HED Belgium/ENVE 4.5 Wheelsets - once more with feeling

[Ciavete]

Greetings! This will be my first custom wheelset to complement my first custom frame, a fantastic gift for having successfully reached 50 years of age. I do mostly 50 mile rides, charity rides, centuries from time to time, and I'm signed-up for the 8-day 525 mile SF to LA Arthritis Foundation ride next month.

My frame will be a Pegoretti Responsorium. (Steel all the way for the lucky old man!)

In reading reviews there's loads of talk about stiffness, aero, climbing, descending & responsiveness. All good stuff, but I'm still left wondering what would feel the best - sort of like how steel feels better to my banged-up body - over the many miles I hope to put on the bike. I wonder which wheelset would be a better partner to the qualities of the frame. I realize these are intangible, subjective matters.

So any intangible, subjective thoughts out there? Thanks in advance, and cheers!

[MattTuck]

I don't ride carbon wheels, so can't speak to that.

But for riding smoothness/comfort, I hope you'll be running 25 or bigger tires. :banana:

[BobbyJones]

As mentioned many times before, tire choice and pressure has a huge effect on comfort, maybe more so than the wheelset itself.

In my personal case, I find a big difference in ride quality between a simple 10 psi on my C2 rims without giving up noticable speed.

[zap]

My frame will be a Pegoretti Responsorium. (Steel all the way for the lucky old man!)



Campagnolo Bora 35.

or

other Campagnolo wheel set of your choosing.

Anything else will just result in a lot of bickering.

[oldpotatoe]

Greetings! This will be my first custom wheelset to complement my first custom frame, a fantastic gift for having successfully reached 50 years of age. I do mostly 50 mile rides, charity rides, centuries from time to time, and I'm signed-up for the 8-day 525 mile SF to LA Arthritis Foundation ride next month.

My frame will be a Pegoretti Responsorium. (Steel all the way for the lucky old man!)

In reading reviews there's loads of talk about stiffness, aero, climbing, descending & responsiveness. All good stuff, but I'm still left wondering what would feel the best - sort of like how steel feels better to my banged-up body - over the many miles I hope to put on the bike. I wonder which wheelset would be a better partner to the qualities of the frame. I realize these are intangible, subjective matters.

So any intangible, subjective thoughts out there? Thanks in advance, and cheers!

Tubulars

[FlashUNC]

Tubulars in 25c. The rest will just be picking fly poop out of the pepper.

Belgiums vs ENVE is a bit apples and oranges too.

Low profile alloy vs higher profile carbon.

[kgreene10]

I have HED Belgiums on CK r45 hubs and gave had Reynolds DV46c wheels (v shape) as well as Bontrager Aeolus 3 D3 clinchers that are shaped like the Enve wheels. The choice is obvious for me. The Enve wheels with 25 tires will be more comfortable, stiffer, and faster. If it's in the budget, get these. To make the ride even more sublime, latex tubes. I personally would forego the tubulars for all but racing.

[-dustin]

Personal opinion is that HED will leave you wondering, but not excessively 'wanting', different wheels. They work, they work well, and really you don't have to worry about them. Slap some comfy tires on, and you won't look back.

Having ridden 3.4s, various HED builds, and many other carbon clinchers, it only took me a few rides to decide to sell the Enves.

[LegendRider]

Personal opinion is that HED will leave you wondering, but not excessively 'wanting', different wheels. They work, they work well, and really you don't have to worry about them. Slap some comfy tires on, and you won't look back.

Having ridden 3.4s, various HED builds, and many other carbon clinchers, it only took me a few rides to decide to sell the Enves.

They seem to get great reviews, so I'm curious what you didn't like about the Enves.

[professerr]

I have HED Ardennes, and they feel different and better than all my other clinchers in back to back comparisons using exactly the sames bike, tires and tubes. Whether this is due to the effect their greater width has on the tire profile, tire volume, rim stiffness or what, I can't say. But they absorb and dampen bumps better and feel more secure, compliant and stable while descending. My other clinchers are Dura-Ace 24s and various handbuilts using standard Mavic and DT Swiss rims.

[-dustin]

They seem to get great reviews, so I'm curious what you didn't like about the Enves.
It's not that I didn't like them, they just weren't mind blowing. And for a $3000 wheelset, I need to ride them and think "holy ····." I didn't. I thought "wow...glad I didn't pay retail for these."

For what it's worth, I ride the newer Reynods Attacks. Those were very surprising. Wife rides 46 Aeros. Those made me say "holy ····."

[radsmd]

Did the same ride the last 2 years, skipping this year.

Used Enve 3.4 tubulars for both rides, with a couple of days on Enve 25's when I got a flat on a rear 3.4. Wheel choice will really depend on the type of rider and riding you like to do.

