HED Stinger 3 Carbon Disc Brake Road Wheelset Tubular

Change isn't always good peanut butter and pickle sandwiches are gross, no matter what people say but when it's done right it can be awesome. HED nailed it with the Stinger 3 Carbon Disc Brake Tubular Road Wheelset, which combines new technology hey, disc brakes! with time tested tubular rims for the ultimate in cyclocross awesomeness. Pretty much all high performance wheels are made from carbon fiber these days, so there's no need to talk too much about it. HED did add an extra layer of carbon along the rim to boost the Stinger's durability on 'cross courses, though. The rim depth is also a shallow 33mm and the width a generous 22mm, dimensions that help manage crosswinds, reduce rolling resistance, and increase traction all at the same time. Pretty sweet. Disc brakes provide better modulation and stopping power, but HED wasn't satisfied by just letting you stick CenterLock rotors on and calling it good. It strengthened and stiffened its Carbon Sonic FR hubs to better handle the braking stresses generated by discs, and added front and rear grease ports for easy servicing, which is awesome when you take the general grime of cyclocross into account. HED even designed the rotors to be removable, so you can run rim brakes if you want. The Sapim CX Ray spokes have also been redesigned to increase durability and strength. Even better, the whole set weighs just 1200g, so it won't make it tough to throw your bike over your shoulder and run through obstacles.