Hed Designs HED Jet 50 wheelsets - clincher Reviews

Price Paid:  $880.00 at E-Bay

Favorite Ride:
Steep Hills

Bike Setup:
kestrel talon/rt 700

Summary:
Won an ebay bid for a set of Stallion Hed Jet 50's in Dec 2008. I cleaned them up, had them trued, installed on bike. Rode for a month, the rear hub seized. Sent them to Hed for rebuild, no worries. Rode them for a year, rear hub seized. Sent them back, May 2010, rode them for a month, rear hub seized. Went to the local wheel builder, tells me Hed installs cheap chinese ceramic/steel bearings. Installed taiwan bearings, (big difference), no problems. Use swiss ceramic bearings, and Taiwan steel bearings. Hed sells a great product, however, they use cheap crap chinese bearings. Find a good wheel builder, have them install quality bearings, end.

Strengths:
Sweet looking, stiff, excellent service/product.

Weaknesses:
Crap chinese ceramic/steel bearings
Hed no longer uses ceramic bearings.

Similar Products Used:
none

Comments

kestrel fixation (09/05/2010)

Wheels Manufacturing carries quality steel bearings for the sonic hubs

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Price Paid:  $1400.00 at LBS

Bike Setup:
Colnago C50, 11sp Super Record, etc.

Summary:
This review is for the Jet 4 C2. Great product so far. With about 5,000 km on them, absolutely no problems. Aluminum rim plus non-structural carbon fairing gives best of both worlds. No worries about cracks or melting brake surfaces as for structural carbon rims, and (in real world terms) they're just as aero.

Strengths:
Aero, simple, bombproof, no worries. Clear speed advantage once you're doing about 30 kph (20 mph). Perfectly reasonable weight.

Weaknesses:
None to speak of, unless you like the look of dimples. Noticeable drag in sealed bearings, but all modern sealed hubs seem bad this way.

Similar Products Used:
None - these were my first aero wheels.

Price Paid:  $2000.00

Bike Setup:
Cervelo R3 Campy Record Mavic ES and Zipp 404 Tubs wheels

Summary:
This review is for the 2008 HED JET 60 C2 wheelset clinchers these wheels rock ! stiff (86kg = me)and once up to speed just keep rolling and rolling. I was a little concerned as a overseas purchase I was buying them with out the chance to touch & feel hubs etc but not a prob. ridden over most types of terrain a few unavoidable pot holes and still going strong. Cross winds not much of an issue just use a lower profile front wheel and keep rear Jet 60 and that works well.

Strengths:
excellent at speed, stiff and reasonable weight (lighter than Mavic Carbones)

Weaknesses:
not as quick as a Zipp 404 off the mark but keep speed better.

Similar Products Used:
Zipp 404, Mavic Carbones

Price Paid:  $850.00 at Dealer

Favorite Ride:
Alpine Loop in Utah

Bike Setup:
Giant TCR full carbon, Full DA

Summary:
These have been good wheels for flat fast rides.
I notice them being a little faster than my Ksyrium SL's in the A-group hammer fest.
They are aluminum with a carbon fairing.
I like them for riding in the midwest, but leave them home when I ride in the rockies.

Strengths:
Spin easy, slippery at 20+ mph.
Look great on my Giant TCR that has a matching clear coat finish with blue and grey lettering.

Weaknesses:
Not really stiff. I get a bit of brake rub when I hammer hard. Not the lightest climbers in the world.
I found them to be pretty unstable on fast descents with gusty cross winds.

Price Paid:  $700.00 at Ebay new

Favorite Ride:
3 to 4 days after a really hard ride

Bike Setup:
Schneider custom steel with Campy Chorus

Summary:
I wanted an aero clincher rim that was reasonably light that did not require special brake pads. The jet 50 met these requirements well.

Strengths:
does everthing well and not effected by cross winds.

Weaknesses:
You have to be very careful not to ding the carbon faring when handling the wheel. Not a problem as long as you are aware of this.

Similar Products Used:
No other deep rim aero wheels. Open pro, Rolf Vigor and Rolf Aero Alan