HED Stinger 9 FR Carbon Tubular Front Wheel

Most wheel makers would be quite content having the fastest wire spoked wheel in the world but at HED things are different. After an extensive prototyping and wind tunnel testing they were rewarded with a new Stinger 9 rim shape that not only lowers drag at all angles but also gives the rim a bigger window of aerodynamic effectiveness.

As with the Stinger 6, Steve Hed has again proven that shape is actually more important than depth as the Stinger 9 not only outperforms every spoked wheel shallower than 90mm but it also outperforms all the wheels that deeper than 90mm. The lateral stiffness, cornering performance, and impact durability have all improved and this was done without affecting the impressive ride quality.

With the shaping ironed out HED spent considerable energy focusing on the type of carbon they use to make the rim as well as the orientation of the fibers. Balancing lateral stiffness, vertical compliance, impact resistance, cornering performance is quite a dance. The result of their SCT Tuning efforts is that the Stinger 9 uses three different types of carbon and a unique layup schedule that produces a wheel that is 15% stiffer laterally and 10% more impact resistant. This was done while maintaining vertical compliance and making the rim 25 grams lighter. Cornering is noticably improved by the use of our C2 tyre well. The C2 tyre well provides more support for the tyre when cornering or accelerating out of the saddle. It is also worth noting that the stability of the wheel in crosswinds has been improved. This is a side effect of the improved aerodynamics. Smooth air over the rim produces stability in the wheel. This means that despite the Stinger 9 have a large amount of surface area in a side wind it still holds it's riding line well because air is flowing smoothly over it and not buffetting which in indicative of a wheel beyond it's stall point.

So where might you see the Stinger 9 wheel in action? Last year Stinger 9's were used on the professional level to win Ironman races, criteriums, and road races. As a testament to their durability they were even used in the cobbled classics of Paris Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders without a single failure. As a rear wheel they can be used by anyone. As a front wheel they are a good choice for athletes that ride at 25mph or faster in light and medium wind conditions. For those athletes that are riding 25mph or less the front wheel should be reserved for days when the winds are light.