Hunt has fully revamped their aerodynamic Limitless Gravel wheels, now with new lighter front- and rear-specific rims and the choice for ultralight & stiff carbon spokes or standard aero metal spokes, and metal or ceramic bearings. Any manner you take a look at it, the brand new gravel racing wheels are quicker than ever with wider, now-hookless inner widths optimized for greater gravel tires. And they’re lighter as well – shedding as much as 220g and bleeding into ultralight territory at simply 1328g for an off-road-ready aero wheelset!
Hunt 40 Limitless Gravel Aero optimized carbon racing wheels
The subsequent evolution of their aerodynamically optimized Limitless household, these new Hunt 40 Limitless Gravel Aero wheels go massive on fats tire velocity. Whereas many aero wheels goal most aerodynamic effectivity, Hunt realizes that aero gravel race wheels should strike a compromise of light-weight, aero effectivity, and flexibility. So that they got down to design probably the most aero mid-depth carbon wheelset they might whereas using 40mm or 45mm tires over tough off-road tracks.
Their result’s a two-pronged strategy – a barely shorter, wider & heavier entrance wheel to chop into undisturbed airflow and an incrementally taller, narrower & extra strong rear wheel to comply with behind in turbulent air however supporting extra of the rider+bike weight. Each entrance & rear are actually hookless with straighter sides, with wider 4.5mm tubeless-ready beads which are extra immune to pinch flatting as a result of bigger radius of their edges that unfold out forces, even once you bottom-out towards a pointy edge.
Their final purpose was to greatest their already “class-leading aerodynamic efficiency of the 42 Limitless Gravel Aero” wheels whereas considerably lowering weight. Hunt labored on R&D for these new 40 LGA wheels for 3 years aiming for enchancment in 4 efficiency metrics: aerodynamic effectivity, aerodynamic stability, system weight, and tire form.
Aerodynamic efficiency
Hunt says the brand new wheels ship a brand new in-class benchmark for aerodynamic efficiency-to-weight and aerodynamic efficiency-to-depth efficiency.
“With a 45mm Schwalbe G-One AR tyre the 40 LGA UD produced the second lowest aerodynamic drag after the 3T Discus 45/40 (0.34W distinction). The 40 LGA UD produced decrease drag than the Reserve 40/44, DT Swiss GRC 1400 SPLINE and the Zipp 303 Firecrest (0.5W, 1.04W and 1.95, respectively).
With a 40mm Schwalbe G-One AR tyre the 40 LGA UD produced the second lowest aerodynamic drag after the 3T Discus 45/40 (0.67W distinction). The 40 LGA UD produced decrease drag than the DT Swiss GRC 1400 SPLINE, Zipp 303 Firecrest and CADEX 35 AR (0.01W, 1.38W and a pair of.06 respectively).
For an all-round gravel wheel[set], the 40 LGA UD affords the quickest general bundle with each tyre sizes thought of, however particularly with the 45 mm tyre. The one wheel constantly quicker than it, the 3T Discus 45/40, achieves the aero effectivity with 320g in extra mass. The 40 LGA is quicker than each the ENVE 3.4 and Reserve 40/44, while additionally being lighter.“
Hunt R&D breakdown
Learn Hunt’s newest full Limitless Gravel Aero improvement White Paper, right here. It’s a enjoyable one to geek out on if you wish to see how they got here up with this last design by a mixture of trial & error and intensive wind tunnel testing!
