Hed Wheels

Deeper,shorter, disc, wire spoked… which is fastest?

The answer is variable because some wheels work well only in a small range of wind angles (they work great in their sweet spot, but the range isn’t huge). If you look at our drag chart the Stinger and Jet 90s look fabulous at 12.5°, and they are, but at 15° they’re stalled out, and an H3 is a faster wheel. By 20°, a Stinger 6 is faster than a Stinger 9.

Yaw angle on wheels is more than just looking a wind vane and comparing that to the direction you are traveling. Apparent wind is what you and your wheels “see” as you ride. Apparent wind is a vector that figures your forward speed and direction along with the meteorological wind speed and direction. Check our apparent wind calculator here.

In general, the faster a rider goes, the more the apparent wind turns toward 0°. The slower a rider is, the more the apparent wind looks like the actual weather conditions. For example, in an 8mph wind, a 26mph rider “sees” wind angles from 0-17°, depending on the actual wind direction. In the same wind a 20mph rider sees 0-21°.

The next step is some rough figuring of probability. The S9 is stalled by 15°. Out of 360°, the faster rider sees a wind angle 15° or more in 26% of possible wind angles. On any given day, with an 8mph wind the S90 will be the fastest possible wheel ¾ of the time. The 20mph rider sees 15° or more 58% of the time. More often than not the S90 will be slower than an H3.

So, if you are top 20 at the State TT (or faster), a deep wheel like the stinger 9 or Jet 9 is a good choice. BUT, if you are an Ironman age grouper with a bike split of more than 5 ½ hours, that Stinger 9 that the pros are riding is probably going to be a slower wheel than an H3 or Stinger 60.

If you are able, then by all means get several wheels. You will be assured of having the fastest wheel available for nearly any condition. If, like the majority of us, you are limited to a single aero wheelset, then take the time to figure out what wheelset is optimum for you. We’ll help you.

When you get your wheels, RIDE THEM. Train on them. Aero wheels are fast, and our wheels are the fastest, but they’ll feel different than traditional training wheels. Not dangerous different, but you have to get used to them. You will feel the wind more, you’ll come into corners faster. If you only ride your fast wheels on race day, you might never get comfortable and truly fast on them.