HED Belgium + vs. AForce AL33

[MyM3Coupe]

I concur that the AL33 rims are brilliant. In fact I sold a pair of Zipp 303s to get them custom built and can attest they are fast as the Zipps only with better braking. I use the Campagnolo blue pads for PEO coated rims. They work fantastic.

[smokva]

I had 1000km on one set of al33 rims. By far the best alu rims I have ever ridden. Wouldn't blink to buy them if I could find them, looks like they are not available anymore.

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[jesper2913]

I had 1000km on one set of al33 rims. By far the best alu rims I have ever ridden. Wouldn't blink to buy them if I could find them, looks like they are not available anymore.

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dcrwheels still have them it seems.

[clarinet5001]

Really sorry to bring this thread back, but I just recently replaced one of them. It was dented on a group ride back in 2019, I must've hit something. It made a massive cracking sound, bad enough that I thought my bike could be toast. Didn't notice that it was the rim until a couple weeks later when I was in the mountains and 'OMFG THIS BRAKE PULSING!'

I put off replacing it until after Winter figuring a better braking feel wasn't that necessary until I was back in the mountains, plus I would rather pile some miles onto a rim that I'm going to replace anyway...and then COVID happened. I eventually began looking for a replacement in a post-vaccination pre-Delta world but was unable to find one for sale, so I settled on an Easton rim + new spokes for the rebuild. I thought about the new Astral rims but was thinking that the Easton might have a better chance of preserving the wind stability.

So...I have very limited riding time on the new Easton wheel but plenty of time on the AForce. The most noticeable thing to me about the Al33 is just how absurdly, ridiculously stable those rims are in windy conditions compared to any box section clincher I have ridden. "What crosswind?" became a common line of thought. The rims themselves have a slightly harsh feel but that's easily countered by running proper low pressures. They ride really smoothly in the end as a result. The R90 isn't bad at all in this regard but if I were to guess, the extra width rearward of the brake track seems to help a lot with preventing separation. It's also not quite as stiff and noticeably more compliant than the Al33 rim is, but it's still only equal to a small difference in tire pressure.

@ryanbuildswheels I sent you a query message of some sort a while back but it probably slipped through. Someone on reddit tipped me off a couple months ago that you may still have some or know more about how to get them. I'd be all for buying another rim or two for a future build, as I would say they're currently my favorite alloy rim brake rim of all time for road riding.

[romanmoser]

a shame that mismanagement
would have love to have a pair of wheels build with a force al33 rims

[LouisN]

I'm deciding between these two rims for a custom build. I could pick the AL33 (490-505g, 32.5 depth, 19.6 internal, 24.2 - 26.2 external) for its A2 Wind Tunnel test cred, or the Belgium + (460-470g, 24 depth, 20.7 internal, 25 external) for its extra internal width and slightly lighter weight.

Terrain is mostly rolling with more frequent summer mountain trips, and I'll be using them with a 2016 [rim brake by default] Scott Foil. I want to pass on carbon for better braking and much cheaper rim replacement costs long-term. I could consider the AL33 ceramic for that 'sexy carbon look.'

Have any of you tried wheelsets with either or both of these rims and if so, what do you think?

Can't fault HED Belgium rims on any count.

Louis