HED Vanquish V45 Performance Clincher Disc Carbon Rim
The HED Vanquish V45 is the all-round aero rim from the company that invented the wide aero road rim. HED molds it in Roseville, Minnesota: 45mm deep, 22.4mm wide inside, shaped around a 28mm measured tire, and designed so that the wheel stays stable through more than 70% of the yaw angles a road rider actually meets. It is deep enough to be genuinely fast and shallow enough that you will happily climb on it, which is why the V45 is the Vanquish we build most.
This page covers the HED Vanquish V45 Performance Clincher Disc Carbon Rim. The Vanquish V45 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
HED's aero philosophy has always been that the tire is part of the rim. The Vanquish profile is wide, 30.9mm across the whole line, so a 28mm tire measures about 29mm and flows into the rim rather than mushrooming over it, and the rounded section keeps the airflow attached at the yaw angles crosswinds produce. That is why a V45 is calmer in a gust than narrower 45mm rims of a decade ago. The bead is a hooked tubeless-ready clincher, so it works with tubes, tubeless-ready tires and ordinary clinchers, and the disc version has no brake track.
HED molds the Vanquish in Minnesota with external nipples and standard J-bend spoke holes, and covers it with a warranty and crash-replacement program run from the same building.
How it rides
A Vanquish V45 wheelset is fast everywhere: aero enough to feel on a flat road, light enough for climbs, and calm in crosswinds because the profile was designed for them. With a 28mm tubeless tire at 60 psi it is comfortable all day, and the hooked bead means you can run a 25mm clincher at 90 psi on race day without thinking about hookless limits.
For time trials and triathlon the Vanquish V62 is deeper; for one road wheelset that does everything, the V45 is the HED rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 555 (29in) |
| Inner width | 22.4 mm |
| Depth | 45 mm |
| Drillings | 24h, 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 460g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the Vanquish V45 in 700c with 24h, 28h, 32h drilling, about 460g, 22.4mm inside, 45mm deep, disc. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
This is the disc-brake Vanquish V45: plain sidewalls, no brake track to wear, a touch lighter. It fits any disc-brake bike and it is the version most of our customers now build; the rim-brake version is a separate listing.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The HED Vanquish V45 Performance Clincher Disc Carbon Rim comes in the drillings listed on this page. It is a disc-brake road rim. We build the Vanquish V45 on DT Swiss 240 and 180, Chris King R45, Industry Nine SOLiX and 1/1, White Industries CLD and Hope RS4 hubs, usually with Sapim CX-Ray or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Aerolite, and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the Vanquish V45 is 25 to 32mm; HED optimizes it for a 28mm tire. Tell the configurator your bike type and weight and it suggests a spoke count and lacing pattern to suit.
Build it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the HED Vanquish V45 Performance Clincher Disc Carbon Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed, touring and tandem and e-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.
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 22.4 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 Vanquish in Roseville, Minnesota; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer, and HED's warranty rides with the rim. 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 Vanquish 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. Any wheel we build on this part carries ProWheelBuilder's one-year warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. Broken spokes are replaced for a year whatever the cause, and all wheel-side labor is included - truing, re-tensioning, rebuilding. Where the maker covers a failed rim or hub we handle that claim for you; where they decline, an eligible replacement comes at 25% off current retail. The customer covers shipping in both directions. Components supplied by the customer are not covered.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Vanquish V45 Performance Clincher Disc Carbon Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
22.4mm inside is the all-road and gravel width. Think 32 to 45mm tires: wide enough to support a gravel casing properly so it holds its shape at low pressure, narrow enough that a 30mm road tire still sits right if you swap wheels between bikes.
Vanquish V45 or V62?
V45 for all-round road riding, climbing and gusty roads; V62 for time trials, triathlon and flat racing where aero is the point.
Is the Vanquish hookless?
No. It has a hooked, tubeless-ready bead, so it works with tubes, tubeless-ready tires and ordinary clinchers at normal road pressures.
What tire does HED recommend?
A 28mm tire, which measures about 29mm on the 22.4mm inner width and sits flush with the rim wall for the best aero.
Is the Vanquish made in the USA?
Yes. HED molds its carbon rims in Roseville, Minnesota.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the HED Vanquish V45 Performance Clincher Disc Carbon Rim?
No. HED makes the rim. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia that builds it into a finished wheel to your spec.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. HED lists the Vanquish V45 Performance Clincher Disc 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.
