Home > Event Coverage > Eurobike

EB14: HED Goes Dark w/ Black Series Jet, Ardennes & New GT3 Rear Wheel (Updated)

10 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

2015 HED Jet Black and Ardennes Black road tubeless wheels

HED Cycling has given us one more option for turning our bike into a shadow warrior with their new Jet Black and Ardennes Black road wheels.

Not only to they get a new black anodized alloy outer rim, but the brake track gets a surface machining called Turbine Braking Technology. The result is a stealthy look with a claimed big improvement in stopping power. By a factor of five, according to their testing. That means 25% shorter stopping distance in good, dry conditions, and a whopping 70% shorter stopping distance in wet weather. All with better consistency, too.

They use HED’s 25mm wide clincher design that’s road tubeless ready, and they still use standard alloy rim brake pads…

2015 HED Jet Black and Ardennes Black road tubeless wheels

The new Black series wheels replace their top level FR series. The weights are the same as their Plus series wheels, which should put them at 1492g for the Ardennes Black and 1,734g for the Jet 60 Black with the carbon faring.

2015 HED Jet Black and Ardennes Black road tubeless wheels

The groove pattern is directional, so the front wheel will need to be installed in the right direction (and the tire on in the proper direction if necessary).

2015 HED Jet Black and Ardennes Black road tubeless wheels

Brake pad wear will be a little faster than normal.

2015 HED Jet Black and Ardennes Black road tubeless wheels

They get blacked out versions of the carbon Sonic hubs with Sapim spokes. Prices are $1,500 for the Ardennes and $2,000 for the Jet. That’s about $100 more than the standard versions were.

2015-HED-GT3-tri-spoke-carbon-aero-rear-wheel

For years, HED has offered a GT3 tri-spoke full carbon tubular front wheel and a full disc rear. Now, they’ve got a matching three pronged GT3 for the rear, too.

2015-HED-GT3-tri-spoke-carbon-aero-rear-wheel

UPDATE: Got the tech info, here it is:

  • 700c tubular only
  • $1,600 rear wheel, $1,500 front
  • 830g (670g for the front)
  • 26.5mm rim width
  • 46.5mm rim depth
  • 250lb rider weight limit

2015-HED-GT3-tri-spoke-carbon-aero-rear-wheel

HEDcycling.com

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

10 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Xavier
Xavier
9 years ago

They look amazing. I wonder how the new braking surface will compare to the ones from Mavic and Campagnolo in terms of performance and durability. Is the new Ardennes Black rim going to be sold separately too?

lawyerknowitall
lawyerknowitall
9 years ago

A little faster break pad wear means they are going to wear out so quickly it will be a pain.

Derek
Derek
9 years ago

How long does HED expect the black anodizing to last on the brake track?

Dirty-D
Dirty-D
9 years ago

Derek…

long enough for your check/ credit card transaction to clear then all bets are off!

Hobbanero
Hobbanero
9 years ago

My big issue would be the durability of the black finish. Old Mavic rims and new Flo rims with colored tracks inevitably wore to shiny…..looking crappy in the process.

TimK
TimK
9 years ago

I have used the Belgium Black rims for 5 or 6 months now, and the brake tracks are still as black as new. Hope they stay that way, as they look great!

CXisfun
CXisfun
9 years ago

My Mavic R-SYS SLR look brand new after a year of riding. Hoping these wear (or lack thereof) similarly.

John
John
9 years ago

Tubulars are a PITA for those of us who ride without a team car or neutral support.

I’d buy a set of those black Ardennes clinchers in a heartbeat.

eric
eric
9 years ago

john, tubulars may be a pain (more work to install), but i would not say it has anything to do with riding without a team car or neutral support. in fact, one can generally ride a flat tubular for longer and more safely than one could with a clincher. that’s actually a scenario where it is the opposite of a PITA when you don’t have a team car or neutral. you can be a bit more selective about when you stop after a flat.

also:
“For years, HED has offered a GT3 tri-spoke full carbon tubular front wheel and a full disc rear. Now, they’ve got a matching three pronged GT3 for the rear, too.”

the GT3 is new. should be:
“For years, HED has offered an H3c tri-spoke full carbon tubular …”

Lee
Lee
9 years ago

Bring on Disc’s and pad ware begone.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.