AERO DISC WHEELS

An aero disc wheel is built for race day on flat or rolling courses, specifically triathlon, time trial, and pursuit-style events where sustained speed matters more than climbing or technical handling. On windy days, the solid disc cover can catch crosswinds more than a spoked wheel, so most riders pair the rear disc with a shallower front wheel for better front-end control. For everyday training or hilly group rides, a shallower Jet or Vanquish wheel is usually the better call.

It comes down to your brake standard, your bike, and how much performance you want from the wheel. The Vanquish Pro is HED's fastest aero disc wheel, built with full carbon fiber construction for maximum aerodynamic performance on disc brake bikes. The Jet RCD Pro pairs a carbon fairing with an alloy rim base for excellent durability on disc brake setups at a lower price point. The Jet RCD Black and Jet RCD Performance are rim brake only, making them the right choice for riders on older rim brake triathlon or time trial bikes. If you're unsure which brake standard your bike uses, check your fork and rear dropout, or contact customer service at (888) 246-3639.

Yes. Every aero disc wheel in this lineup is tubeless compatible, with tubeless tape applied from the factory for straightforward tubeless installation. The Vanquish Pro ships with a tubeless valve included. Rim brake models include a skewer for quick-release axle compatibility, and all models come with four valve hole decals to seal unused spoke holes on the disc cover.

The Jet series is optimized for 25mm tires, though 28mm also works well. The Vanquish Pro is wind tunnel optimized for 28mm tires based on its 22.5mm internal rim width, which gives modern, wider tires the right shape on the rim for lower rolling resistance. In general, a tire size that matches the inner width of the rim is going to give you the best performance. Drag differences between tire widths are minimal across HED's aero lineup, so you have real flexibility without meaningfully affecting aerodynamic performance.

Every aero disc wheel in this lineup uses standard alloy freehub bodies in Shimano HG, SRAM XDR, and Campagnolo N3W to match modern drivetrains. Select your freehub type at checkout based on your cassette and groupset.

A disc wheel is inherently stiffer than a spoked rear wheel because the continuous disc cover adds torsional rigidity between the hub and rim. That extra stiffness translates into more direct power transfer when you put down watts, which is part of why disc rear wheels feel so responsive out of corners or during hard efforts on a time trial course. The hub, spoke tension, and carbon layup all contribute to that feel, and every HED aero disc is laced and trued by hand in Roseville to the same spec.

Yes. Every HED wheel ships with a 5-year warranty covering manufacturing defects. Call (888) 246-3639 or contact the HED support team for warranty questions.