Wider is Better: HED Belgium C2 Clincher Rim
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| 23 mm wide rim (L) vs. 19 mm rim (R) |
The HED Belgium C2 clincher is a 23
mm wide scandium aluminum alloy rim in sea of aluminum road rims. This new road rim
width standard is being adopted currently by almost all major brands
due to its ability to deliver better cornering characteristics and ride
quality out of tires. The larger volume created by the increased rim diameter allows for lower pressure in the tire. Additionally, a 25 mm Continental Grand Prix tire measures 28.2 mm on the Belgium rim when inflated to 95 psi. creating greater comfort without sacrificing rolling resistance. HED is one of the innovators of this rim size for road bikes and they
outline their case for the Ardennes C2 SL wheels on their website stating;
“But what makes 23mm better than the
ubiquitous 19mm rim width? Picture a standard 23mm tire on the C2 rim. Tire and
rim width are the same, the sidewalls are fairly straight, and the width of the
rim spreads the tread contact patch out. With straighter sidewalls, and more
rubber on the road, cornering is an entirely new experience. The sidewalls
don’t flop over in a hard corner, and more rubber on the road is, well… better.
C2s should be run with lower pressure, since there is more air volume in the
wider tire profile. The same tire on a 19mm rim looks more like the profile of
a light bulb. The curved sidewalls flop over under hard cornering, there is
less rubber on the road, and more air pressure is needed to prevent pinch
flats.”
It may sound like hype but it’s true, and it’s the main reason so many other companies are following suit. I have been using the HED Belgium C2 rim on the majority of my custom wheels for the last two years. This 23 mm wide scandium rim is the best of the wide rims out there for road riding and racing on the market. Ask around, and you’ll see many riders and wheel builders agree. The machining is perfect. The weld is smooth. Every rim is perfectly round and tensions up seamlessly to yield an evenly tensioned, stiff wheel that rarely, if ever, goes out of true. Not to mention they are much lighter than a standard aluminum rim in the same width.
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| Riders during the Deerfield Dirt Road Rondonee (D2R2) in Shelburne Falls, Ma - The perfect environment for a great set of wide rims with 28 c road tires to make you want to bicycle samba all day. |
I’ve received a lot of feedback on these from my customers who abuse them regularly on the plethora of dirt roads that Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont and every single person is blown away at how responsive their bike becomes and that the wheels never need truing after 6 hour dirt road sessions back to back where their other wheel sets have failed miserably. I tell them it’s because of the reduced rotational weight and that 23 mm width really stiffens the wheel. Because scandium is so light yet incredibly strong I can use fewer spokes at higher tension giving the wheel a really lively feel without sacrificing durability or strength. I regularly build up 1450 gram wheel sets with this rim and my 200 lb’s is brutally honest when it comes to wheel performance. Comparatively ,a ZIPP 303 clincher wheel set weighs 25 grams more and may land you in divorce court when she finds out how much you spent on wheels…for a bicycle.
Other features that make this rim
nice are the technical attention to detail like the offset spoke holes on the
inside of the rim that makes building them easy. No having to fight to keep the
spoke straight when installing nipples. The matte finish has a kind of subdued
lusty appeal when contrasted with the high polish machined brake track. The
rims cost about $150.00 each, so what, there worth it! Virtually every company
who makes wheels has a 23 mm. rim in the lineup, but few that have welded and
machined seams or the performance and feel of scandium, besides, HED were the
first to run with the 23 mm width for road rims and they continue to innovate
and expand with the Belgium + rim at 25 mm. wide, tubeless, and an option of
disc specific sidewalls. There are some cheaper alternatives but after riding
the Belgium C2 rim they won’t even be an option.
These photos were taken before the snow started flying here but the wind that day was upwards of 40 mph. Now that winter is in full swing it's a good time to start planning for a wheel set that will bring you some results in the spring. Contact me : gene_ruiter@cycleloft.com 781-272-0870
for more info or to Demo a set of wheels that could change the way you ride.
