Wheels: Alloy Hunt to Hed Jet 6+

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BKSmarty
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 5:27 pm
Location: USA

by BKSmarty

I went aero for the first time today. Here is my initial report.

I've been slowly building this 2019 Trek Emonda (mostly) aluminum rim brake carbon killer and it's almost home -- I'll update with specs on the original thread soon, and thanks for all the suggestions there.

I decided to go with with this box-new Hunt Race Aero Wide wheelset, with equally new 25mm Schwalbe Pro Ones, set up tubeless and ridden at about 85 lbs.
https://us.huntbikewheels.com/products/ ... eep-24wide
The wheels arrived almost exactly 5% more than the advertised weight, 1571g instead of 1496g. The price was a big factor. And the price for the Shwalbes were about $50/tire, in stock and quickly delivered in the USA, which seemed cheap, in addition to existing, so double word score. $549 was good bang for buck for the weight on the wheels too -- well, for the advertised weight on the wheels. I've been told this is the standard 5% weight marketing lie.

It turns out I like them!

Apparently the hubs matter. I assume the low price includes some pretty average hubs, but I'm no hub connoisseur, so they seem fine to me.

I've been riding this setup for a bit while I tinker and adjust. I'm willing to embrace controversy and reveal two things that I believe to be largely superstitions are allergies and bicycle aerodynamics -- probably because I'm fortunate to have no allergies, and I tend to move slowly on a bicycle.

I have since been corrected by my old-timer cycling guru that air resistance is a scientific fact, and that wheels are where it matters. So I got myself a pair of used Hed Jet 6+ rim brake baddies, and today I tried them out. The tubeless setup on the Hunts defeated me (I folded quickly) so I had paid my LBS to do my dirty work. The Heds are likely to be my alternates -- I know they are better, realer wheels, universe-wise, but this is the ww forum and I'm an aero denier. The Heds weighed in at about 1770g, bare, without skewers if memory serves. So I thought I'd try another weird-to-me setup that was easier and cheaper, though not that much cheaper, than tubeless. I got new Continental 5000 28s, put a pink silca latex tube in the back and a bright orange tubolito polywhatever in the front. I filled them to about 75lbs and took them out.

I just got back from a shakedown ride. The Heds with lower pressure 28s are are indeed better over bumps than the Hunts with 25s and higher pressure! They seem to handle with more stiffness and they feel less squirrelly than the Hunts at first blush. Maybe its the advantage of extra rotational weight. The biggest and most undeniable difference is the noise. These things resonate like I have two plastic barrels rolling underneath me. It's shocking to me how loud they are. The Hed freehub is also louder than the Hunt, which seemed pretty darn loud to begin with. I understand there is a religious belief about louder freehubs being better, and maybe there is a reason for that, but to me a fast car should be loud and a fast bicycle should be silent.

I had no opinion about aethetics until I stood back, and the Heds definitely look cooler.

This is 7.55 kg as pictured.
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mvcap
Posts: 176
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 9:50 pm

by mvcap

I'm a fan of mine. I also always expect them to be worse than they actually are in the wind, as they're deep but they really handle the wind rather well.

I have some Mavic Ksyrium Elites which are alloy, lighter, great wheels also, which at times I use on this same bike, but the Heds at lower pressure sure make my Aluminum Allez Sprint ride less harsh. It's noticeable how much more cush the ride is.

I did have an issue with my rear hub but after 2 replacements (and a very rude customer service rep) HED seems to have gotten it right. Interestingly, the hub sounds far quieter now whereas the louder original was my preference.

Great looking Emonda, I'm a sucker for the bluerple!
Screenshot_20220517-211217.jpg
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