Roseville, MN: Today, HED Cycling Products is renaming its gravel wheel line, formerly known as "Eroica".
When we first introduced our lineup of gravel wheels, we were inspired by cycling heritage, Italian and French racing of the early 20th century. There was something epic and heroic we wanted the name of our gravel wheels to reflect, which led us to "Eroica".
Naturally, this put us in close proximity to the name of the international ride series L'Eroica, another celebration of cycling's rich history.
Out of respect for L'Eroica, HED Cycling has chosen to move in a new direction.
The new name for our gravel wheel series?
Emporia
Many of HED Cycling's most iconic wheels, like the Ardennes and Belgium, invoke a sense of place and history. They pay homage to cycling tradition. They are wheels that tell stories. And when it came to renaming our gravel line, we chose to lean into that idea.
In our opinion, no one has done more to promote gravel riding and adventure culture than the people and city of Emporia, KS. From the creation of gravel racing's most well-known events to introducing many of us to the beauty of the Flint Hills, Emporia has left its mark on American cycling and we're excited to celebrate the city through the new name of our gravel line.
We are excited to announce that the Eroica Carbon will become the all-new Emporia GC3 Pro, an all-carbon, 30mm depth wheel that weighs in at 1,395g per set. The rest of our gravel wheels, alloy 700C and 650B options featuring 25mm internal rim widths, will also receive the Emporia name.
Check out the new HED Emporia video on YouTube and our full line-up of wheels at the HED Cycling Products website, and keep up to speed with HED Cycling Products by following on Instagram.
"What an honor, and honestly just really damn cool. The DK200 has been a huge emotional tailwind for Emporia. Honestly, over the last few decades town pride has been a roller coaster ride for various reasons, and the enormous positive attention to our humble home has been a massive point of pride for us in the last few years. To start seeing product from reputable companies bear the name our town brings a smile to our collective faces."
