1/27/14 5:09 PM

Walter endowed me with some HED Belgium Rims for a righteous price, one new and one used but pretty much mint. Front is 24 hole, he had a new 24 hole hub and some Sapim Races the right length for the front, thus I yoinked the lot..

I've been on the hunt for another A23 due to using one of the new pair I had on the ENO wheel when Walters eMail arrived in a timely fashion. ;)

[eMail I just sent Walter]
Built up the front today....

Now this is the interesting part, once done.

I did a test side load on the built wheel, tensioned with tire/tube @ pressure etc. I used my fish scale to see how many lb to move it 1/4" side deflection. Also did this with my 3x Revo 28 Spoke front wheel [replaced the Open Pros with the A23 a while back] 7700 hub. Kept old spokes, ERD luck out.

Even tensioned higher than the 24 Spoke Hed and with 4 more spokes the A23 wheel took 2.5 lb less to move the 1/4". I was surprised at that. Probably the revos?, or the 3x VS 1x or a combo of both.

That is quite a stiffer wheel with about 20% more weight to move 1/4".

Anyone do any similar side load comparisons on built wheels?

The HED Belgium and Velocity A23 are both 23mm wide. The HED 9mm smaller ERD, so a slightly higher profile, and maybe 40 grams more weight ea. approx FWIW.

1/27/14 6:35 PM

That's all mumbo jumbo to me, but I like my Belgiums. Bounced them through D2R2 quite nicely.

1/27/14 8:38 PM

You have any A23s too? If yes any opinion as far as comparative flex under stress??



EDIT: the 28 spoke front wheel has DT Champion Straight Gauge 15 ga spokes, Not Revolutions. That is another wheelset I built...

1/28/14 5:55 AM

No A23s and I doubt I'd notice wheel flex anyway.

1/28/14 6:36 AM

The flange spacing can make a big difference in lateral stiffness.

1/28/14 11:08 AM

Same flange width, the stiffer wheel has lower flanges.

I did do all heads 'in' on the 24 spoke wheel, thus 1/2 the spokes are effectively sorta like a wider flange as compared to the 28 spoke wheel 1/2 in and half out.

So I am thinking that, shorter spokes 1x [285mm VS 295mm]. and 9mm taller RIM a touch stiffer? And also 14/15s VS 15 ga spokes has shorter 15mm section for less elasticity maybe... Sum of the parts.

Popped on some NOS 25mm Axial Pros, they sit like fat little suckers on the 23mm wide rims.

1/29/14 12:33 AM

No surprise to me.

I've built with the Belgium rims and I've built with the heavier (22mm wide iir) Velocity Dyad, and your experience matches mine.

In terms of the stiffness of these rims that is obvious during tensioning without even having to push or pull on the rim, the Belgium rim is exceptionally stiff and the Dyad is disappointingly flexy.
The Belgium rim reminds me of building motorcycle wheels frankly.