Sea Otter – New ‘Proven’ Carbon Wheels From Hunt

Hannah is out at the Sea Otter Classic in California, USA. It’s a four day festival of racing and a huge expo area. There are races for every type of bike, but there’s a strong leaning towards mountain biking, and if you want to see new products, prototypes, and unique bikes, it’s the place to be. Head here for all our Sea Otter 2022 Coverage.

Hunt Wheels has previously only had the one carbon mountain bike wheel in its line-up: the AMC. Designed as a reliable and strong sub-£1000 wheel, it’s been ridden hard by the likes of Matt Stuttard. With an increasing presence in the US market, where carbon mountain bike wheels are more popular, rider feedback that the AMC could be too stiff in a pro-race situation, plus fast XC rider Isla Short on the books, Hunt decided there was room for some new wheels in their range.

The wheels are being launched under the ‘Proven’ brand – playing on their ‘proven’ track record with the AMC. There will be three wheel launched in this range over the coming months:

Trail XC

• New lighter hub,
• 22mm deep
• Centre lock rotor mounts for weight reduction,
• Ideally suited to hardtails to 130mm travel,
• Available July-ish

Race XC

• New super light hub,
• 22mm deep
• Centre lock rotor mounts for weight reduction,
• UD carbon spoke
• Ideally suited to XC racing,
• Ridden by and developed with Isla Short,
• Available July-ish

Race Enduro

• New hub with 17mm internal axle, oversized bearings and 5° engagement,
• 23mm, deeper than the XC rims
• Tuned carbon layup,
• Ideally suited to 130mm – 180mm travel bikes,
• Available June-ish

The Race Enduro wheels have been designed to be more compliant, so that in a pro race situation where you’re riding at speed, you get fewer deflections as you ride down the trail. Mere mortals should find that it’s more comfortable than the AMC. The front is designed to be more compliant, with a different carbon layup and spoke gauge front and rear.

The AMC stays in the range for 2022, but get the same new hub as the Race Enduro.

No further details as yet on weight, width or pricing, they’re saving that for the launch. They will be included in the H-Care lifetime warranty.

The Race XC wheels will be seeing plenty of action this year, with sponsored riders Hannah Shell and John Keller hitting the invitational Lifetime Grand Prix Series, which combines gravel and XC races into a big prize pot competition series.

They’ll also be raced by Isla Short in the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. Look out for her this weekend racing in Brazil. It looks like she’ll be taking in the Commonwealth Games and missing out on the Snowshoe round of the World Cup – the draw of a home Games proving strong enough to miss out on those vital UCI points. Will she grab that podium spot in Birmingham?

The Race Enduro wheels will also see some action, as there’s a new USA based MRPDRT team, with MRP suspension products and Hunt Wheels providing support. Chloe Taylor will also be racing the Race Enduro wheels, and Isla Short will use them when she races the EWS in the Tweed Valley.

Head here for all our Sea Otter 2022 Coverage

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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