How to Videos:
Hed Sonic FR Hub - Shimano to Campagnolo conversion - Watch videoHed Sonic Hub - Shimano to Campagnolo conversion - Watch video
Hed Sonic FR Hub - Shimano 10 to Shimano 11 conversion - Watch video
Hed Sonic Hub - Shimano 10 to Shimano 11 conversion - Watch video
Visit our photo album for internal images of our hubs - Watch video
How to install our valve extenders - Click here
FAQ:
Q. Can I convert my HED wheels to the new Shimano 11 speed setup?
A. Short answer, yes! All of our wheels with the exception of H3s and discs can be converted.
In order to get the right parts needed for the conversion please look at this chart (HUB CHART). If you order the conversion kit through us or have a shop do it, please indicate what hub you have so we get the right kit out to you.
Conversion kit on our store: Conversion Kit
Q. WHAT IS STALL ANGLE?
A.Deep section wheels are fast because they streamline the airflow as it passes over the wheel surface. The smoother or more laminar the airstream as the flow leaves the wheel, the faster it goes. If the wind angle, or yaw, is too much (the wind is coming more from the side instead of head-on) the wheel stalls. As a wheel stalls airflow no longer comes off the wheel smoothly, instead it leaves the surface and becomes turbulent. As the yaw gets steeper, airflow is turbulent at the wheel surface as too, and even more turbulent as it leaves the wheel.
When a wheel stalls out, drag increases, because the wind no longer "sees" an aero shape that it can flow over smoothly; instead the wheel looks more like a flat surface. Instead of flowing over, the wind pushes on the rim. Turbulence as airflow leaves the wheel creates constantly changing pressure gradient on the downwind side and starts to buffet the wheel. A wheel that is hard to handle is a wheel that has stalled. The deeper the rim, the higher the drag when it stalls. The greater the stall angle, the more crosswind a wheel can tolerate before it stalls out, slows down, and gets hard to steer.
Q. Dear Mr. Hedtech, please explain the difference between Stingers and Jets. Can I train on them?
A. Stingers are tubular only, and jets can be ordered tubular or clincher. This may be all the information you need to make up your mind.
Beyond that, the wheels have different construction: Stingers are bladder molded in one step. They have a carbon brake surface. Jets are made in two steps. The carbon aero section is molded first. The second step is bonding it to the alloy substrate.
Either wheelset will stand up to hard training and racing, but I would give the edge to the Jet. On a 1-10 scale Jets are 10, equal to a hand built 32 hole traditional wheelset. Stingers would be a 9. I have commuted extensively and cyclocrossed on them without issue.
Q. Dear Mr. Hedtech, how much PSI should I run in my C2 rims?
A. Our wider C2 rims should be run at AT LEAST 11% lower pressure than you would use in the same tires on a 19mm rim. I weigh 165 lbs and run 22mm tires at 80-90 psi. Because the C2 rim is wider, your tire's air volume is greater than it would be on a 19mm rim and PSI needs to decrease.
Excessive pressure will do two things:
- Compress the rim slightly and decrease spoke tension
- Harden the tire to such a degree that it no longer has the small amount of flex that it would have at a lower pressure or on a narrower rim. The flex is both lateral and vertical. In the case of the wheel rubbing the brakes or frame, lateral flex is what we are concerned with. As frames and wheels have gotten stiffer and stiffer over the past decade, torsional force on a bike has gotten more noticeable.
Q. How come you don't offer ceramic bearings?
A. While initially faster, ceramic bearings will wear out because they don't have contact seals. Contact seals are important in bearings because they keep the road grime out of the bearings. Without these seals the bearings will wear out very fast. We build all of our hubs with a high quality steel bearing that creates a low drag wheel with the durability you expect from HED. wheels. The same hubs our pro riders ride are the same hubs you get when you buy our wheels. If they are good enough for the Tour riders they will be perfect for your races or rides
Q. Is it true that you have to be riding above 20 mph for aero wheels to make a difference?
A. The faster you go, the more power you produce. Efficient use of this power depends on how good your aerodynamics are. The time savings provided by aero wheels are always going to be proportional to the power of the rider. It doesn't matter whether you produce 300 watts or 150 watts. In fact, slower riders may not be going at the same speed as faster ones, but aero wheels actually save them an even greater amount of time over the same distance. The only exception is on hills with a grade of more than 6%.
Q. Can certain wind angles push a rider along?
A. Think of a guy in a rowing boat, using X amount of power to move along. Then erect a sail the size of a disc wheel. The surface area of this sail isn't enough to propel him without rowing as well, but it will make the rowing feel easier. This is how a disc wheel works at beneficial wind angles.
Q. Is aerodynamic performance more important than weight savings?
A. Let's look at a few figures. Assume a rider uses a conventional bike over a 25 mile flat course time trial. He weighs 150 lb, his bike is another 20 lb, and he is producing 185 watts of power. The aero drag with this scenario would be approximately 6.5 lb using aero bars into a 2 mph headwind of between 0 and 5 degrees. With his standard bike, our rider's time would be around 1 hour 7 minutes and 38 seconds. If we reduced the weight of his bike by three pounds, that time would come down by just 3 seconds. However, swap the wheels to an aero design and the drag could be reduced to 6 lb. Even with the additional quarter pound weight of the new wheels, his time saving over 25 miles jumps dramatically to over 1 minute 30 seconds. No contest.
Q. Are Deep rim aero wheels difficult to true?
A. No, but you will need a 5.5mm socket type tool. All wire spoked Hed wheels should be trued with a socket tool. You will have to remove the tire to do this.
Q. How much time could I save in a 25 mile time trial by switching to aero rims?
A. It depends on the wheels. Using our 150 lb test rider in an aero tuck as a model, switching to aero wheels will typically save between 1 minute 30 seconds and 2 minutes over a flat 25 mile course. Using a Deep front and Disc rear, two minutes is a realistic figure.
Q. If I smash one of the alloy rims on a HED wheel, can a new rim be bonded to the carbon?
A. No, however, we will repair or replace the damaged wheel for less than the cost of a new one.
Q. How do I fix a computer magnet to a H3 front wheel?
A. You can glue a magnet onto the surface of an H3 with 2 part epoxy (any hardware store epoxy should be fine). A small rare earth magnet is the best for your magnet. We stock such a magnet, you can call and order them.
Q. Ok, last question, How do I use the valve extenders that came with my wheels?
A. Instructions on how to install our valve extenders can be found here: Link