If you like to ride fast, the enves will be faster. There will be w few people on the ride who will like riding faster. However, most will take their time and enjoy the scenery. If you are in this camp, then the Belgiums would not be a hindrance.

If this is your first AF CCC, then the best advise to you is to slow down and enjoy the ride. There is amazing scenery, great people, and nice stops along the way. The only thing you gain from hammering from start to finish is getting to camp early and hanging out drinking the supplied beer/wine, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[radsmd]

Some campy hyperons would be my first choice though on that build.

[ptourkin]

My friend just did the same 5-day ride for Aids Life Cycle in a nun habit on a Dutch Zusterfiets nun bike that weighed about 50 pounds. Pick your wheels for the long term - the difference isn't going to matter that much on a 5 day ride that's mostly just rollers.

[soulspinner]

Congrads on a great birthday gift. Many great suggestions above.:beer:

[Tickdoc]

I have a set of 3.4 clinchers with 240 hubs and they are a fast and quiet set of wheels. And they brake well without squeal. Another plus is they don't toss you around in a crosswind.

I decided based on the technology of spoke attachment as well as many favorable reviews. And they were hanging in the shop looking sexy and lonely.

I don't think you would go wrong with either brand, though.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/Handgod/61FA8ACB-1769-4BAF-9D54-62EC44922494_zpsj9a2ud4i.jpg

[Ciavete]

Thank you all for the insights, and the birthday bike congrats! Much appreciated.

Was originally thinking Campy wheels to match Campy components. It's a Pegoretti after all. On the components, however much I wish otherwise, I'm just not a fan of the ergo thumb shifter. I'd sometimes clumsily and unintentionally deploy it on a previous bike when I'd hop off the saddle to climb. Or just jam my thumb against it. My buddies in Italy won't forgive me, but I'm looking at Shimano. I have Dura Ace on a bike now and prefer the ergonomics.

I could get Fulcrum (still Campy - and Italy!) wheels. But from what I've read I'd like to get Chris King hubs for the quality and local-made (US) factors. Plus the company seems very cool. That's what led me to HED and ENVE as build options.

Clearly my head is spinning on the wheelset question (couldn't resist!).

Okay I'm off to research remedial courses on using Campy thumb shifters. Should that fail I'm now leaning toward HED. Thanks again everyone!

[jwess1234]

I don't own the exact wheels in clinchers, but close: (i) Hed Belgium laced to King R45 (20/24); and (ii) Enve 3.4 lace to Powertap G3, DT Swiss front (20/24).

In short, I suggest the Enve's unless you will be doing a lot of descending with substantial braking. The Enve's are a bit stiffer and you can feel that very direct acceleration out of the saddle or when climbing. They are also wider than my Belgiums and I like the increased volume and tire patch (although I know there is a + rim now from HED). Hard to say how much is in my head, but the Enve's do seem to keep speed a bit easier especially above 22/23.

If you won't be doing a lot of hard braking descents, have the money, and are at all curious about deeper carbon wheels I'd go with the 4.5s. I still had the bug for carbon wheels (and also a powermeter) that caused me to add to the quiver after having a really nice set of Hed Belgiums. At least for 3.4s, these are not worlds apart and I think you would be extremely happy on the Hed's--particularly if you don't easily get the upgrade bug.

Good luck making the decision. Happy to answer any specific questions you have.

[velomonkey]

I've had a lot of wheels, least of all Enve 3.4 clinchers. Those wheels really, really let me down. They just did not ride nice. Mattered not what tires I used or what PSI - they just didn't ride well and the breaking was sub-par and the breaking was non-existent if it was wet.

There was a whole thing on this on weight weenies - some dude had enough cash to get Enve 3.4 and Bora 35mm and ride both - he sold the Enve's and almost everyone agreed with him.

I just really didn't like those wheels - not all that aero, not all that light, didn't ride well and too much money. I did a straight up trade on this forum for a set of Bora Ones 50mm tubular. Such a better wheel. Tubular will always beat clincher in any wheel, however, I think you need to give some thought to Bora 35mm in clincher or tubular. It's wide, it has campy quality, and it's got a better braking surface. The Bora One is probably the best deal wheel out there right now. You want to treat yourself real nice, get the Bora Ultra.

Bora wheels come Campy AND Shimano.

[pdmtong]

I don't think Dario widened his frames yet so even thought you have a Belgium C2, you may still be limited to 25 max in the rear. shame if you got a dream wheelset that took wide tires that then wouldn't fit the frame.

[jghall]

If clinchers, go Hed. Personally, I see little value in carbon clinchers. Now tubular, would be a different story.

Good luck with search. And happy b-day.