# Help choose between HED H3 tri-spoke and HED JET 90



## stussy1035 (Dec 4, 2005)

I have been doing timetrialing and I am looking to purchase aero wheels and was going to get a HED disc for the rear. 

I am also looking to purchase either a HED H3 tri-spoke or HED Jet 90 for the front. From looking online, and getting data and also talking to the HED tech/engineer. On the HED website they said that the HED H3 tri-spoke drag data can be compared to the Stinger 90 wheel as they were tested in the same windtnnel during the same test. The drag data for the HED jet 90 was tested at a different wind tunnel so the data can not be compared to the HED H3. From looking at the H3 vs. the stinger 90 it shows that the wheels is faster up to about 10 deg. yaw, then the H3 is a faster wheel. Also I got some theoretical comparing wheels and it also shows the HED Jet 90 being a faster wheel then the HED H3 tri-spoke. 

I know I am being nit picky, but I am an engineer and I would like to by the faster wheel and better wheel. The drag data also shows that the stigner 90 to be more aero with more of a head wind, but as you get sidewinds the H3 is faster but not my much over the stinger 90.

I also tried to take crosswinds and handling into play between the two wheels, and the surface areas of the two wheels are very close with the H3 having a slightly smaller surface area then the stinger 90. Also the Stinger 90 does have more if it area farther from the axes of the wheel allowing more torque to be applied by the wind over the H3.

I was also looking at for some reason if I want to replace the disc wheel in the back, or for some reason I can not use the disc wheel, then I would run into this same problem trying to choose between the H3 or the Jet 90.

I am looking at the Jet 90 over the stinger 90 because I want a clincher rim and it seems that the stinger 90 only comes in tubular.

I would appreciate if people could give there opinion between the H3 and the Jet 90. If someone has ridden both how do they handle, is one wheel more stiff then the other, how do they compare in crosswinds, which one seems faster and another "2 cents" then can be given to help me out. I guess I am looking for reasons to choose one wheel over another and which wheel would you choose for the front and which would you choose for the rear as you may want different wheel for the front compared to the rear such as an H3 for the front and a Jet 90 for the rear.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*It's a toss*

First, I have ridden neither, so this is not reporting from personal experience. However, these (and many other) wheels have been discussed at length and over and over. The conclusion is that there is not enough difference between their aero performance to cause you to buy one over the other. There are a number of other wheels you could add into the same category. So, go by price, looks, and maybe weight if you're doing hilly TTs. As you have already figured out, one will have slight advantage over the other based on the wind conditions on a given day.


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## cydswipe (Mar 7, 2002)

*Hed.*

If you are following conventional thinking, the disc option for the rear is a no brainer. I'd go with a disc cover over whatever wheel you want.
www.wheelbuilder.com
can cut aero covers for any rim for a nominal fee. For the front, well, the Hed3 has some pretty good wind tunnel data, some TdF wins, and a cool factor of 10. The Jet90 or Stinger90 was really developed for the rear. For a long time it was only sold for the rear. Now with Zipp marketing 80mm fronts, Hed has started to sell them. I use the Hed60 for the rear, until my disc gets here, with the Hed3 in the front. Cross winds aren't as big of adeal as you'd think. The two things you should know. 1. Hed makes these special order a lot of the time. They don't keep a huge inventory of the deep rims around. So you may have to wait awhile. 2. Pricing. I was, well, still am, furious that I paid xx dollars for a 60mm rear, only to find next year, I could have gotten 90mm for the same ammount. I'd ask whoever you deal with for an idea of where they think Hed's pricing may go. They might not know. But, they might. There will be a lot of discussion about wind data and other BS. The bottom line is that it's your money, spend it how you want. Remember to tune up the engine as well as taking care of the wheels.


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## rcrouse2 (Nov 11, 2002)

Buy the H3 for the front. In fact if you call Hed and ask their opinion, that's what they would tell you. Jet90 isn't as fast as the Stinger 90 and since you want clincher, the H3 is the fastest aero wheel period for the vast majority of wind conditions.


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## MJCBH (Nov 25, 2002)

*Wheelbuilder Covers*

Do those wheelbuilder aero covers really work? Does anybody have any experience with them? Seems like a great $90 upgrade option! I'm currently running Hed Jet6 C2's and I also have Ardennes on my road bike. I really love the wider rim (both for ride quality and cornering, which isn't as much of an issue for TT) I know the tri spoke doesn't come in the wider rim so maybe it's worth test riding both to see if you notice any difference in ride quality. Good luck! I may go ahead and pick up a disc cover for flat, non-windy races.


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## AM999 (Jan 22, 2007)

I've got a HED 3 front in both clincher and tubular and also a Stinger 9 front. I'll use the HED 3 when the winds are light (0 - 5 mph) and the Stinger when the winds are moderate (5 - 15 mph). Above that I'd say the HED 3 might be the best depending on wind direction. The Jet 90 will stall at yaw angles > 10 degrees per the HED data. If you are racing on a loop course with yaw angles from 0 - 10 degrees both would be ~ equal assuming equal time at all yaws. One thing about the HED 3 is that the steering can be tricky in a crosswind as the area exposed to the wind actually varies as each of the spokes disappear behind the fork. The HED three will work better with a 19 or 20 mm tire while I think the Jet 90 is available in the wide C2 rim.

Wheel covers do work well - a friend did some regression testing using a cover on a Zipp 808 and found it to be faster than some commercially available discs - think about it, it's a effectively a bulge disc with a lenticular field, the same as the Bontrager Aeolus Disc which was again very fast but discontinued as it was too expensive to manufacture. Very inexpensive and effective alternative to buying a disc wheel. Wheel covers are not allowed in USA Cycling Masters Nationals or any UCI races but fine for any other races IIRC. You could buy a Jet 90 rear wheel and a cover which would save money and also give you 2 rear wheel options.


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## bsd547 (Mar 5, 2016)

I just purchased H3 rear. I like the wheel but it's just hard to spin. But if you go hard it's very fast! Is there a break-in period before I can feel the speed benefit?


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