HED Eroica GP Disc Brake 650b Tubeless Wheelset

The HED Eroica GP Disc Brake 650b Tubeless Wheelset comes from a company better known for aero-focused road and triathlon wheels, and that engineering background shows up in how HED approached its move into gravel and all-road riding. The Eroica name nods to the vintage Italian cycling culture the word evokes, but HED's take on it is less about nostalgia and more about a simple philosophy: everything between point A and point B is fair game, whether that's pavement, gravel, or dirt. The GP sits as the more accessible build in the Eroica alloy lineup, positioned below the LT model as a lighter-duty option for riders who don't need the LT's heavier-duty hub internals.

The rim is 6061 aluminum, built with HED's Fat Lip design — a reinforced tubeless bead profile that resists impact and pinch damage better than a standard hooked bead, particularly useful when running lower tire pressures off pavement. Internal width comes in at 25mm with a 30mm external width and a 24mm rim depth, a wide, low-profile shape that supports gravel and all-road tires properly rather than letting them balloon or squirm under cornering loads. That width lets riders drop tire pressure by several psi compared to a narrower rim, which translates directly into a smoother ride and better traction on loose or broken surfaces.

HED builds the wheel around its own 545 aluminum hub, using a 4-pawl engagement mechanism with a 13-degree engagement angle — not as quick as the premium 5-pawl hub on the LT model, but a straightforward, serviceable design that keeps the price down without sacrificing durability. Spokes are Sapim Race, 24 per wheel, laced with rim node geometry that angles each spoke hole specifically to distribute tension evenly rather than relying on a single generic drilling pattern. The wheels use a 12x100mm front and 12x142mm rear thru-axle setup with an XDR driver body, and stopping power runs through Center Lock disc rotors.

Building this wheelset in 650b rather than 700c is a deliberate choice for riders who want to run higher-volume tires without the overall wheel diameter growing too large — a common setup for gravel riders chasing more air volume and cushion, or for smaller frame builds where 650b keeps handling proportionate. At approximately 750 grams for the front wheel and 890 grams for the rear, the set comes in reasonably light for an alloy gravel wheel built to handle real off-road use. HED ships the wheels tubeless-ready with tape and valves already installed, so they're ready to mount tubeless tires without a separate setup step.

At $499.99 against an $810 retail price, the Eroica GP is a solid entry point into HED's gravel and all-road engineering without stepping up to the LT's more robust hub or the carbon Eroica's price tag. It suits a rider building a versatile 650b gravel or all-road bike who wants a wheel that can handle pavement commutes and rougher backroads without needing a second wheelset for either.