Hunt Wheels – Road and Gravel Line Up

When it comes to wheels there are tons of options out there. It all depends on what you are looking for. Aerodynamics, weight, comfort, looks, a wheelset can play a big part in each of these areas. Hunt might not be as big of a name as behemoths like Zipp, Mavic, or Vision, but they have carved out their spot in the industry, and have been raced anywhere from the WorldTour all the way down to your local crit. Here’s a rundown of their road and gravel lineup, and we’ll have a review of the 65 Aerodynamic coming in the near future. Spoiler alert, you’ll want to consider Hunt when it comes time for your next wheelset.

Hunt is a UK brand out of Sussex, and recently opened up a US office in Boulder, CO. The brand was created because they couldn’t find products that they wanted to use, something that I can understand from the bearded side of my own life. They brought a team together with vast industry experience and that is where The Rider Firm is rooted. The team is focused on creating cutting-edge products that help riders get the most out of their time and money. They have connected brands like Privateer Bicycles, Dissent 133 Adverse Weather Equipment, Cairin eBikes, and Mobel Sport to bring you a full suite of equipment to help you maximize your ride and budget. With Hunt, they have created some of the fastest wheels in the world, and have data to back it up.

Road

Hunt essentially has three tiers of wheels, Aero, Aerodynamicist, and Limitless. Each level has its own focus, making for a very diverse range.

Aero Disc – Performance on a Budget

Just because they are the lowest tier, doesn’t mean they aren’t great wheels. The rims use a blend of T24/T30 unidirectional carbon fiber with 3k weave reinforcement of the spoke holes to create a u-shaped profile in a range of depths to cover just about any ride you have ahead of you. Inside, the H-Lock technology makes for a secure tubeless setup that also works great with standard clinchers.

Hunt uses their Sprint hub, which features straight pull Pillar PSR reinforced bladed spokes and Japanese EZO LU/LB bearings that use a low-friction seal on the internal face for low drag. The freehub uses a 48-tooth ratchet ring that makes for a quick 7.5° engagement. All this adds up to a wheel that jumps when you say go. The axles can fit quick release, along with 12/9mm thru axle front or 12×142, 12×135, or 10×135 in the back.

Each set comes with tubeless tape, valves, spare spokes, and comes with axle adapters already fitted based on the selection when ordering.

We have a pair of the 65 Carbon Aero wheels in for review and have been putting them to the test against wheels that cost almost three times as much. Look for that review coming soon.

30 Carbon All-Road – $999 – 1479g – 30mm deep – 27mm external/20mm internal
35 Carbon Aero – $809 – 1357g – 35mm deep – 27mm external/19mm internal
40 Carbon Aero – $809 – 1416g – 40mm deep – 27mm external/19mm internal
50 Carbon Aero – $809 – 1487g – 50mm deep – 27mm external/19mm internal
50 Carbon Aero SL – $1,099 – 1429g – 50mm deep – 27mm external/21mm internal
50/65 Carbon Aero – $829 – 1532g – 50/65mm deep – 27mm external/20mm internal
65 Carbon Aero – $859 – 1596g – 65mm deep – 26mm external/19mm internal
65 Carbon Aero/Disc – $1,559 – 1922g – 65mm Deep/Disc – 27mm/25mm external/20mm/19mm internal

Aerodynamicist – The All-Arounder

Aerodynamicist wheelsets take things up a notch with some of the lessons learned from testing of Limitless range project. Essentially, wider is better in that it allows for a blunter spoke bed which can be the leading or trailing edge of the wheel, depending on which part of the rotation it is at. As the air is flowing over the rim, the blunt shape holds the air better than older style V shaped rims, which becomes more important in wider yaw angles. And while the prices increase, you are definitely getting added benefits for the additional cash.

Hunt hired aerodynamics and composite materials expert Luisa Grappone in August of 2017 to add to their design and engineering team. She previously worked for Boeing on their 787 project, along with Campagnolo and the original leader in gravel aero, 3T. Her work on the Limitless range has trickled down to the Aerodynamicist range in a more cost-conscious package.

