Wheels are popular aftermarket items to sell. Few
things can so quickly change the look and feel of your bicycle, and
there’s no doubt a good wheel set can improve the performance of any
bicycle.Then again, there’s a lot of marketing hype out there. Wheels
are not magical – the lightest of the light really aren’t going to make
you go uphill all that much faster (it’s surprising how little effect
they really do have), and even the most aerodynamic $5,000.00 set of
wheels won’t make as much difference as a $150.00 Giro Advantage II
helmet. Still, they do make a difference and, best of all, they look really, really cool. As
many of you know, I’m not always willing to buy into all the marketing
hype when it comes to wheels, but I’ve recently discovered a wheel set
that is changing the rules, changing how wheels can have an effect on
performance, and changing how much you have to pay for…well, change!The HED Ardennes is a great set of hoops that really do make a difference, but do so in a nice, understated way.They look like your average wheel set, but they’re actually quite different, and they’re now my favorites.
The Ardennes (pronounced “are-den”) come from the mind of Steve Hed, a man who is as nice and honest as he is brilliant.Steve is responsible for a good part of what we know about bicycle aerodynamics these days.When
you see deep-section aero wheels, tri-spokes, disc wheels, etc., many
of the latest development/improvements come from HED Cycling.What
I love about his products, besides the advancement of technology, is
how he goes about doing everything so subtly and simply.Steve is not about flash – he wants function.No hype, just performance.When
Steve Hed makes a statement about whether something truly works, or
doesn’t, you can be sure there’s no BS surrounding his claims.The
entire company reflects this philosophy, and I think no product says
this more than the Ardennes – these wheels may change the way all
wheels are made in the future, but you have to look close to know why.Let’s look close!
Not flashy, but they still look good
I’m going to use content from the HED web site quite a bit because I like how they describe certain things.When I do so, the typeface will be in blue, so you know the difference.Of
course, you can also tell the difference because what they write is far
more comprehensible then what comes from my finger tips.What makes the Ardennes special?Three things…or really four…okay let’s settle on 3.5.The
HED Ardennes are simultaneously aerodynamic & lightweight; they
also happen to decrease rolling resistance & provide a more
comfortable ride (the last to go together and, therefore, equal “1.5”).How do they accomplish this?HED utilizes their new “C2” rim extrusion technique, which creates a wider rim – 23mm instead of the common standard, 19mm.Here’s how HED describes it:
On
a 23mm wide rim, the tire beads are farther apart and the tire profile
is shorter and rounder. Put a 20mm or (especially) a 23mm tire on a
19mm rim and the resulting profile looks more or less like a lightbulb.
Even with an aero rim behind it,the wind still "sees" a bulb at both ends of the wheel.
On the C2 wheels, a 20mm tire looks like a bullet, and even a 23 does
not hang over the brake surface. The wind "sees" a smoother shape. The
result is that you are faster.
C2 has:
- Lower
drag. The airflow is more laminar and less turbulent as it transitions
from the tire surface to the rim surface (and from rim to tire on the
trailing edge of the wheel).
- Lower
rolling resistance. Widening out the tire improves the shape of the
contact patch, making it shorter front to back, and wider. A shorter
contact patch means that a smaller section of sidewall deflects at the
ground. Less sidewall deflection - lower rolling resistance.
- Vastly
improved cornering, sprinting, and out of the saddle climbing.
Cornering is better because there is more rubber in contact with the
road, and just as important, the straightened sidewalls don't flex as
much under hard cornering. With less sidewall flex, sprinting, and out
of the saddle climbing, are both more efficient since less energy is
lost to tire flex.
This graphic is a bit overstated, I guess, but you get the picture. Yes, I see the mis-spelling! Get over it.
The
cool thing about the Ardennes is that you can feel the difference
between how a tire changes it’s shape between a regular rim, and the
Ardennes rim, by running your fingers across the casing and rim surface.It’s clearly smoother, and logic tells you that it must be more aerodynamic.Keep
in mind the words written above: the wind “sees” the tire/rim interface
twice as it passes over the wheel – front and back of each wheel.Mark my words, every manufacturer will soon start creating wider rims based on just the aero advantage the Ardennes provide.If
you’d like to feel the difference for yourself, my Felt is equipped
with a set of Ardennes’, and you’re more than welcome to run your
fingers across them.
Now for the ride of the Ardennes wheels.I
think the best way I can describe it is that’s it’s very similar to the
comfort you feel going from a 20mm tire to a 25mm tire.It’s clearly a smoother ride.I
still think the Shimano Tubeless wheels are a little smoother, but the
Ardennes’ are very close, and given the aero advantage and reduction in
rolling resistance, I think this wheel set is really tough to beat.The price? $975.00.In
a world of $2200.00+ wheels which provide less advantage, but more
fluff, I think the Ardennes are the best thing going right now.
Oh, I almost forgot…they weigh 1340 grams out of the box.That’s actually lighter than HED’s claimed weight.Like I said…honest guy that Steve Hed.
Edit: Cyclingnews.com just did a review on these puppies, and called them the best clinchers they've ever ridden!