The HED Ardennes Plus first hit the market a couple months ago with the Ardennes FR Plus.  Now HED is selling all Ardennes Models with a plus option.  Let’s give a quick run down on the major and minor differences between the normal Ardennes and the plus.

1.  Let’s state the obvious first.  25mm wide rims on the plus instead of the already wide 23mm rim normal build.  Wider is better right?  If you can wrap your head around not looking down and thinking you’re running a mountain bike rim, then yes wider is better.  Better cornering grip, improved comfort, and believe it or not better rolling resistance.  These are great for cycocross tires.

2.  There is a “+” symbol after the word “ARDENNES” on the decals.

3.  Rim height is 24.5mm on the Plus and 24mm on Normal.

4.  This is not a difference from the 2013 normal Ardennes, but something worth noting.  I just experienced this.  All Ardennes come tubeless ready.  Less sealant is needed and the shelf design is perfect.

5.  The Plus is going to be heavier then the normal version, but what are the differences:
FR 65g
SL 53g
LT 47g
CL 7g

On paper everything looks great with the Ardennes Plus.  I’d love to try them in training first and really feel the differences before I bought a wheel for racing.  I think a LT in the plus version and an FR in the normal version for racing would be my ideal setup right now.