A third dimension of wheel performance: Swiss Side's new HADRON³

July is a hallowed month for us cyclists. The Tour de France graces our televisions and provides a healthy mix of entertainment, drama, and above all, inspiration for us all to get out and ride. As a cycling fan, it won’t have escaped your notice in recent years that aerodynamics has become the biggest slice of the pie that teams and amateurs alike focus on in an attempt to get faster. In years gone by, this resulted in some equipment that was extremely fast, but a little unruly; a little hard to handle.

In recent seasons, we’ve seen a real sea change, with a holistic design focus bringing products to market with a focus on real-world performance, not just numbers cooked up in a science laboratory.

Swiss Side, for years a bastion of quiet, confident performance, has just unveiled its third generation of HADRON wheels, the HADRON³ series, in time for the Tour.

It promises not only the aero benefits we all crave, but also a refreshing focus on dependable handling characteristics to keep you, and the riders of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, on the straight and narrow when the conditions aren’t in your favour, which can so often be the margin of victory.

A third dimension of wheel performance

Whether you’re a WorldTour professional, an Ironman world champion, or just a competitive amateur with a keen eye for performance, you’ll naturally have an eye on the aero figures. Wheel drag is often the first thing on the spec sheet, and the HADRON³ wheels improve on their forebears in this regard thanks to an all-new rim shape.

A deeper, V-shaped rim cuts the wattage that you need to push to propel yourself to the line, but surprisingly, as well as being deeper, these latest top-flight wheels are also wider, whilst also shedding weight.

This added width is key, and very much on-trend with the cutting edge of wheel design, but in order to understand the reasoning behind it, we have to think of the wheels as part of a greater rider and equipment system, rather than solely focusing on the improved base level drag.

Better handling wheels are faster wheels

We’ve all been there: You’re tucked into a beautifully aerodynamic position when all of a sudden a crosswind gust grabs at your front wheel, jolting you out of position as you fight to correct things, and sticking your nose into the wind more as a result.

Wheel aerodynamics are, of course, fundamental to wheel performance, but the rider makes up 70% of the total system drag, and so allowing you, the rider, to stay in an aero position for longer will have outsized benefits compared to simply optimising the wheel itself in a wind tunnel.

The HADRON³ series rim widths and shapes have been specifically designed to perform better in crosswinds, despite the fact that they are deeper than their predecessors. In simple terms, the wind will turn your wheel with less than or equal force despite having a greater surface area to act on; that’s the sort of aero trickery you can only get with years of expertise.

Wheel-tyre system

Bicycle wheels cannot function independently of the tyres that are mounted to them, and vice versa, so why would anyone design a wheel system without considering the impact of the tyre? Swiss Side has you covered, whatever your preferred tyre choice. The HADRON³ wheels feature a modern 22mm internal rim width, with a tried-and-tested hooked bead to maintain compatibility with the most tyres possible and to keep them safely in place no matter what.

When used in conjunction with the Continental Aero 111 tyre, an enhanced sailing effect can present itself, whereby cross-headwinds can impart forward momentum on the system, much like the sail of a ship allowing the vessel to move into the wind. In calmer conditions, where the benefit of the sail effect is less likely to be felt, riders can choose to tune their system with a lower rolling resistance tyre instead.

Even the hubs have been considered as part of the whole, with aerodynamically optimised hub shells housing, in the HADRON³ Ultimate wheelsets, high-end ceramic bearings to reduce any friction to the bare minimum. Winning is contagious, but it is also meticulous, dedicated, and focused, much like these wheels.

Specs

The HADRON³ wheels come in either ‘Classic’ or ‘Ultimate’ varieties. The HADRON³ Ultimate wheels feature identical rim profiles to the Classic, in 55mm, 65mm, or 85mm depths, but reduce weight thanks to T-Head DT aerolite spokes, ceramic bearings, and a different carbon layup, meaning they weigh in at 1,486g, 1,559g, and 1,674g, respectively.

There is also a 1,074g disc wheel for the time triallists and triathletes.

The HADRON³ Classic series comes with J-bend DT aero comp spokes, stainless bearings, and a paired weight of 1,674g, 1,746g, and 1,879g, respectively.