HED Handbuilds

[jrod88]

Hello all, long time lurker on this page. First time posting, sorry if it's not weight weenie enough. After a hiatus from the saddle I'm hopping back on with a few more pounds.
Currently 250lbs but dropping, the goal is to get back to 215 by winter.

Currently wheeless. I'm looking to get another set of handbuild training/do it all wheels and had good luck with my HED Belgium+ wheels in the past, but that set was indefinately loaned to my brother. They were 28/28 and were plenty stout enough for me, felt like 32h. Now that I'm heavier I'm not sure if I should get the 28s again from Chris King or try a different route such as November, who builds them 28/32. I'd even consider 32/32 if there is a recommended builder.

Once I'm down in weight I'll get back to lighter options. Thanks.

[bm0p700f]

You weight now is important not what you hope your weight is on future.

32 spoke with sapim force spokes or DT alpine III.

Forget Chris king hubs. You can have reliable hubs for less. Steel axles would be good too and a to or steel freehub so that rules in white industries but Shimano ultegra or dura ace are good choices too. Don't forget campagnolo record hubs. Soon miche primato hubs will available with a steel freehub. These have big bearings and a steel rear axle.

Record hubs can come with a Shimano freehub and that what I would go for. They are fully serviceable.

The Easton r90sl rim is another rim you might like.

Then again you don't have to spend as much as you want to to get reliable. There's cheaper rims that will do the job just fine starting as cheap as the kinlin xr22t or 26t, DT Swiss r460 even the pacenti Forza is going to save alot more f money and still look good.

However there is nothing wrong with the hed rim except with tubeless tyres the tyre does not always remain seated at zero pressure.

Spending more does not always mean more reliable. In short record hubs or ultegra with sapim force spokes on a rim you like the look off (probably the hed rims) will be a stout reliable set of wheels that you like.

[pdlpsher1]

Hed Belgium Plus and CK hubs. By far the best choice for you. 24 and 32 spokes front and rear will be sufficient. I’m running 24 and 32 on Hed Belgium Plus on my tandem and no issues. I run 2 cross front and 3 cross rear on spike pattern.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dim]

I have HED Belgium Plus rims with Chris King R45 hubs (the ceramic upgraded bearings), with Sapim Cx Ray spokes ....

a quality wheelset .... I have used them so far for 2,603.8km (on some crappy roads aswell), and they are as true as the day that they were built.

The hubs have to be serviced once or twice a year (depends how many miles you ride) and I am fortunate that the wheelbuilder at my LBS has been on the Chris King course and he knows how to service them properly and he has the correct tools to do so .... costs £40 per service

watch this video ... it explains why the Chris King hubs are special

[Multebear]

I agree with bm0p700f. But you might consider having a more affordable wheelset for your current weight, and then buying the wheelset that you want to keep, when you've lost weight.

Regarding hubs, I love my CK R45. Most racy hubs I've ever ridden.

[Multebear]

For affordable wheels DT R460 rims on Shimano 105 hubs 32/32 would be pretty affordable and durable. Might also serve as winter wheels if you have foul weather, where you live.

[bm0p700f]

2603 km is nothing. A wheelset should be able to 10 times that without going out of true. The hall mark of a good hub is not how freely it spins under no load that is junk test. The hallmark of a good hub set is how cheap and easy it is to maintain over 20,000km or 50,000km. under load pretty much all hub spin as freely as each other.

For example cheap Miche Primato hubs can have the ratchet ring sand the bearings reaplaced along with the freehub of course. so those cheap hubs will keep running until a falnge cracks through fatiugue or the bearing seats distort. That will take a very long time.

If you want expensive and reliable hub try royce. they are not light but have a steel axle and big bearings. aside from bearing changes it is quite hard to wear them out.

[IrrelevantD]

I'm going to echo a few others here and say get a good affordable wheelset, save some money, use it until you get down under 100kg and then keep them around as training/winter wheels. I like Multebear's idea of R460's with 105 hubs, though my last set of wheels I took someone else's suggestion and got Kinlin rims and have been very happy with them. Probably depend more on if you're buying them pre-built or having someone build them.

Regarding hubs, personally I like Shimano; they hold up well, are easily servicable and if you do need to replace parts (cones/balls) they are easy to find and you don't need any special tools. I've had a set of Shimano hubs outlast the rims they were originally built with, then I built them back up with new rims just as good as they were the day I got them.

[jrod88]

Thank you for all of the replies. I know a budget set is probably smart, but this will be a set I will more than likely keep around. I have or have had King hubs on all my bikes, I've had nothing but good experiences with their products across the disciplines. Plus, they just look good!

I'll probably go the less expensive route for a few months and then maybe go 28/28 once I'm below 220. Then I'll have to decide if i want to give Shimano hubs a shot. They get recommended a lot, but I've blown two XT hubs on the mountain bike in the past when I was a "skinny" 175.

I'm down 3 pounds since I started this post, hopefully it'll drop faster once I'm on the bike again.

[bm0p700f]

Ultegtra Hibs don't blow up. Miche primato are pretty robust too.

[Multebear]

If you're looking at Shimano hubs, you might as well look at White Industries T11 hubs as well. They have some of the same advantages. They are rubust, last long, good beefy axle, look very sexy, titanium freehub body (like Dura Ace) and the bearings are standard cartridge bearings, which are replaceable. WI T11 are in my opinion the best all round hubs on the market. Good for both racing and training, both summer and foul weather, comes in different colors and all the spokeconfigs, you'd want.

[fa63]

I am 225 lbs, so between your current and target weight. I have two wheelsets; one with HED Belgium+ and Dura Ace hubs, 32 spokes front and rear, and another also with Belgium+ rims but White Industries T11 hubs and 28 spokes front and rear. I went with DT Comp spokes on both builds. I use the 32 hole wheelset on gravel rides, and the 28 hole one on road rides. Haven’t had any issues with either; both are still as true as the first day.

[bm0p700f]

I mentioned WI hubs earlier but I find the bearings are not that long lived.

[Calnago]

Especially if your riding Campy (not sure you are)... but if that’s the case then Campy Record hubs (only come in 32 hole), laced 3x both sides with DT comps to the Hed rims. Done and done. The only thing is I’d lace the drive side spokes with pulling spokes heads heads out, because on a low profile rim the final spoke crossing will be extremely close to your derailleur cage when it’s on the largest cog, and the pulling spoke under a lot stress (steep climb with a strong heavy rider) will if anything want to pull that crossed spoke inwards toward the wheel center as opposed to pushing it out where it could potentially catch the rear derailleur. It’s not much of a difference, but it’s enough. If you had these wheels, I think they’d support you now and I doubt you’d feel the need for a second lighter set when you reach your target weight. Going from 32 to 28 spokes is nothing in weight compared to what you’d give up in wheel robustness.

[bm0p700f]

I think I suggested that combo in my first reply.

I do wonder why these hubs are overlooked. I suggest them to customers and it's a waste of time.