HED B.d. Carbon Rim
The HED B.D., the Big Deal, is the carbon fat-bike rim that started the whole Deal family: a 26in carbon rim in the 80mm-class width fat tires need, molded by HED in Minnesota with the patented Inflatobam tubeless bead, for riders who want the lightest fat wheel there is. A carbon Big Deal wheelset saves a serious amount of rotating weight over alloy fat rims, and on a fat bike that weight is at the outside of the biggest wheel on any bicycle.
This page covers the HED B.d. Carbon Rim. The Big Deal is built to order here. Choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator; the wheel leaves Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
The Big Deal is a molded carbon fat rim with HED's Inflatobam bead seat, which lets a tubeless-ready fat tire seat with a floor pump and hold air at 5 to 10 psi, and a section wide enough to support a 4.0 to 5.0in tire. Carbon lets HED make the rim far lighter than an alloy rim of the same width and stiffer laterally, which on a fat bike shows up as steering that feels like a mountain bike's. The B.H.D., the Big Half Deal, is the 27.5in version. External nipples, standard J-bend spokes, 32 hole, disc only.
How it rides
A Big Deal wheel is the fastest a fat bike gets. The weight saving over alloy fat rims is the kind you feel on the first pedal stroke, the carbon rim keeps the wheel tracking straight through soft snow and sand, and tubeless at 6 psi a 4.5in tire floats and grips like nothing else. It is the fat wheel for racing and for riders who want their fat bike to feel like a mountain bike.
For 27.5in fat bikes the B.H.D. is the same rim in the larger size; for a sensible budget the alloy Big Aluminum Deal. For a 26in fat bike with no compromises, the Big Deal is the HED rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 26in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 564 (26in) |
| Inner width | 81 mm |
| Depth | 20 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 585g (26in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Single Wall |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the Big Deal in 26in with 32h drilling, about 585g, 81mm inside, 20mm deep, disc. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
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.d. Carbon Rim comes in the drillings listed on this page. It is a disc-brake fat-bike rim. We build the Big Deal on DT Swiss 350 Big Ride, Hope Fatsno, Industry Nine Hydra fat and Onyx fat hubs in 150mm front and 177 or 197mm rear spacing, usually with Sapim Race, D-Light or CX-Ray spokes or DT Competition and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Big 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 it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the HED B.D. Carbon Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for fat bike builds, and the configurator will not let you assemble a combination we would not build.
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.
HED's testing and certifications
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.
HED's warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship for five (5) years from purchase for the original purchaser only; accidents, abuse and use outside ASTM guidelines are excluded, and HED offers crash replacement pricing for accident damage. Twenty HED wheel models (Ardennes, Jet, Stinger, Vanquish) appear on the UCI list of approved wheels with an approval date of 22.06.2018.
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)
Everything in this section is published by HED. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the rim reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
HED makes the Big Deal; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. The build is the same every time: measured ERD, spokes cut to the half millimeter, staged tensioning with a gauge, stress relief, a final true, and tubeless tape and a valve on request.
The configurator shows only hubs and spokes that match the Big Deal drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel live.
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. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
B.d. Carbon Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 81mm 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.
Big Deal or Big Aluminum Deal?
Carbon Big Deal for the lightest, stiffest fat wheel; alloy Big Aluminum Deal for the same Inflatobam tubeless bead at a much lower price.
B.D. or B.H.D.?
B.D. is 26in; B.H.D. is the 27.5in version.
Is the Big Deal made in the USA?
Yes. HED molds its carbon rims in Roseville, Minnesota.
Is the Big Deal tubeless?
Yes. Inflatobam seats a tubeless-ready fat tire with a floor pump; we tape it and fit a valve on request.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the HED B.d. Carbon Rim?
No. The rim is made by HED; 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?
Yes. HED lists the B.d. Carbon 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.
