Nimble vs HED

I'm going to take the plunge and invest in some free speed for triathlons and TTs next season.

I'm not sure which way to go, HED 3 or Nimble Crosswind.

I loads of people use HED 3 but I havent seen anyone using the Nimbles. Their website reckons they're lighter, and in crosswinds they're faster as they don't have a deep a rim as the HED 3.

Has anyone used the Crosswind or any view on which way to go?

Also, I was going to buy a pair of tri-spokes rather than a tri-spoke front as disk rear as alot of the courses are rolling. Having never ridden a disk wheel is this what you'd advise or should I go for a tri-spoke front and something like a HED superlight disk rear?

thanks

 

I have a pair of 700C Nimble Crosswinds. I don't think they're any faster than the HED3. The wind tunnel test data (John Cobb tested them) I've seen says they're about the same.

I regret not getting a disc wheel for the rear. Most of my races are gently rolling but I've also raced hilly courses in the Adirondacks and the Rockies where a disk would have been OK. I think the only time a disc loses out to a tri-spoke is an uphill time trial and there aren't any of these in triathlon since you return to where you started in most.

What I would do if I could do it over again is buy one Crosswind wheelbody and get both a front and rear hub. The same wheel body fits on both hubs. Then I would get a rear disc - probably the Renn disc. I'd probaby run disc rear/tri-spoke front setup for 95% of my races and switch to tri-spoke rear/wire spoke front (Nimble Fly or similar - I actually have a home built 28-spoke aero rim wheel just sitting around not being used so I could use that) for the other 5% when it's too windy for a disc.

 

I second the renn disc. for $400, its a hell of a deal. you can spend 3x as much and not get any improvement in reliability or performance.

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