HED B.a.d. Alloy Rim
The HED B.A.D., the Big Aluminum Deal, is the fat-bike rim that made tubeless fat wheels practical. It is a 76mm-inner 26in 6061 aluminum rim, center-drilled with 32 holes, about 715 grams, with HED's patented Inflatobam tubeless bead that seats a 4.0 to 5.0in fat tire without the pound of inner tube a fat wheel normally carries. HED calls it its lightest, fastest aluminum fat wheel, and in the shop it has been the alloy fat rim we build most.
This page covers the HED B.a.d. Alloy Rim. The Big Aluminum Deal 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
Inflatobam is HED's tubeless bead for fat rims: a shaped bead seat that lets a tubeless-ready fat tire seat with a floor pump and hold air at the 5 to 10 psi fat bikes run, which was not a given on early fat rims. Going tubeless on a fat bike saves more than a pound of inner tubes per bike, which is rotating weight at the outside of the biggest wheel on any bicycle. The Big Aluminum Deal is a double-wall 6061 rim, 76mm wide inside, center-drilled, in 26in; the B.H.A.D., the Big Half Aluminum Deal, is the 27.5in version at about 740 grams.
Standard nipples, J-bend spokes, 32 hole, disc only.
How it rides
A Big Aluminum Deal wheel changes how a fat bike rides. Tubeless at 6 psi, a 4.5in tire on the 80mm bed floats on snow and sand and grips like nothing else, and the rim is light enough that the bike accelerates and steers more like a mountain bike. It takes year-round trail riding, not just winter cruising.
For 27.5in fat bikes the B.H.A.D. is the same rim in the larger size; for the lightest fat wheel HED's carbon Big Deal is the step up. For a 26in fat bike, the Big Aluminum Deal is the HED rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 26in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 562 (26in) |
| Inner width | 76 mm |
| Depth | 17 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 689g (26in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Single Wall |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
This version
This version is the Big Deal in 26in, drilled 32h, about 689g, 76mm inside, 17mm 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 Big Deal 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 HED B.a.d. Alloy Rim comes in the drillings listed on this page. It is a disc-brake fat-bike rim. We build the Big Aluminum Deal on DT Swiss 350 Big Ride, Hope Fatsno, Industry Nine Hydra fat, Onyx fat, Velocity Fat and Bitex FB hubs in 150mm front and 177 or 197mm rear spacing, usually with Sapim Race or DT Competition spokes and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Big Aluminum Deal is 3.8 to 5.0in. Pick fat bike as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern for the offset.
Build a wheel around it
Offered for fat bike builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the HED B.A.D. Alloy Rim and the configurator pins it for you, then checks each choice you make against it.
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 HED tests its rims
HED Cycling Products manufactures its carbon rims and builds its wheels at its own facility in Roseville, Minnesota, and describes them as "Hand-Built in the USA Since 1984". HED states that carbon layup, rim production, wheel assembly, spoke tensioning, truing, inspection and final quality control all happen there, with each wheel's dish set and lateral and radial trueness checked by hand. HED's aerodynamic work is done in a wind tunnel with tires mounted and inflated, a method HED says it pioneered. A Bikerumor factory tour reported HED runs an in-house rolling drum that loads a wheel to simulate long mileage and drops weights on rims to check impact strength; HED itself publishes no impact energies, fatigue-cycle counts or ISO/EN results.
For the alloy rims, HED states the Belgium R disc rim (700C) is a hooked alloy rim with a welded seam joint, 25 mm external and 76 mm internal width, 593 mm ERD, 425 g, tubeless compatible, in 28 and 32 hole. HED's tire-pressure guidance states the maximum pressure ever needed on any Plus or BLACK rim is 90 psi (6.2 bar) even with a 23 mm tire, and that hookless rims cap at 72.5 psi by industry standard.
HED's videos
From HED
Certifications
- UCI approved wheels — 20 HED Cycling Products models (Ardennes Black/GP/LT/SL, Jet 4/5/6/9 Plus and Black, Stinger 3/5/6/9, Vanquish 4/6/8) listed with approval date 22.06.2018 in the UCI List of Approved Wheels since 01.01.2024, version 2024.10.02, page 33 (source)
- Made in USA claim — HED states carbon rims are manufactured and wheels hand-built in Roseville, Minnesota; "Hand-Built in the USA Since 1984" (source)
- 5-year limited warranty — Defects in materials and workmanship, five (5) years from purchase, original purchaser only; crash replacement pricing offered for accident damage (source)
Sources on HED's site:
- HED Wheels Hand-Built in USA
- HED 5-Year Warranty
- About HED Cycling
- HED Belgium R Disc Brake 700C rim
- Road Tire Pressure for Plus and BLACK Wheels (HED)
HED publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
HED makes the Big Aluminum Deal; 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. Fat tubeless tape and a valve are fitted on request.
The configurator filters to what fits, crosses out what is not made, and prices the build as you go.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. HED warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by HED and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. If we lace this into a wheel for you, that wheel also carries ProWheelBuilder's own one-year warranty, which covers broken spokes regardless of cause and all wheel-related labor, including truing and rebuilding, for a year from purchase. Where a rim or hub is covered by its maker, we make the manufacturer's claim for you and coordinate it; where it is not, we offer an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off current retail. Shipping to and from us is the customer's. This cover does not extend to wheels built from components you supply yourself.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
B.a.d. Alloy Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 76mm inside this is a plus or fat width, for tires from about 2.6in upward. Running a narrow tire on a rim this wide leaves the casing stretched and vague, so match it to the tire it was designed around.
What is Inflatobam?
HED's patented tubeless bead for fat rims, which seats a tubeless-ready fat tire with a floor pump and holds air at fat-bike pressures, saving over a pound of inner tubes.
B.A.D. or B.H.A.D.?
B.A.D. is 26in; B.H.A.D. is the 27.5in version. Pick by your fat bike's wheel size.
What tires fit the Big Aluminum Deal?
Fat-bike tires from 3.8 to 5.0in; a 4.5 to 4.8in tire is the usual pairing.
Is the Big Aluminum Deal tubeless?
Yes. That is its whole point; we tape it with fat-bike tape and fit a valve on request.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the HED B.a.d. Alloy Rim?
We are not. HED manufactures the rim; ProWheelBuilder's part is the wheel: measuring, lacing, tensioning and truing it here in Georgia.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. HED lists the B.a.d. Alloy Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
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.
