Hunt has introduced its latest wheelset dubbed the SUB50 Limitless, touting it as “the fastest road race option out there” courtesy of its 49.5mm profile and radically wide inner rims widths of 34.2mm up front and 30mm at the rear – in a hookless design.
“The goal for the Limitless wheelset was to create the fastest all-around road race wheelset up to and including 50mm in depth for both 30mm and 28mm tires,” says Hunt, relying on no less than 2,500 hours of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis and more than a combined modeling of almost 65 prototypes. If that wasn’t enough, the British brand conducted no fewer than 90 wind-tunnel tests involving both 28mm and 30mm tires.
According to Hunt, results published in a detailed white paper, show the new SUB50 Limitless outperforms all the wheelsets in terms of what it refers to as “aerodynamic efficiency-to-weight”.
The only exception was the DT Swiss ARC 1400 DICUT 50 DB wheelset with a 28c tire, which according to Hunt, the wheelset’s 20mm internal rim width offers a narrower tire profile, resulting in improved aerodynamic efficiency.
Elsewhere, the SUB50 Limitless is paired with Hunt’s new H_Ratchet DBL hubs, which weigh in at claimed 332g per set and feature a 40-tooth double-ratchet freehub engagement system, while the British brand’s patented Limitless Width Aero Technology is also utilized, comprising strips of “low-density structural polymer” that are inserted into a molded channel in the rim sidewall, with additional carbon fiber layered over it.
Hunt says this allows for an extra-wide external rim without adding excessive weight or necessitating the use of a similarly wide internal rim.
“Reliably offering 9-degree engagement, the system is designed for high torque load and easy servicing, with tool-free end cap removal and double-sealed main hub bearings,” says Hunt.
Additionally, the SUB50 Limitless sticks with Hunt’s TaperLock unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber spokes, which forgo the need for bonding and can be trued like normal steel spokes.
“The UD carbon spokes offer 6% greater lateral responsiveness compared to steel spoke equivalents with significantly less weight (2.7g per spoke), allowing the design team to reduce the number of spokes used in the system,” says Hunt.
The SUB50 Limitless wheelset with steel bearings is available for pre-order now, with delivery slated for late February. For customers opting for CeramicSpeed bearings, they will have to wait until April.
Hunt
You must be logged in to post a comment.