“Whereas weighing simply 1328 grams with UD Carbon spoke expertise, the brand new 40 Limitless Gravel Aero with a 45mm Schwalbe G-One AR tyre affords a 0.39-watt financial savings in contrast the previous 42 Limitless with a 45mm tyre. In comparison with related wheels within the mid-depth class, the 40 Limitless aerodynamically outperforms the related competitor wheels as much as and together with 45mm in depth, when mounted with fashionable 45mm gravel tyres. When aerodynamic drag-to-weight and aerodynamic drag-to-depth ratios are thought of, the 40LGA considerably outperforms the aggressive set.“
Gravel Race Weight Financial savings
The earlier era 42 Limitless Gravel Disc wheels had been already fairly mild at 1548g, no less than mild on the time for aero gravel wheels – by making the most of Hunt’s distinctive low-density polymer to fill out that fats rim profile with out including tons of pointless weight. However Hunt-sponsored gravel racers demanded lighter wheels to offset the burden of the vast tires they had been racing. And that rotating weight was very tangibly felt over lengthy races, with every acceleration, whether or not out of corners, to shut a spot, or simply after navigating some technical part.
So now, Hunt take it one other step additional. Similar to of their Sub50 Limitless aero street wheels, Hunt realized that front- & rear-specific designs may assist them enhance aerodynamic effectivity whereas shedding substantial weight. And naturally, the Sub50s reinforce the advantages of carbon spokes. The shift to Hunt’s top-tier TaperLock full UD Carbon spokes saved a bunch of weight, however so did that carbon layup refinement within the rims, and lighter hubs, too. Even the metal spoke wheelsets are greater than 110g lighter than the earlier era.
Plus, these carbon spokes “supply 6% better lateral responsiveness in comparison with metal spoke equivalents with considerably much less weight (2.7g per spoke), permitting the design group to cut back the variety of spokes used within the system”. Hunt’s TaperLock carbon spokes nonetheless retain standard nipples, so the wheels are nonetheless straightforward to true and repair.
Tech particulars
40 Limitless Gravel Aero Disc UD Carbon Spoke:
- front- & rear-specific vast hookless tubeless rims
- wider 4.5mm vast bead for better pinch flat resistance
- 40mm deep entrance is 27mm vast inner, 36mm exterior
- 41mm deep rear is 26mm vast inner, 35mm exterior
- aerodynamically optimized for 40-45mm gravel tires
- constructed with 20 (entrance & rear) ultralight TaperLock UD Carbon spokes & standard alloy nipples
- Hunt-branded H_Ratchet DBL hubs with 48T ratchet for quick 7.5° engagement
- commonplace double-sealed stainless-steel cartridge bearings
- non-obligatory CeramicSpeed coated ceramic bearings
- 1328g full wheelset
40 Limitless Gravel Aero Disc Metal Spoke:
- similar front- & rear-specific wide-bead hookless tubeless carbon rim
- entrance: 40mm deep, 27mm vast inner, 36mm exterior
- rear: 41mm deep, 26mm vast inner, 35mm exterior
- constructed with 24 (entrance & rear) elliptical aero Pillar Wing 20 spokes & alloy nipples
- H_Ratchet DBL hubs: 48T ratchet, 7.5° engagement
- double-sealed stainless cartridge bearings commonplace
- 1431g full wheelset
Hunt 40 Limitless Gravel – Pricing, choices & availability
These new fully revamped and lighter aerodynamic Hunt 40 Limitless Gravel bike wheels are available in three completely different variations now, all sharing the identical 40 $ 41mm deep carbon rim profiles.
Essentially the most reasonably priced of the bunch is the metal spoke model for $1850 / 1850€ with stainless bearings as nicely, at a claimed 1431g. However if you would like the majority of the brand new weight financial savings, you wish to improve to the carbon spoke variations.
With a weight declare of simply 1328g for the set, the Hunt 40 Limitless Gravel Aero Disc UD Carbon Spoke wheels promote for $2280€ with stainless-steel bearings. Or you possibly can improve these to CeramicSpeed coated ceramic bearings for an additional $710€.
All variations are obtainable beginning this week for pre-order of the primary small batch that can land at UK, US & EU distribution warehouses from the third week of November, and will make it out to early patrons by the top of that month. In addition they all get Hunt’s H_Care Lifetime Crash Alternative assure, too. It doesn’t matter what occurs, Hunt says they’ll handle you, repairing or changing broken wheels freed from cost, if wanted. Snap up a set at:
