msu2001la

These wheels look pretty sweet.
25mm internal width, 36mm external. 42mm depth, and "aerodynamically optimized around 38-42 mm width gravel tires". 1,548g weight and $1600. Still a bit more than I would spend on a wheelset, but interesting to see manufacturers starting to make carbon aero wheels that are actually aero when used with typical gravel tire sizes.

https://cyclingtips.com/2020/10/hunt...in-race-wheel/

Steve B.

"so six minutes over a brisk 200-mile ride really doesn’t sound like much, and for many of us mere mortals, it isn’t"

Sums it up, especially when you are saving 2 minutes in 40 miles, maybe ?.

shoota 

Nice looking option. They make the Bontrager Pro 3V look even better.

tyrion

That should be enough to put me in contention next year.

mstateglfr 

The wheel is designed for 38-42mm tires, so they used a 28mm tire for testing?
I dont follow this reasoning.

And this wheel has a 25mm internal measurement while being 36mm wide externally?
That seems like a very thick rim- is that normal for carbon or needed when the rims get this wide?


Neat looking wheels, but nothing thatll ever be more than a blip on my radar.

sarhog

I wonder why they left the DT Swiss carbon aero gravel wheel out of their test. The absence of DT Swiss is even more intriguing considering they are standard equipment on the bike they used for testing.

msu2001la

The article is a little confusing. The 28mm was a typo and it now states that Hunt did their testing with 38mm Schwalbe G-One and determined that the Enve 4.5 AR SES saved 6 mins over 200miles (at 32kph, which is around 20mph). They seem to have used that wheel as a baseline for the 42 Limitless.

The widths seem on par for deep dish aero carbon wheels. The external width needs to roughly match the tire width to get maximum aero benefits, so a 35mm external width would pair nicely with a 38mm tire, for example.

zen_

Zipp 303 S $1,300, Hunt $1,600...hmmm.

For a cheap aero gravel rim, the Lite Bicycle Falcon 35 / 45 (25mm internal) can't be beat. A $600 (set) build of the 45's with Novatec hubs and Pillar 1420 spokes has a claimed weight of 1,460g +/- 25.

dwmckee

Fine as long as you consider Hunt wheels as a bargain wheel and have similar expectations considering that. You are NOT getting something comparable to an i9 or ZIPP or Enve wheelset quality at that price... For some reason it seems like lately everyone is interested in Hunt wheels because they think they have found an obscure Internet bargain or they "look cool".

chas58

That, and apparently they are pretty good at marketing. ;-)

chas58

Yup, good option. It was $860 when I priced it out, but still...

msu2001la

Zipp 303S looks like a fantastic deal at $1300 and 1600g, but I question if it's really providing any aero benefits when shod with gravel sized tires. The 23mm internal/27mm external seems optimized around 25-28mm road tires. I know they advertise that up to 50mm tires can be used, but it seems like aero gains will be minimal beyond 28mm, which then begs the question why run a deep section/carbon wheel if you're not getting aero benefits? For $1200 you can get set of HED Belgium+ laced with Chris Kings.

I think the selling point of the Hunt set is that it's wider, and therefore actually providing aero benefits in gravel tire sizes, tested with 38mm.
Chinese manufacturers like Lite are copying this approach and will always win on price. It's definitely a compelling argument to buy something from them for less than half the cost, but I suppose also not without risks. (I say this as someone who currently owns a $400 generic Chinese carbon wheelset and has had no issues.)

I totally agree with others questioning if Hunt is really on the level of Zipp or Enve. $1600 is a lot of money.

Noctilux.95

Hunt wheels are garbage! They are low end Chinese rims/hubs, with exaggerated western marketing.

Chi_Z

Hunt is just a marketing company, they don't even build their wheels like most other boutique wheel companies. Wheels are made and build straight from Taiwan with super cheap rebrand novatec hubs and low quality pillar spokes. For $1600, you should be expecting at least DT swiss 240s with sapim cx-rays, any less you getting ripped off big time.

dwmckee

Well, they are not as low as garbage, but there are a lot of better choices out there, better quality and better for the money I fee as well. If you DID buy Hunt I'd stick with the low end ones and expect low-end performance that is a bit better than low-end OEM...

The Reynolds and Easton carbon wheels around $1200 - $1400 are really good, have super hubs and are light (a bit lighter than aluminum) but not super light.

Hunt is more of a Marketing company that creates a boutique image that people "buy" into.

Beach Bob

I'm quite taken at how WELL Hunt has marketed themselves. Truly amazing, especially when you consider almost all of their stuff is open mold. It looks like they've actually started designing some of their own rims; I have no idea on their hubs.... that's kind of a deal breaker for me.

I'd really like to find some decent aero road wheels for my Aspero for when I just want to have fun on asphalt, and Hunt comes close to hitting my budget (say $700 US), but I keep thinking I can do better. Currently waiting patiently for Black Friday....

dwmckee

There are a lot of great choices in the $700 - $850 range, as long as you are good with aluminum. In my opinion carbon is not worth it for gravel, too many chances for nicks and scrapes that shake your confidence in a carbon rim over time. A few small dents in an aluminum rim and who cares...

zen_

How did you configure the build?