Tech: HED launches descending special

Wheelmaker HED has announced a new pair of wheels that represents a radical departure for the aerodynamic and lightweight specialist.

Following on from HED's Bastogne wheels, announced a few weeks ago, the Stalingrad wheels continue the theme of toughness in battle, but in a very different vein. The battlefield here is the mountain descents of the Alps and Dolomites and to help speed you to the bottom, the HED Stalingrad is the world's first cast iron wheel.

"Ever wish you could soar down a mountain like Paolo (Il Falco) Salvodelli?" asks HED. "Are your descents as slow as Beloki's and equally as frightful? Well fear not. Adhering to his philosophy of "optimal wheel choice tailored for the factors inherent to each particular race" Steve Hed has once again forged ahead in developing a revolutionary new approach to wheel design. The Stalingrad."

Forged from iron smelted from finest Minnesota ore, each Stalingrad weighs almost 47 lbs, allowing you to instantly add as much weight to your bike as if you'd eaten several thousand Big Mac Happy Meals and spent six months on the couch. "You'll descend like a Russian submarine" says HED. "And when riders hear you rumble up behind them - demanding their surrender - you'll surely hear them mutter "... get the hell out of the way, this guy is nuts...!"

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