HED Jet 5 Express Carbon Road Wheelset - Clincher - Road Bike Shop

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HED Jet 5 Express Carbon Road Wheelset - Clincher
Price: $1349.95
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HED doesn't fall victim to marketing hype. Even though it is a true innovator and holds several patents for torodial rim shapes and wind-cheating technologies, you don't often hear it making a big deal about an innovation. More often than not, the innovations show up as subtle changes in each line. The Jet 5 Express Clincher Wheelset is no exception. Its quality speaks louder than any marketing hype.HED's Jet 5 Express fits, quite logically, in between the Jet 4 and Jet 6 models. It features a 54mm rim depth, yet it shares a closer kinship with the 60mm Jet 6, rather than the 44mm Jet 4. This size differential says something to HED's general wheel philosophy: Aerodynamics before weight reduction. And at around 1681 grams per set, the Jet 5 is only a little heavier than the Jet 6. so, what is the primary distinction between the Express and its brethren -- it doesn't share the Flamme Rouge (FR) designation of either the 4 or 6. This means that it beats them rather handily on price, at only the cost of a few grams.However, this shouldn't become a matter of stress or contemplation. With a new construction and a new rim shape, this budget wheel outperforms the Jet 6 FR. This is attributable to two criteria. One being that HED has switched its top layer from woven carbon-fiber to a uni-directional carbon fiber. Besides the smooth aesthetic, there's a practical benefit at work, too. The uni-directional cloth is flatter, so it requires less resin to adhere to the other layers. This results in the same strength and rigidity with less overall weight. The second thing, and this is throughout the line, is that the spoke end of the rim has a more rounded, wider shape (more 'blunt,' or less V-like) at 23mm. This creates a faster and more stable platform than traditional V-shaped rims.For handling, HED employed its SCT Technology in order to compensate for the Jet 5's 54mm effective rim depth. This means that the wheel has been tuned in accordance to handling at its depth. U...