HED GT3 Rear Tubular Wheel

HED GT3 Rear Tubular Wheel Info

If you want a fast rear wheel that is not only super fast, but handles superbly in crosswinds, the Hed GT3 Rear Tubular Wheel is the way to go.

The design is an update of the classic H3 shape, which first came out over twenty years ago. Back then, appearing under the Specialized label, it was loved as both a road racing and time trial wheel that combined the aerodynamics of a disc, weight of a spoked wheel, equally good wind-cheating properties across the yaw spectrum (aka all wind conditions), and handled better in crosswinds.

Now, it has been improved on all fronts. The wheel now has a carbon-fiber rim which is a single piece with the rest of the structure, whereas before an aluminum rim was attached to the carbon-fiber body. The rim is wider, 26.5mm at the brake track, shaped to work best with tires 21-25mm wide. The rim depth, 46.5mm, is more stable in crosswinds, which is a boon to riders hunkered down on their aero extensions. Though the rim has gotten a bit shallower, the overall shape is faster thanks to the blunt edge and the greater width.

The fast shape is not only ideal for races against the clock, but races on the road. These wheels are legal for mass-start races. There is little vertical compliance, so for mass-start racing, under bigger riders and/or on smoother roads are where they’ll be best.

While the wheel itself is unchanged from front to rear, the hub is different. The axle is 130mm wide and comes equipped with either a Campagnolo-compatible or Shimano/SRAM-compatible cassette body designed to work with 9/10/11-speed cassettes. When you choose the cassette, you’re also choosing the brake pad design-Campy- or Shimano/SRAM-compatible.

While Hed packages pads with the rim, they don’t mean you have to use only Hed’s pad. Others work as well.

The wheel comes with a titanium quick-release skewer and a valve extender. New to the GT3 is a valve-hole design that allows for conventional extenders between spokes: on older designs the valve was hidden in a spoke and you needed a disc wheel adapter to pump up the tires.

The Hed GT3 Rear Tubular wheel has made the best of both worlds better.