Hed belgium/ardennes +...tire selection?

[mass_biker]

Question on the new breed of "oversized" clinchers - i.e. belgium/ardennes +...

Is it

1) Optimal to run 700x23 that lie "flat" to the rim width - these spread out much wider than 23 however, but offer a relatively smooth transition between rim/braking surface and sidewall

2) Not much RR "expense" or weight to run a 700x25 - these spread out meaningfully wider than 25c, offer a slightly less than aero transition but are not too portly/not too punitive re: rolling resistance (supposedly).

Also - if there are riders <150lb running these, how low can you go re: pressure? Please keep in mind that my frame of reference is 700x20 or 23 pumped up to a zillion for fear of flatting...

Thanks for your input.

m_b

[kppolich]

Hi there,

155lb ish rider here who rides both HED Belgium+ and Jet 6+ wheels tubeless
Here is a resrouce that shows what tires fill up to what width (mm) on those rims and others:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10N2CSzHA_Cn210CNbGi0hbd0VpSoHd0TF4uDUO4SPsQ/edit?usp=sharing

I have run Schwalbe Pro 1 700x25s and GP 5000TL 700x28's.
The Schwalbe's plump up to 28mm and are a taller tire. I ran these at 50 psi front and 55psi rear for a nice plush and fast ride.

The Continental GP5000 TLs are more true to size at 28 as 700x28's. Race wheels run at 55 front and 58 rear.

I have run under 50 in the front but on a road tire it gets a little sloppy compared to a gravel king or something 700x35.

[ScottW]

I have Ardennes+ and ran GP4Ks2 (with latex tubes) at 80 psi rear and 70 front, but I weigh 170-175 lbs. At those pressures the Contis measure right near 27 mm. I have recently put on a set of Corsa G+ (not 2.0) but haven't measured their actual width yet.

True, 23s should measure slightly slimmer and closer to rim external width. But these are not really proper aero wheels to begin with (although they roll along just fine for me) so that factor would not outweigh the comfort & handling benefits of running 25s at lower pressures, which is why I bought these wheels in the first place. If aerodynamics was dominant in your decision process, you would want rims that are significantly deeper than 25mm anyway.

I've been really happy with 25s on Ardennes+ as an all-rounder setup in the rolling terrain I ride most often.

[yinzerniner]

I have Ardennes+ and ran GP4Ks2 (with latex tubes) at 80 psi rear and 70 front, but I weigh 170-175 lbs. At those pressures the Contis measure right near 27 mm. I have recently put on a set of Corsa G+ (not 2.0) but haven't measured their actual width yet.

True, 23s should measure slightly slimmer and closer to rim external width. But these are not really proper aero wheels to begin with (although they roll along just fine for me) so that factor would not outweigh the comfort & handling benefits of running 25s at lower pressures, which is why I bought these wheels in the first place. If aerodynamics was dominant in your decision process, you would want rims that are significantly deeper than 25mm anyway.

I've been really happy with 25s on Ardennes+ as an all-rounder setup in the rolling terrain I ride most often.

There are a lot of variables at play without simplifying it down to base numbers. But with this specific example for Hed Belgium/Ardennes + wouldn't recommend anything that measures smaller than 25mm when inflated to 80 PSI, nor anything larger than 32mm. With an Inner Diameter of 21mm anything smaller than that runs the risk of the tire having a squared off profile with the contact patch exceeding the width of the tread. So for clincher, 23mm GP4k or Corsas, 24mm Turbo Cotton, or other larger-measuring tires. For tubeless 23mm gen1 Pro One, or 25mm GP5K or gen2 Pro One.

Anything larger than 32mm will come with a big weight penalty that really effects the ride characteristics of the rims.

Aero benefits for tire to rim interface generally follow the 105% rule, so with the HEDs any tire will generally not be that aero which is OK since the 24mm rim height really doesn't save many watts. Which is OK since they're not really marketed as such. What you'll get is a light, responsive, strong rim that brakes like an F1 car and will last basically forever.