers and aluminum cervelos!
Whoa hang on…you my long-lost (but noticeably taller) twin?
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/show_pony_photos/STH72583-1.jpg
That is not a fairing behind the head tube…it’s a , aaaahhhhhh, number plate…that’s it…a number plate : )
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That is not a fairing behind the head tube…it’s a , aaaahhhhhh, number plate…that’s it…a number plate : )
it’s totally an illegal faring. I use it all the time in local races. Cardboard and black electrical tape FTW!
For what it’s worth, the H3 is officially endorsed by Ryon Graf as an essential part of his grad student budget TT rig.
…as are wheel covers and aluminum cervelos!
Whoa hang on…you my long-lost (but noticeably taller) twin?
Brother! You’ve finally found me!!!
…but seriously, cool rig! I should step it up and get the H20 bottle too.
To:it’s totally an illegal faring. I use it all the time in local races.
OK maybe I should put this in pink…but are you saying you cheat whenever rules are not enforced?
HED testing indicates that the drag #'s for the wheels are great.
Is it comfort, durability, aesthetics?
I’ve only used H3s a couple of times, but I personally found them very sensitive to crosswinds. I remember a big truck going by in a TT as I was doing about 35 mph on a downhill with a H3 front and it was downright scary. Maybe if I used them more I’d have gotten used to it but I know a lot of other people say the same thing. Other aero front wheels I’ve used include Zipp 404 and Jet 90, and I felt much more comfortable with them.
The quandary with the H3 is that they are best at high yaw but those are also the conditions in which their crosswind sensitivity is most apparent. Given the availability of inexpensive used H3s, they seem like a good choice for someone looking for a fast wheel on a budget. But I really think modern wheels such as the Zipp FC have moved beyond the H3.
To:it’s totally an illegal faring. I use it all the time in local races.
OK maybe I should put this in pink…but are you saying you cheat whenever rules are not enforced?
I guess I should put “illegal” in quotations marks. Local time trials do not go by USAC or UCI rules, so it’s up to the race organizers. It’s not like I showed up with a closed-cockpit recumbent. Plus, cardboard is definitely budget-TT approved.
Not heavy enough. I’m in process of modifying mine though.
Filling the spokes with solder?
Possibly comfort. A spoked wheel would probably give you a little more vertical deflection and potentially soften up harsh road conditions.
Probably not durability. The Hed 3 wheels are one of (if not the) most bombproof aero wheels out there.
Aesthetics. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think they look great. They’ve been out forever though, and maybe some folks feel they’re dated. Or just don’t like the look of a non-traditional spoked wheel.
I think it’s a terrific wheel. Possibly one of the most versatile wheels out there. There have been and still are many very fast riders using this as their front wheel of choice.
Sorry about that…Just did a TT hill climb, two guys tandem drafting for 25 miles…Guess I am a little sensitive still…My apologies
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Funny you say that, I have a 10 pound in process project in the garage that has solder carefully wrapped around the very ends of the spokes to add some extra mass to the out side of the wheel(more effect on Moment of Inertia), after that I filled the spooks with foam and then soaked that foam in three big cans of fiber glass resin. I’m very interested on how it will ride. I’ll most likely put a Zaffro Slick on there to put the icing on the cake.
I just won’t to get to the point I actually see these losses you guys keep asserting and waving your arms around about, from my research they seem to not even exist!!!
Man I’m such an idiot, ruining all these perfectly good wheels, what am I thinking.