hammer down

I've got an option with two pretty good deals:

1) HED ardennes new old stock from 2014

2) New Flo 30

I am looking for a wheel I can use an everyday trainer but that I could also race crits and flat road races on.

Also have heard some stories that there could be some clearance issues with the ardennes and a 25mm tire on an s-works tarmac so would love to know if any of you have experience with them.

Wylde06

I don't have any experience with HED wheels, but I use a Flo 30 rear and really like it. Its my every day race/training wheel

TheKillerPenguin

I use a front flo30 and will vouch for the aerrrrrrrroooooo gainzzzzzz. It's a good deal. I have heard the rear flo 30 gets a bit whippy under high power though. I never bought a rear because I'm tied to my Reynolds laced ptap.

hack

What year tarmac? No clearance issues on the new one, clearance issues on the sl4. I can run S-Works 26mm Turbos, but 25mm Conti GP4Ks can rub.

hammer down

2015

mike868y

pacenti, white industries hubs, required # of spokes for your weight.

jsk

Tires tend to run wider on the HED rims, so the 25mm might be more like 28mm, but you can always run a 23c and it will probably be about 26mm.

hack

I think the new (2015+) can run up to 28s, so you should be ok.

Andy STi

Go with the HED. Great rim/wheel. I love Flo wheels (have a set of 45 carbons, a 90, and a disc) but the 30s are really a heavy rim.

hammer down

I was leaning towards the ardennes prior to the thread, honestly tough to find many people saying bad things about either.

Also looking at the Zipp 30's as they supposedly are more aero, but have heard they are a bit overpriced for what they provide.

hammer down

Narrowed my choices, the decision comes down to one more question if someone with more experience than me can chime in:

Assuming the wheels are used for both racing and training, would a 23mm rim or a 25mm rim that is also about 100g heavier be better? All else essentially the same.

miyata man

How could we ever know which is better for you? If they are so similar you are splitting hairs just grab one and go ride the snot out of them.

Now! Today! No more procrastinating.

hammer down

Because experiences from someone going from a narrower rim to a wider rim are going to be very similar experiences to what I would have with a wider/narrower rim. While their may be minor variations in preference, It's not like I am going to have the exact opposite experience with a wheel set as someone else.

jsk

wider is better IMHO.

miyata man

You in Dallas riding through that insufferable heat expect to have the same experiences as someone in the bitterly cold home of HED wheels? Hmm, well that is something. Anyways, wider is trendy right now. Even the not as wide option is more so than a traditional wheel from a few years ago.

Pick one and go ride the snot out of it.

revchuck 

I have a set of HED Ardennes + wheels on one of my bikes. Note that these are the 25mm-wide version, while I think the OP's NOS ones are the original 23mm-wide ones. I played around with different tires on these wheels and these are the results:

Specialized Turbo Pros 23mm (now discontinued) were 26mm wide.

Specialized S-Works Turbos 24mm, both tubeless and tubed, were 27mm wide.

Michelin Pro4 Endurance V1 25mm (now discontinued) were 30mm wide. They were 27mm+ wide on my old Open Pros.

Specialized Roubaix Pros 23/25mm are 28mm wide. These are the tires on those wheels now.

My guess is that the above tires would be 1-2mm narrower on the original Ardennes wheels. I think they'd be a good choice for the OP.

nycphotography

My last round of searching I came up with the late model Roval CLX40's (the tubeless compatible ones).

They're about the sweet spot of weight (1375g) vs. aero (40mm). Not the widest profile at 23mm, but they fit my SWorks SL2 and Sworks SL4 (with Schwalbe Pro 1 TL 25's) no problem.

They're at least as aero as my old DV46, and with in 25g of my old climbing wheels (Rolf Elans). I find I no longer have any reason to swap wheels back and forth.

You can pick em up in good shape on ebay for around ~$1100 if you're patient. I may know of a set coming available in the next few weeks if you're interested.

hammer down

Yea I am looking at both and width on the ardennes plus is a concern. The way I look at it, I may benefit more by going with the feather version which is obviously lighter, with 2mm less width on the rim. This way I can still run a 25mm tire without it ending up being a functional width of 27 or 28.

TheKillerPenguin

Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason you're tied to 25mm?

hammer down

I'm not. I currently run 23. I would like the option of running a 25 without it being a functional 27 or 28 though in certain areas with less than ideal road conditions.

jsk

I think you should be more concerned with the actual mounted width, rather than the rated width. I see no reason to prefer a 25c tire on a narrower rim compared to a 23c tire on a wider rim if they both measure out at 26mm actual, for instance.

They'll both give you the advantage of being able to run lower pressure for better ride quality with good rolling resistance. The wider rim will likely be more aero and possibly handle better as well (running a wider tire on a narrower rim give you more of a mushroom-shaped tire profile, which tends to be not as good for cornering/aerodynamics).