HEDArdennes RA Black Rim Brake Alloy Wheelset(Return to Product Page)

What can be added to the profusion of well deserved accolades these worthy wheels have drawn? Yet I shall try. I've only racked up 540 miles on them, but oh what a joy each time I mount up!

All my bikes are rim-brake frames and over the last few years acquired 3 carbon rim wheelsets, among them Hunt's butterfly weave, carbon spoke Ceramicspeed 50mm wheels. As stiff and fast as those are (200 gms lighter than the Ardennes RA Blacks), these new Hed Blacks are more enjoyable to ride. Everything I read praising these wheels has become true for me too. Currently, I have them mounted on my Titanium endurance bike with Turbo Cotton 26's and TPU tubes, a combo that yields a magical ride! I think I enjoy these overall even more than my Winspace Hyper 38's I bought in 2019.

Some roadbike wheels are more than the sum of their components, for some inexplicable reason. Steve Hed was the pioneer in going wide on the internal width, recognizing the increased air volume and it's positive effect on ride dynamics and tire/rim interface. Now every manufacturer has followed. I run 74psi front and 76psi rear in these cotton carcass tires.

If you are a diehard rim-brake roadie, save up your nickels and dimes and buy these wheels! Simply put, these are the best out there for high mile endurance guys. Safe travels friends.

This wheelset replaces an old rimbrake carbon wheelset. Up to date features such as increased inner rim width, optimized brake track, tubeless ready, nice esthetics and smooth running hubs make this wheelset a winner! Weight is reasonable.

With rim brake wheelsets getting more and more challenging to find, I finally got a pair of these and couldn�t be happier. I have/had the older narrower Ardennes.

- So True - There is no perceptible runout on these. I keep my pads just a hair off the rims and the gap remains rock solid as I spin them. Like NASA made these things.

- Easy Tubeless Set-up - I�ve had some nightmare tubeless experiences before, but these seated with just a floor pump. A first for me. I paired these with Vittoria Corsa 2.0 and Fillmore valves, and Silca sealant. I think the square bead of the tires locked right inside the hooks of these wheels. Really solid. And of course the Fillmore valves let the air blast in better. I�m sold on the setup.

- Hub sounds - Not too loud, not too quiet. I like mine on the quiet side, so they�re fine by me. They�re definitely not an angry beehive if that�s your thing.

- Road feel - With the setup I described above, I can�t imagine a more comfortable ride. I weigh 205 lbs and ride 75/80PSI. I�ll take this setup over my Enve 3.4 discs with tubeless setup.

Bought a pair in to use during my annual 6 week trip to the mountains of Colorado. I have a regular pair of Ardennes I've had for several years but thought I'd try out the Black version. Frisco is at 9000 feet and everything is uphill from there :). Lightweight and braking may be superior to my other bike (Disc brake). Sure beats carbon hoops in the rain. Only real downside is the accelerated brake pad wear which should be expected but was more pronounced then I envisioned. I haven't seen any reviews that mentioned this issue or recommended a certain brake pad. I was getting 150 to 250 miles on the front pads depending on the brand. Rear pads last a lot longer. My rides were typically mountain passes with aggressive riding on the way down. Will probably have a lot better mileage in South Texas where I spend the rest of the year.

Best light weight alloy wheels on the market! The fact that they are also tubular puts these at the top. I've put 500 miles on these wheels since purchase. Initially I had terrible brake noise but after degreasing the rims all is good. They compare in weight to composite rims. I bought these for a supper light bike build, so I went with rim brakes instead of disk. Since I'm using this bike for the hills I wanted alloy rims. I was having a hard time finding rim brake alloy wheels until I found these. The are light, tubular, excellent braking distance and firm on turns. The price point was they only downside. So when they popped up on sale I grabbed them. Very pleased that I did.

I haven't used these wheels on the road yet, but I can say the tubeless Schwalbe Pro One tires mount very easy and the new hubs look like a big improvement. They weigh about 10 grams less than the advertised 1430 grams which is very light. It also is amazing to see a manufacturer's weight claim accurate.

I have used the Ardennes SL Plus, set up tubeless and they are very, very, nice wheels.

The 23 mm Schwalbe Pro Ones measure 26 mm on these rims, and the 25 mm measure 28.5 .

I am anxious to try out this Black turbine brake track, I am expecting good results and Andy at Hed has been a very good person to deal with if questions need to be addressed.

Put these on my 15.2lb Focus Izalco. They are light and stop on a dime. Yes, an unusual braking sound, but no more unusual than carbon wheels. I have the previous Ardennes version that was slimmer than the new width. Must say, the wider rims/tubeless make mounting tires a challenge. I use tubes. Had to search for tires that would mount easier. Finally found some Hutchinsons that mounted easier. Not looking forward to having a flat on the road. Luckily, I don't get them much at all (knock on wood) . All in all a great wheelset and yes I would buy them again. I'm a big fan of HED wheels. Nice that they give an option to purchase a Campy or Shimano freehub.

The Pros for this wheel Great looks, terrific braking, smooth rolling, made to accommodate 25c or 28c tires.

The Cons Rim tape provided for use with tubeless tires is also a MUST USE for tires with tubes to prevent tubes from being cut by spoke holes in the rim. Very difficult to mount tires with tubes (I haven't tried tubeless tires yet).

I use this wheel for my everyday riding. I use it to do training on the hills. It climbs like nothing would stop it. It responses quickly. the width of the rims help you descentconering with super confident. Just point and go.

Very light. Easy rollup to speed. Love the wider rim. Because of the wider rim the actual tire surface on the ground is wider and it makes for a smoother ride. I have rim brakes and the noise is interesting but they stop on a dime.

This wheel set is my best of 3 brands for mounting Schwalbe tubeless. Ardennes must be a couple mm smaller than R brand wheels.

I have had a side puncture flat 25 miles into a ride and with thumbs and one spoon removed a bead and put a tube in like old days.

that isn't the case with 2 other tubeless wheel sets I have. I threw a set of early tubeless wheels in trash for there was no hope for

a field fix and even a heated garage tire mounting was miserable. These wheels are light , sturdy , fast and you can fix flats.