HED, the Minnesota-based premium wheel brand, has just released a new 'Silver Edition' of the Emporia GA Pro gravel wheelset. The flashy finish is sure to bring a polished look to any drop-bar off-road rig – but style hasn’t been put over substance: HED claims to offer “best-in-class performance” for these wheels.
The stats go some way to backing up such a bold claim. HED reports the wheelset as weighing in at 1,535g, representing a saving of 100g over the standard edition Emporia GA Pros and bestowing on them the title of lightest alloy wheelset in HED’s gravel range. At this weight, the Silver Edition would be lighter even than some its carbon competitors.
But no sacrifice has been made on the rim profile in the quest to save grams. With a 25mm internal rim width, the Emporia GA Pro Silver Edition ranks among the widest out there for gravel-specific wheels.
HED claims that “this allows for the tyre sidewalls to provide the natural suspension they are designed for, enabling the rider to roll at lower tyre pressures and experience a smoother, suppler ride quality.”
The wheels are hand built in the USA using HED’s Sonic Hubs in a 24-hole drilling for J-bend spokes – which should lend themselves to straightforward serviceability. The centrelock standard is used for the disc rotors, making mounting and dismounting significantly less faff.
Sold via HEDcycling.com at $1,200 / €1,231 per set, Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo freehub bodies will all be available, with a five-pawl pickup for snappy engagement.
These wheels will only be available in 700c and the minimum compatible tyre width stands at 32mm. Naturally, the wheels are tubeless ready.
Only a limited quantity is being produced, so if you want a set you’ll have to move fast.
After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back.
But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he’s spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia.
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