H Plus Son Hydra Disc Rim
The H Plus Son Hydra is the Archetype's deeper, wider sibling: a 26mm semi-aero 700c road rim in H Plus Son's G609 alloy, welded, with double eyelets, a machined brake track and a wider bed than classic road rims, at about 490 to 510 grams depending on hole count. It comes in 20 through 32 hole and it is the rim for riders who want the Archetype's strength and looks with a little more depth and the security of eyelets.
This page covers the H Plus Son Hydra Disc Rim in 700c. The Hydra is sold here only inside a wheel we build: choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the finished wheel ships from Georgia, laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
The Hydra is a double-wall G609 aluminum rim with a 26mm semi-aero section, a wider bed than the Archetype, double stainless eyelets at every spoke hole and an invisible welded joint. G609 is about 30% stronger than 6061, and the double eyelets spread nipple load through both walls so the Hydra takes high tension without the spoke bed complaining. The brake track is machined on both sides. It is a rim-brake rim for tubes.
Standard nipples, J-bend spokes, in polished, black and anodized finishes.
How it rides
A Hydra wheel is stiff, smooth and quietly fast. The 26mm depth gives it a touch more lateral stiffness and aero than the Archetype, the wider bed suits a 28mm tire, and the double eyelets make it a rim that stays true under a bigger rider. It brakes as well as any alloy rim. For the lightest build the Archetype is a little lighter; for a slightly deeper, tougher rim with eyelets, the Hydra is the H Plus Son rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 591 (29in) |
| Inner width | 20.2 mm |
| Depth | 23 mm |
| Drillings | 24h, 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 440g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black, grey |
This version
This version is the Hydra in 700c, drilled 24h, 28h, 32h, about 440g, 20.2mm inside, 23mm deep, disc. Where the same rim is sold in another size or brake type, that is a separate listing with its own page.
The disc version of the Hydra has no brake track, so the sidewall is a plain extrusion that saves a little weight and never wears; it is the one to choose for any disc-brake frame. The rim-brake version, listed separately, has a machined sidewall.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The H Plus Son Hydra Disc Rim comes in 700c and 24h, 28h, 32h drilling. It is a rim-brake rim. We build the Hydra on White Industries T11 and track hubs, Phil Wood, Paul, DT Swiss 350, Shimano, Velocity Race Road and Bitex hubs, usually with Sapim Race or Laser spokes or DT Competition, and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Hydra is 23 to 32mm. Pick road, fixed-gear or track as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build it into a wheel
This rim is live in our Custom Wheel Program for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed, touring and tandem and e-bike builds. Start a build with the H Plus SON Hydra Disc Rim and the configurator opens with this exact rim pinned at the top of the H Plus Son list — you choose the rest of the parts and it validates every combination as you go.
Spoke head is decided by the hub, not the rim: this rim builds equally well with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you pick.
How H Plus Son tests its rims
H Plus Son publishes very little technical or testing information. Its official site (hplusson.com) lists five rims, the Hydra (455 grams), SL42 (615 grams), Archetype (470 grams), TB14 (490 grams) and Formation Face (615 grams), and for each states the material as G609 Alloy and the joint as Welded, with a Machined Braking Surface on the SL42, Archetype and TB14.
Retail listings expand on this: Condor Cycles quotes H Plus Son's description of an "invisible welded rim joint" that comes standard with each rim, and Jenson USA's Archetype listing states G609 alloy is 30 percent stronger than 6061 in welded joint applications and gives a maximum spoke tension of 125 KGF for the Archetype (25 mm high, 595 mm ERD). Retailer Blue Lug states the brand started making track rims in 2008.
Sources on H Plus Son's site:
- Products - H PLUS SON
- News - H PLUS SON
- Contact - H PLUS SON
- H PLUS SON Archetype Rim - Condor Cycles
- H Plus Son Archetype Rim - Jenson USA
Everything in this section is published by H Plus Son. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the rim reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
H Plus Son makes the Hydra; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Spokes are cut from the ERD we measure on the actual rim, the wheel comes up in stages on a tensiometer, and it is stress-relieved and trued before it goes in the box; tape and a valve go on if you ask.
The configurator filters to what fits, crosses out what is not made, and prices the build as you go.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. H Plus Son warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by H Plus Son and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Our one-year wheel warranty applies to any wheel we build around this part, alongside whatever the manufacturer offers. Inside that year, broken spokes are replaced no matter how they broke, and the wheel labor is ours - truing, re-tensioning or a full rebuild. A rim or hub failure that the maker covers, we claim for you and see through; one the maker declines, we answer with an eligible replacement at 25% off current retail. Shipping both ways is yours, and components you supply yourself fall outside this cover.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Hydra Disc Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 20.2mm inside this is a road width. It suits roughly 25 to 32mm tires, which is where most road bikes now sit, and it will run a 23 if you still want one. Go much wider than 32 on this rim and the tire starts to balloon above the sidewalls and squirm when you lean on it.
Hydra or Archetype?
Hydra for a slightly deeper, wider rim with double eyelets that suits heavier riders; Archetype for the lightest, classic 25mm profile.
Is the Hydra tubeless?
No. It is a rim-brake clincher for tubes.
What tires fit the Hydra?
23 to 32mm. A 25 or 28mm tire is the usual pairing.
What are double eyelets?
Stainless inserts that carry the nipple load through both walls of the rim, which lets the Hydra take high tension and stay true under load.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the H Plus Son Hydra Disc Rim?
No. The rim is made by H Plus Son; we are the wheel builder in Georgia who laces it into a finished wheel to your spec and stands behind the build.
Is it tubeless-ready?
H Plus Son lists the Hydra Disc Rim as a clincher rim. Ask us about tubeless conversion if you need it.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
