Hunt launches Race Aero SuperDura wheels

Hunt is launching a new Race Aero SuperDura wheelset aimed at riders weighing up to 130kg (20st 7lb). The wheels are intended for general year-round use but with a performance edge.

Hunt reckons there’s a gap in the market for off-the-shelf wheels for larger riders with a need for speed. The UK brand also sees these wheels as an option for other riders who flex their existing wheels. 

Larger riders put a whole lot of extra stress on wheel components that can ultimately result in failure. A lot of the development work for the Race Aero SuperDura wheels has been done with ex-Leicester Tigers rugby player Will Johnson, a member of the Hunt OpenDev team. 

Will and another ex-pro rugby international rode this year’s Paris-Roubaix Challenge on Hunt’s 4Season wheels but wanted something with more of a focus on speed, so Hunt has come up with a new wheelset that features 31mm-deep rims and a sub-1,600g weight.

The rims are made from niobium aluminium alloy – niobium being added to the mix to improve strength and increase resistance to cracking – with a T10 heat treatment that’s applied after the metal is rolled.

The rims have a 19mm internal width and 24mm external width that’s designed to work well with wider tyres. Hunt reasons that wider tyres provide more shock absorption and that braking is more of a challenge with a big rider on board so it’s better to fit a wider tyre that has a larger contact area with the road.

Hunt uses 28 Pillar PSRXTRA Aero J-Bend spokes at the front and 32 at the rear. They’re a larger gauge than normal for extra strength and they’re laced three-cross at the rear. Hunt uses 14mm deep alloy nipples so there’s a deep threaded connection with the spoke.

The 4Season Dura 6061-T6 hubs (12mm front axle, 15mm rear axle) use large double-sealed main bearings. Each of the three individually sprung pawls in the freehub has three teeth, the idea being to reduce the pressure on each tooth which Hunt sees as particularly important for bigger, more powerful riders. The 48 tooth ratchet ring is designed to provide fast engagement and resistance to wear under heavy loads.

Hunt claims a wheelset weight of 1,595g. The price is £469. You can pre-order now for January delivery.

Hunt is also launching an updated version of its 4Season Aero wheelset that’s designed for year-round UK conditions. The new 28mm-deep 6061-T6 heat treated rims are wider than previously: 19mm internal width, 24mm external width.

The 4Season 6061-T6 hubset is different from before too and a little lighter which offsets the small increase in rim weight. The overall wheelset weight is still a pretty light 1,579g.

Hunt sees the 4Season Aero as an ideal option for a carbon road bike in the £2,000-£2,400 (-ish) price range that’s ridden all year round. 

The 4Season Aero wheelset is priced at £339 and is available to pre-order now for February delivery.

Fore more info go to www.huntbikewheels.com.