HED

H3 Deep FR Carbon Tubular Front Wheel

Beijing, the Tour, the Giro -- what do these races have in common? They've all been won on the HED H3 Deep FR Carbon Tubular Front Wheel. Only in production since 2007, the H3D Tubular has been dominating time trials and triathlons at an alarming pace. Even before production, Lance was passing Ullrich with an H3D front wheel during the Prologue of the 2005 Tour. Stiff, aero, and just plain cool looking; the H3 Deep is fast, and you'll be faster for using it.

The H3D FR Tubular Front Wheel is an amalgamation of the Jet 9 Aero rim and the standard H3 FR, but the H3D gives you all of the advantage of the H3 FR design and then some. For one, the aero section of the H3D FR rim is molded from the stiffer and lighter Uni fabric. There are numerous aerodynamic advantages from the 90mm rim depth, as well. As a front wheel, the H3D is faster than the H3 at yaw angles up to 10 degrees. This benefits the beast who is continually riding above 25mph where yaw angles tend to be consistently lower than 10 degrees. However, you will find the inverse to be true for riding under 25mph. This leads to the question of if you'd benefit more from the H3 Deep or the H3. The H3D is HED's fastest non-disc wheel, so anyone specializing in a discipline that prohibits disc wheels, like triathlons, stands to gain a monumental advantage. If your discipline finds your average speed to be below 25mph, the H3 will be your choice of front wheels with the H3D being better suited as a rear.

The H3 Deep is extremely aerodynamic. It utilizes three main components to achieve its low drag ratios: a 90mm deep rim section, airfoil section spokes, and the smooth connection points where the two join. This design has heavily reduced drag resistance from every angle of the wheel. Coming in at only 19mm wide, the deep, V-shaped rim section is designed to minimize drag at shallow yaw angles, and, past 15 degrees, the shape of the airfoil spokes allow airflow passage to keep the wheel from stalling.

The H3D's protection from extreme wind angles is not limited to aerodynamic measures. HED pioneered the wide rim design that dominates today's carbon wheels with what it dubbed C2 Technology. C2 Technology's goal is to reduce the occurrence of the two main drag variables: aerodynamic resistance and rolling resistance. In 2006, HED was set out to correct the problems associated with fitting tires into narrower rims -- problems like higher required pressure, increased rolling resistance, decreased handling, and increased drag. HED found that by making the rim edge wider, a 23mm tire would flow exceptionally well into the rim shape, and thus create a flush aerodynamic profile for optimal airflow. So C2 technology doesn't only address aerodynamics, it also reduces mechanical drag. By increasing the contact patch with the road, C2 further improves the distribution of load and reduces rolling resistance.

The HED H3 Deep FR Tubular front wheel also focuses on rigidity and stability. The carbon layup, resins, and fiber orientations of the H3D are at their most advanced stages to date. When coupled with wider-is-better C2 technology, the wheel develops a startling amount of lateral and torsional rigidity. To ice the cake, HED has also developed a 'secret weapon' that it calls Stability Control Technology (SCT) to effectively tame crosswind at any angle to the wheel. SCT is so secret that HED will not detail the process publicly, but the performance value is instantly recognizable upon usage.

Unparalleled quality control, aerodynamic design, and rim shape innovation set the H3 Deep FR Tubular Front Wheel apart from the pack. Decades of H3 podium finishes have reinforced that HED is better following the beat of its own drum, and that eventually, all others will follow.

The H3 Deep Tubular Front Wheel includes a titanium skewer and ratchet ring. Note that the maximum recommended user weight is 250lbs.