HED B.h.a.d. Alloy Rim
The HED B.H.A.D., the Big Half Aluminum Deal, is the 27.5in version of HED's alloy fat-bike rim: 76mm wide inside, 6061 aluminum, center-drilled with 32 holes, about 740 grams, with the patented Inflatobam tubeless bead that seats a 3.8 to 4.5in fat tire without the pound of inner tube a fat wheel normally carries. Modern fat bikes have moved to 27.5in wheels for rollover and tire choice, and the Big Half Aluminum Deal is the alloy rim we build for them.
This page covers the HED B.h.a.d. Alloy Rim. The Big Half Aluminum Deal comes from us only as a finished wheel: pick the hub, spokes and nipples, and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia before it ships.
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.
How it rides
A Big Half Aluminum Deal wheel gives a 27.5in fat bike the rollover of a bigger wheel with the float of a 4in tire run tubeless at 6 psi. It is light enough that the bike steers and accelerates like a mountain bike, and it takes year-round trail riding. For a 26in fat bike the B.A.D. is the same rim in the smaller size; for a 27.5in fat bike, the Big Half Aluminum Deal is the HED rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 587 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 76 mm |
| Depth | 17 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 722g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Single Wall |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 27.5in, 32h, about 722g, 76mm inside, 17mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the Big Half Deal have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The disc version of the Big Half 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.h.a.d. Alloy Rim comes in the drillings listed on this page. It is a disc-brake fat-bike rim. We build the Big Half 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 Half Aluminum Deal is 3.8 to 4.5in. Pick fat bike as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern for the offset.
Build it into a wheel
This rim is live in our Custom Wheel Program for fat bike builds. Start a build with the HED B.H.A.D. Alloy Rim and the configurator opens with this exact rim pinned at the top of the HED 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.
Testing, standards and warranty at HED
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)
The figures, certificates and media above are HED's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the rim.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
HED makes the Big Half Deal; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. We measure the rim before we cut a spoke, bring the wheel up in three or four rounds with a gauge, stress-relieve it between rounds and true it last, then tape it and fit a valve if you want it tubeless.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is 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. 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.
B.h.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.
Which spokes and nipples suit the Big Half Deal?
For most riders a double-butted spoke such as Sapim Race or DT Competition with brass nipples; lighter riders can go to Sapim Laser or CX-Ray. The configurator recommends a gauge and count for the Big Half Deal from your bike type and weight.
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 it tubeless-ready?
Yes. HED lists the B.h.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.
