Hunt has announced its new Proven carbon fibre mountain bike wheel range and is initially launching two wheelsets.
The Hunt Proven Carbon Race XC is designed for cross-country racing and is claimed to weigh in at 1,469g. The Hunt Proven Carbon Race Enduro is designed for burlier enduro riding and comes in at under 2,000g.
Throughout the research and development process, Hunt says it realised it could create specific rims for different mountain biking disciplines. The wheels feature increased rim widths, new carbon layups and the brand says it experimented with various wheel tunes.
Hunt says it’s been developing the new range since it launched its original All Mountain Carbon H IMPACT (AMC).
Hunt says the new Proven wheels have been tested over the past two racing seasons, including at Enduro World Series rounds, the Leadville 100 and some World Cup XC races.
The wheels ship with a lifetime warranty for the original owner against accidents or mishaps.
Hunt has hinted a Proven electric mountain bike wheelset is on the way and has also suggested an even lighter cross-country model is in development.
Both wheelsets will retail for £899 / $1,099 / €1,169 / AU$1,571, with the Superboost variant of the Enduro wheelset setting you back £949 / $1,149 / €1,239 / AU$1,658. Australian pricing is to be confirmed.
Availability is from mid-to-end of October, although the Proven Carbon Race Enduro mullet and Superboost options will be available from next year.
Hunt Proven Carbon Race XC
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The Hunt Proven Carbon Race XC wheelset is claimed to weigh in at 1,469g and Hunt says they are “built with weight, speed and durability in mind”.
The wheelset features a 30mm internal rim width and a 22mm rim depth. Hunt says the shallower rim depth not only reduces weight, but maintains strength while providing agreeable dampening properties.
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According to Hunt, the wheelset has been tested extensively. Through data analysis, the brand’s engineers were able to identify areas of high stress to add reinforcement to the carbon rim, while also removing excess material where they didn’t deem it necessary.
BikeRadar asked Hunt where specifically it added or removed material. It revealed one area it reinforced was the spoke bed area, but declined to go into further detail. This is a crucial area to focus on to avoid a spoke pulling through and fracturing the carbon rim, rendering it useless.
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According to Hunt, the cross-country wheels are designed for bikes featuring up to 120mm of suspension travel.
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The wheels feature CNC-machined 7075-T6 hubs with dual-sealed Revo bearings.
The hubs are laced to the rims using Pillar 1420 bladed straight-pull spokes and alloy nipples. Both the front and rear wheels use 28 spokes.
The wheels are only available in a 29in option and feature centrelock disc mounts, although Hunt says it offers adaptors for use with 6-bolt discs.
Hunt Proven Carbon Race Enduro
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Designed for enduro mountain bikes, the Hunt Proven Carbon Race Enduro wheelset features front and rear-specific rims. The spoke gauge (the thickness of the spoke) is also different between each wheel. The wheelset is claimed to weigh 1,920g in its 29in format.
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These wheels feature a 23mm depth and 30mm internal rim width, and Hunt says the engineering team has manipulated the construction and carbon layup of each “to offer tailored handling characteristics”.
Hunt expands on this by explaining the front rim counters fatigue by soaking up shocks and vibrations before a rider can feel them, while the rear is built tougher. The brand claims the rear adds 61g to the overall rim weight.
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Like the Proven Carbon Race XC, the rims are laced to CNC-machined 7075-T6 hubs and spin on dual-sealed Revo bearings. The rear is said to feature a flex-resistant heat-treated axle.
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Pillar triple-butted J-bend TB2016 spokes are used up-front, while chunkier TB2018 spokes are employed on the rear. Hunt says the use of a heavier-gauge spoke at the rear reduces flex in the wheelset, increasing precision while riding. The spoke count is 28 front and rear, using alloy nipples.
The Hunt Proven Carbon Race Enduro will be offered in 29in, 27.5in and mullet versions, with 6-bolt disc mounts and Boost or Superboost hub spacing.