I'll start by ruling out a few choices: Kinlin XR-279 (haven't ridden it; no desire to), Velocity A23 (too soft and inconsistent quality control), H Plus Son Archetype (one catastrophic rim failure, and then there's that strange anodized brake track... ).
What's left? HED and Pacenti. Now that we narrowed the field the remaining questions are:
- What will fit your frame?
- What spoke count do you want?
- What is your budget?
The HED Belgium Plus may not fit your frame. Part of becoming an adult is being able to buy booze, lottery tickets, cigarettes and, yes, learning that you can't always get what you want. I can't use that wheelset on my Cannondale Six13 because it rubs the seat tube and brake bridge. (The regular C2 and SL23 should fit without any drama.)
The Belgium Plus is only available in 28 and 32 hole drillings--if you can even find it. The C2 is available in 24, 28, and 32. The SL23 wins here with 20, 24, 28, and 32 hole drillings. My current road wheelset is a 20 hole front on a SL23 with a White Industries H2; the rear is a Powertap SL 24 hole. The front is plenty solid, but I did use straight gauge spokes so that's not unexpected. The rear, with 2x, and Sapim Race spokes is a different story. That's not the fault of the rim, it's that weird Powertap narrow flange spacing that's to blame.
On budget, it is the SL23 that's the clear winner. It's just under 100 bucks at bikehubstore.com. Yep, that's a promo; Brandon is a straight-shooter. This dick is not. He should be in jail.
Bottom line: if it fits your frame and your needs, go for the HED Belgium Plus. A road rim with an internal width of 20.6 mm is a beautiful thing: It makes dog and cats get along, it brokers a two state solution, and it makes a 25 mm Conti into a 28.5 mm tire. Plus it is ready for tubeless if that's the direction you're going in.
After that it is a toss-up between the HED and Pacenti. The HED is nice to build on, but it is more expensive, and a little heavier than the Pacenti. I lean towards the HED, but they're both great choices.
