Hunt continues to defy both gravity and high prices with the launch of its latest 1295g carbon wheelset, complete with uni-directional carbon spokes and CeramicSpeed bearings for the remarkable price of $1,549.
In order to simplify the complexity of its new carbon spoke design, Hunt has devised a way of attaching the spokes to a wedge that’s located at the hub end of things thanks to its Taper Lock system. Moreover, the innovative design allows the carbon spokes to be “tuned” just like their steel counterparts.
“With up to a 30.16% reduction in lateral flex over equivalent steel spoked wheelsets (please click here for full testing methodology and results), the 36 UD Carbon Spoke wheels have been engineered to provide you a significant increase in stiffness as well an impressively low sub 1300g weight. Using an innovative construction method, the 36 UD Carbon Spoke wheelset offers carbon spokes that are held purely mechanically, with no bonding required. We call this TaperLock, and it allows for carbon spokes that can be trued and maintained just like a normal steel spoke,” says Hunt.
“Plus the TaperLock UD Carbon spokes are incredibly strong achieving over 450kgf (kilograms force per spoke) maximum tensile strength, this compares to leading steel spokes which only reach 300 kgf. The innovative filament wound rims feature spoke area reinforcement, which creates strength where you need it and saves you vital grams everywhere else.”At the hub end of the spoke an aluminum mandrel is placed around the spoke during the curing process, and is pulled tight against the (tapered) head of the spoke. The rim end of the spoke is fitted in the same way with a threaded steel mandrel, and can be trued using a spoke key on a nut from within the rim bed (accessible through the internal spoke holes). The steel mandrel has a standard square outer shape allowing the spoke to be held straight whilst any adjustments are made to the internal nipple,” the British brand adds.
According to Hunt, the 36mm rims utilize adaptive filament winding, which varies the layup thickness and fiber orientation in key areas around the rim, wherein the layup pattern places fibers aligned in a series of increasing angles radiating from the spoke hole up to the tire bed. Furthermore, this technology is said to optimize the transmission of force from the spoke to the rest of the rim, and provides additional material to create high strength at the spoke area, while minimizing unnecessary weight between the spokes.
Additionally, the rims are tubeless-ready, which have an external width of 26mm, enough to accommodate tires from 25-28mm.
Hunts says its new wheelset will become available starting in the second week of November.
Hunt
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