The rim uses a higher grade T700/T800 Toray carbon fiber that leans more to the T800 level for strength-to-weight ratio. As with the Aero range, a 3k weave is used on the spoke bed for increased durability. Hunt uses their Spring SLC hubs, which are made from 7000 series aluminum to increase strength and lower weight. The hub uses the same 48 tooth design to keep that quick engagement.

Another big change is the option to use TaperLock carbon fiber spokes. Besides being lighter 2.7g per carbon spoke), and providing over 30% increase in lateral stiffness, they also dampen road vibrations significantly over steel spokes. Unlike bonded spokes, you can true these.

32 Aerodynamicist Carbon Spoke – $1,469 – 1213g – 32mm Deep, 25mm external/21mm internal
44 Aerodynamicist – $919 – 1466g – 44mm Deep – 29mm external/20mm internal
44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Spoke – $1,399 – 1352g – 44mm Deep, 29mm external/20mm internal
44/54 Aerodynamicist – $939 – 1495g – 44mm/54mm Deep – 29mm external/20mm internal
44/54 Aerodynamicist Carbon Spoke – $1,459 – 1381g – 44mm/54mm Deep, 29mm external/20mm internal
54 Aerodynamicist – $979 – 1524g – 54mm Deep – 29mm external/20mm internal
54 Aerodynamicist Carbon Spoke – $1,499 – 1410g – 54mm Deep, 29mm external/20mm internal
7387 Aerodynamicist – $1,469 – 1776g – 73mm/87mm – 34mm/30mm external/20mm internal
8387 Aerodynamicist – $1,469 – 1796g – 83mm/87mm – 34mm/30mm external/20mm internal

Limitless – When Speed is Everything

Limitless is the pinnacle of design for Hunt. Over two years of testing and design work went into this range, and it has created one of the fastest wheelsets in the world at a range of yaw angles.

Limitless has a very unique shape to take advantage of the extremely wide rims. When looking at the cross-section, the rim bed almost looks like it is a separate piece that is attached to the main body of the rim. This unique shape helps to smooth the transition from a 25 or 28mm tire, keeping the air passing over the tire and rim as smooth and close as possible.

The Limitless line actually uses the same carbon as the Aero line (T24/T30 with 3k) and Sprint hubs, which underscores the value of the Aero line even more. Besides the shape of the rim, Hunt also uses a low-density polymer (0.7g/cm3) inside the Limitless rim to create an exceptionally strong wheel that has 50g less rotating mass using the same carbon fiber prepreg (1.6g/cm3).

A few other differences are the spokes and an additional bearing option. Hunt uses Pillar Aero Wing 20 spokes that feature an aerofoil shape to be one of the brand’s fastest spokes. You can also opt for CeramicSpeed bearings, which are said to reduce drag by 6-9 watts over the standard EZO bearings. CeramicSpeed’s bearings are also 3-5 times more durable than other ceramic bearings and over 10 times more durable than standard steel bearings.

Most recently, Hunt added carbon spoke versions of their Limitless line, adding the benefits that were previously only available on their Aerodynamicist level wheels.

48 Limitless Aero – $1,399 – 1618g – 48mm deep – 35mm external/22.5mm internal – CeramicSpeed bearing upgrade $1,699
48 Limitless Aero Carbon Spoke – $1,669 – 1511g – 48mm deep – 35mm external/22.5mm internal – CeramicSpeed bearing upgrade $2,019
60 Limitless Aero – $1,499 – 1669g – 60mm deep – 34mm external/21mm internal – CeramicSpeed bearing upgrade $1,699
60 Limitless Aero Carbon Spoke – $1,729 – 1551g – 60mm deep – 34mm external/21mm internal – CeramicSpeed bearing upgrade $2,069

Alloy

Alloy wheels are still common, and Hunt doesn’t think you should have to settle for lower-quality wheels, just because they are not carbon. Their alloy wheels use the same Sprint hubs as their top-of-the-line Limitless line, and a stronger alloy rim than the typical 6061 alloy.

