In an effort to reduce its impact on the environment, Hunts has spun up a new range of wheelsets dubbed the Sustain Phase One, which relies on 10% recycled carbon and aluminum, making the British brand the first wheel company to develop its rims using recycled materials.
“Our new wheels were developed leveraging recycled materials, less resource-intensive manufacturing processes, sustainability-focused specification choices, and shorter transportation distances to reduce the environmental impact of the wheelsets while offering high specification components and performance,” boasts Hunt.
The Sustain Phase One comprises three wheelsets, one with carbon fiber rims, while the other two feature aluminum, with all three laced with uncoated spokes and spoke nipples that are hand-built in Europe.
“The wheelsets are hand-built with high-spec spokes for reduced weight and improved ride feel, and fast engaging, reliable hub systems for quick power transfer and durability,” says Hunt.
“Long service life and reliability have been top priorities for us since the start. Each of the three Sustain Phase One wheels, along with every Hunt wheel design, has undergone extensive testing and validation by our in-house engineering and development team, including a comprehensive impact test, burst pressure testing to 150% of max PSI, real-world rider testing using our network of test athletes, and a rigorous cobbled-rolling road test,” adds Hunt.
The Sustain Phase One 42 Carbon Disc Ti is the top-tier model in the range, which is designed to be an all-round, mid-depth road wheel that’s aimed at a road and mixed-surface terrain, while its 22mm internal rim can accommodate tires spanning 25mm to 35mm.
“The rim is constructed using 10% recycled carbon fiber, sourced from specialist European recycled composites suppliers which recycle larger aerospace and automotive components, as well as offcuts from carbon fiber rim production. The recycled carbon fiber is processed into a dense fleece material that reinforces the outer rim and rim hook structure during the molding process, improving impact resistance due to its multi-directional structure.“The rims are molded with a wax core mandrel, using a unique resin transfer molding method rather than traditional resin-infused carbon fiber pre-preg, so the carbon offcuts can be easily recycled and do not require refrigerated storage, further reducing energy use. The wax core material can be melted and re-used in this process more than 20 times, offering a significant reduction in waste compared to production methods using single-use silicone or EPS (expanded polystyrene) mandrels,” explains Hunt.
Elsewhere, the Sustain Phase One 42 Carbon Disc Ti uses Hunt’s new Europa H_Ratchet Ti hub with a 36-tooth stainless steel ratchet ring with a 10° engagement angle, along with a one-piece freehub is grade 5 (6Al-4V) titanium, while the spokes are Sapim CX-Ray triple butted.
The aluminum variants are the Sustain Phase One – 4 Season All-Road Disc and the Sustain Phase One – Trail Wide 29, which are constructed using 75% recycled aluminum alloy, 30% of which is sourced from recycled post-consumer alloy such as drink cans, while the other 45% comprises recycled content from the industrial sector, such as off-cuts and shavings from CNC processing.
“Hand-built with a Hunt Europa 4 Season hubset, CNC-machined and assembled in France, and laced with Zero Coat Sapim D-Light double butted spokes, the 4 Season All-Road Disc is built for all weather, year-round performance, whether on the road, gravel, or broken roads in between. Also, our Sustain Phase One – Trail Wide 29 has a 30mm internal rim width that’s optimized for 2.2in-2.6in trail tires,” points out Hunt.
As mentioned, all three wheelsets use uncoated spokes and nipples.
“While anodizing alloy rims and hubs is necessary to protect the surface from wear and improve the longevity of the component, the electrical chemical coating process used to color-coat black spokes and brass spoke nipples offers no practical or performance benefit beyond aesthetics. Our development team has opted to save the energy and chemical usage required in the spoke and spoke nipple color coating process for these wheelsets. Each of the three wheelsets has also been hand-built with raw silver J-bend spokes for greater durability and easy replacement. The two alloy offerings feature durable, naturally corrosion-resistant brass spoke nipples with self-lubricating properties,” says Hunt.
Here’s how the wheelsets breakdown:
Sustain Phase One – 42 Carbon Disc Ti
Sustain Phase One All-Season Road Disc
Hunt Sustain Phase One – Trail Wide 29
Hunt
You must be logged in to post a comment.
