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Stingers are the swiftest wheels on the road - In 2010 they were piloted to a dozen road and TT national titles and ridden to victory in countless Pro tour races. We're not the only ones who have spent time in the wind tunnel testing stingers. Two independent magazines and several pro tour level teams proved that Stinger wheels are the fastest... again. All 2011 Stingers are SCT (Stability Control Technology) tuned.

The 2008 introduction of the C2 platform was a dramatic improvement over our previous designs: aero drag was reduced substantially, and the use of wider tires dramatically improved cornering. Since the introduction of the C2 platform, HED. has spent two full years developing SCT, our proprietary rim profile tuning process. Each rim depth is shaped for lowest aero drag and fine-tuned to maximize stability in crosswinds.

If you've already read about the latest HED Stinger 9, you will have gathered that we're quite proud of it. We went back into the wind tunnel with the old Stinger 9 and blew out of the other end with a new HED Stinger 9 that not only outperforms every spoked wheel shallower than 90mm, but it also outperforms all the spoked wheels deeper than 90mm.

How did we achieve it? We went back to basics and looked at the how the tyre interacts with the air and the road. The new tyre well is 28mm wide and is designed for a 23mm tubular. Because the walls come further up the sidewall of the tyre, the new rim shape not only smoothes out the unaerodynamic bulge of a narrow tubular in a narrow, shallow tyre well, but it also supports the carcass of the tyre, meaning better cornering and acceleration. Everything that happens in the next 90mm is designed to smooth the air for as long as possible until it can leave the rim cleanly - that's aerodynamics in a nutshell.

The standard HED Stinger 9 weighs 1,504g a pair. With the Flamme Rouge build that comes down to 1,295g. At the centre of the Flamme Rouge upgrade is the HED Flamme Rouge Sonic hub. Running on super-smooth, super-light and super-durable ABEC-5 ceramic bearings, this improves rolling resistance. Its ceramic bearings are lighter and rounder than steel bearings, and to shave yet further grams the Flamme Rouge hub body is carbon.

HED Flamme Rouge Sonic hubs also incorporate a titanium ratchet ring - lighter than the standard steel one - and they come with titanium skewers.

The carbon we use for the rims of HED Flamme Rouge Stinger 9 is a higher modulus grade than the standard version.

This is our fastest spoked wheel and with the Flamme Rouge build we're making it even faster. This is the ultimate spoked wheel - do it justice and go fast on it.