As the wind can be incredibly strong on the island of Kona, athletes are not allowed to be riding with a disc wheel. That means athletes won’t reach the top speed that they usually can. However, Hed now has a great solution: the Hed Jet 180, a wheel that is nearly a disc, but still has a small hole in the middle. With a height of 18 cm, the Hed Jet 180 approaches the benefits of a disc wheel.
Among others, Lionel Sanders and Michael Weiss will be biking with this wheel during the upcoming Ironman World Championship on Hawaii (Saturday, Oct. 8). Although the organization has decided to ban all disc wheels from the race on Kona, the rules say nothing about rim height. The Hed Jet 180 is currently only available as a rear wheel, in both disc- and rim brake.
