# Hed Belgium Series C2



## knightev (Sep 22, 2011)

hello everyone,

i am thinking of building a set of wheels (having a set of wheels built) using Campagnolo Record Hubs, and Hed Belgium Series C2 clincher rims. 

anyone know a good spot on the internet i could get the Hed rims for a fair price?

also, might as well ask, what would a solid alternative to the Hed rims in case i can't find them for a decent price? 32 holes necessary. . . 

thanks everyone!

evan


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

Velocity A 23.


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## knightev (Sep 22, 2011)

T K said:


> Velocity A 23.


interesting. i gave them a google, and found these:

VELOCITY A23 MSW BLUE 700C RIM - prowheelbuilder.com

the frame i am intending them for is a 2011 pinarello paris, sky edition:

https://images-en.busytrade.com/218407600/Pinarello-Paris-Carbon-2011-Dura-ace-Bike.jpg

do you think the blue rims would be too much?


also, i found a coupon for art's cyclery that would make the Hed C2s $93 a piece. . . .

would $20 more per rim for the Hed C2s be worth it? how do the Velocity A23s compare??

thanks!


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

I have and like both; I prefer the profile and look of the HED's, though for me there's probably not a real-world difference.

I've heard it said and found it to be true with my samples that the HED's are rounder, meaning easier to build into an evenly tensioned wheel. 

Nothing at all wrong with the A23's - just a tiny bit flatter at the rim joint than the HED. Nothing to worry about and on par with most. All comes out fine, just takes a few minutes more fussing.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

You might also look at the BIke Hub Store 23mm rims. 

They are said to be Kinlin and the same rim used in some other built wheels (search for details.)

I haven't built with them so can't comment directly on how they are real-world. I will say that I've found BHS good to work with, though.


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## Wheelieman (Aug 27, 2012)

If price is not too much of an issue you might want to look into the DT Swiss line of wheels. The RR440 rim is a light weight and very durable.


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## dookie (Oct 1, 2007)

last i heard, the C2s were in very short supply...folks waiting literally months for them. another boat will arrive eventually i suppose.

that said, the BHS kinlins are superb. i chose them over C2 / A23 / zipp 101 because of price, availability, and my satisfaction with a set of xr-300 that i have maybe 10k on.


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## Tunnelrat81 (Mar 18, 2007)

If you can get a good price on the HED's, I would go with them. I've built with Kinlin wheels, XR270 and XR300, and the finish quality of the HED C2 over the kinlin is insanely obvious. They built up easily and have been outstanding wheels. I love the wider rim, and everything about them screams quality. If you get a chance to hold them in your hand, you'll see what I'm talking about. The rim decals even have reflective surfaces on them for a little extra visibility at night. 

The A23's are lighter and cheaper, and I also wouldn't hesitate to consider them strongly if those two characteristics were really important. If I was wanted to build a lighter wheel than the C2's would allow, or just didn't have the extra $40, I'd definitely use the A23's. The difference isn't huge though, so any 'benefit' would be tiny.

I tried posting some pictures, but my post count here isn't quite high enough for that.


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## yongkun (Aug 9, 2010)

I own a c2, the finish and quality of the rim is visible compared to velocity


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

Wheelieman said:


> If price is not too much of an issue you might want to look into the DT Swiss line of wheels. The RR440 rim is a light weight and very durable.


I am wondering how you know how durable the RR 440 is.


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## smarkgraf (May 17, 2009)

I am a huge fan of the color blue, but I don't think they would go with your bike. I'd stick with black rims. Other than that, you need to decide which profile you prefer.


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## Wheelieman (Aug 27, 2012)

I am basing this on the DT Swiss brand. DT is known for being a very high end cycling manufacturer. Therefore one can safely say that the products they make are going to be very durable and long lasting. In addition to this if you visit the DT sight and take a look at that rim spec's you'll see that it is in fact an excellent rim. It is available in 20, 24, 28, and 32 hole options. And it is a welded rim, this is very important when discussing durability, strength, and longevity.

Rims that are not welded, such as sleeve jointed or pin jointed, are weaker and will not last as long.

This is why I fell that the RR440 is a good light weight rim.


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## akamp (Jan 14, 2009)

I am not sold on DT rims. I just built up a set of carbon DT rims for my son and some direct from china carbon rims for myself. The DT definitely had a nice finish but the direct Chinese rims were way more pleasant to build. Much rounder from the get go which I find very strange for a carbon rim.