34 Aero Wide – $499 – 1548g – 34mm deep – 26mm external/20mm internal
Alloy SL – $489 – 1443g – 25mm deep – 24mm external/19mm internal

4 Season

The 4 Season line take things up a notch when it comes to durability. This starts with using corrosion-resistance brass nipples, triple-butted spokes, and upgraded hubs. The end caps feature additional seals over the traditional endcaps, double-sealed bearings, and shells that are shaped to guide water away from the internals.

30 Carbon All-Road – $999 – 1479g – 30mm deep – 27mm external/20mm internal
4 Season All-Road Alloy – $389 – 1629g – 24mm deep – 25mm external/20mm internal
4 Season Superdura Alloy – $479 – 1479g – 34mm deep – 25mm external/20mm internal

Road/CX Tubular

Even thought tubeless continues to take more of the market share in competitive cycling, tubular wheels still have a demand in the highest levels of cycling and cyclocross. Hunt has two options that use the same Sprint hubs from the rest of their road line, but utilizes specifically designed rims for both cyclocross and road racing.

30 Carbon CX – $809 – 1432g – 30mm deep – 25mm external
Carbon Team Tubular – $909 – 1410g – 55mm deep – 25mm external

Gravel

Hun hasn’t forgotten about the growing Gravel market either. Since you typically run tires in the high-30’s to 54mm range (even wider for 650b), they went even wider than some of their widest road wheels, the Limitless.  In many cases, they share the same basic build as their road counterparts, which speaks to the durability of their components. Sprint hubs keep things spinning with EZO bearings, though you can upgrade to CeramicSpeed on the Limitless wheelset.

Limitless

Limitless is the pinnacle for Gravel too. Some will say that aero isn’t necessary for gravel, but as the popularity of gravel racing increases, more riders are looking into how they can go faster and farther. If you have read any of my articles from the past on anything Gravel Aero-related, you know I am a huge proponent of it. Even if you are not racing, any time you are moving, you need to cut through the air. The more aero you are, even at slower speeds, the easier it will be. The Limitless Gravel Aero wheelset is optimized for 38-42mm gravel tires, though they can go out to a 54 for gnarly days.

42 Limitless Gravel Aero – $1,399 – 1548g – 42 deep – 36mm external/25mm internal – CeramicSpeed bearing upgrade $1,599

Race

The Race level wheelsets match up to the Aerodynamicist line. They use the same Sprint SL hubs, but one of the biggest differences is the Race line is Hookless. When you look at the bed of the rim, the walls will be straight, and not have the little hook on either side you are used to seeing with clincher-style wheelsets. It has the benefits of a lighter rim and makes them cheaper to produce while keeping tolerances high. Hunt doesn’t specifically state what tires work with their hookless wheels, but instead points you to the tire manufacturer’s site, and says to keep it under 72.5 psi, which is really high for gravel riding.

25 Carbon Gravel Race – $1,159 – 1380g – 25mm deep – 33mm external/26mm internal
40 Carbon Gravel Race – $1,139 – 1383g – 40mm deep – 40mm external/25mm internal
Alloy Gravel Race – $579 – 1459g – 25mm deep – 26mm external/22mm internal

Gravel

The Gravel line is where things start to get more adventurous. It matches up to the Aero Disc line, but uses the hubs, spokes, and nipples from the 4 Season line, since these wheelsets are starting to focus more on overall durability. They are also Hookless, helping to keep the weight and costs down a bit.

V:Absorbe resin reduces vibration and massively improves impact resistance. Disc brake rims are obviously not required to handle the high temperatures induced by prolonged rim braking. We have made the most of this and used our new V:Absorbe resin blends in the carbon layering which cures at a lower temperature. Lower temperature resins are less brittle meaning they have greater resistance to impacts and dampen vibration more effectively.

35 Carbon Gravel X-Wide Hookless – $769- 1465g – 35mm deep – 31mm external/25mm internal
650B Adventure Carbon Gravel – $769- 1461g – 26mm deep – 33mm external/26mm internal

4 Season

4 Season Gravel Alloy – $449 – 1660g – 22mm deep – 26mm external/21mm internal
4 Season Superdura Gravel – $479 – 1677g – 24mm deep – 25mm external/20mm internal
4 Season Gravel X-Wide Alloy – $449 – 1698g – 19mm deep – 29mm external/25mm internal

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