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## Wheelieman (Aug 27, 2012)

akamp said:


> The DT definitely had a nice finish but the direct Chinese rims were way more pleasant to build. Much rounder from the get go which I find very strange for a carbon rim.


Why do you say that the Chinese rims were more pleasant to build?

Were both sets of rims the same type? (road or mountain bike)

The reason I ask is because as far as I know the only carbon rims DT makes are for Mountain Bikes. All of their road rims are aluminum.


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## akamp (Jan 14, 2009)

They were both MTb rims. XRC 300s and. Some 29er light-bicycle rims. The Chinese rims were probably the nicest rims I have ever built. Very easy to bring up to tension and very round, very stiff. The DTs still built into nice wheels but it just took a bit longer. Now the finish on the DTs was much nicer. They also used stainless eyelets for the nipple holes which was a nice touch. However after I got the wheels laced I realized that I had somehow lost two of the eyelets and after contacting DT I found that they are not available so I ended up getting some from another company. Also the DT rims are much lighter as well, just a tad over 300g vs 410ish for the Chinese ones. Then again the Chinese ones are both wider and larger diameter.


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## Wheelieman (Aug 27, 2012)

akamp said:


> Also the DT rims are much lighter as well, just a tad over 300g vs 410ish for the Chinese ones. Then again the Chinese ones are both wider and larger diameter.


Very interesting, indeed.

Do you notice any difference in the ride between each set of rims?

I know it's only a 110 gram difference, which I suppose is not a lot. For some, though, it is.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

Wheelieman said:


> Rims that are not welded, such as sleeve jointed or pin jointed, are weaker and will not last as long.


Did something other than the marketing on their website tell you this?
Is this some new version of "common sense?"

When built as a wheel, the joint us under compression, and all that is asked of the joining method is that it's kept in lateral alignment. Sleeves and pins are more than up to the task, when done well. 

When done poorly, welds can lead to structural weakness and thin spots from the post-weld grinding necessary. 

Just to say, it's far more about the quality of manufacture than it is the method of manufacture.


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## Enoch562 (May 13, 2010)

In reference to the original post, I cant see any advantage to using the C2 rims over BHS472 . The weights are close to each other and the BHS rim has a 28mm height which is about 5 mm taller than the C2.. BHS rim is about 1/2 the price also.I like the weight of the velocity @ 451. I would be interested on how it builds up compared to these other 2.


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## Wheelieman (Aug 27, 2012)

danl1 said:


> Did something other than the marketing on their website tell you this?
> Is this some new version of "common sense?"
> 
> When built as a wheel, the joint us under compression, and all that is asked of the joining method is that it's kept in lateral alignment. Sleeves and pins are more than up to the task, when done well.


I suppose we can agree with one another on this and completely disagree. Maybe we both are 100% correct and incorrect. Obviously the quality and craftsmanship play a huge role in whether a wheel will stand the test of time. Whether the wheel be welded or jointed.

The superiority of a welded rim has been summed up in the book The Art of Wheel Building. Below is a quote from the book explaining the benefits of welded rims over jointed rims.

From The Art of WheelBuilding by Gerd Schraner:
"Mechanically jointed" rims have the tendency to bulge outwards at the joint, when under high spoke tension. The two spokes closest to the mechanical joint must therefore be tensioned higher in order to allow them to retain the shape of the rim. If the joint does not fit precisely or if it is not riveted to the rim, the joint can move during the ride. The unpleasant result is that the brake catches at this particular place and braking becomes somewhat ragged.


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## akamp (Jan 14, 2009)

I would much rather have a welded seam instead of a pinned one. Well worth a few extra bucks


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## Wheelieman (Aug 27, 2012)

*Money Well Spent*

Indeed the extra money spent will go a long way.


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## knightev (Sep 22, 2011)

Enoch562 said:


> In reference to the original post, I cant see any advantage to using the C2 rims over BHS472 . The weights are close to each other and the BHS rim has a 28mm height which is about 5 mm taller than the C2.. BHS rim is about 1/2 the price also.I like the weight of the velocity @ 451. I would be interested on how it builds up compared to these other 2.


how is the finish on the BHS 472 rims?


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## knightev (Sep 22, 2011)

smarkgraf said:


> I am a huge fan of the color blue, but I don't think they would go with your bike. I'd stick with black rims. Other than that, you need to decide which profile you prefer.


yeah the blue looks good, but i, too concluded it wouldn't be the way to go. as for profile, a shallow profile is nice, going towards medium. nothing too tall!


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