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I cant find any recent debates on this.. so what are peoples thoughts.
Ive just got a new gravel bike and already leaning towards having 2 sets of wheels. One for gravel, one for road.
The Hunts look ok, what puts me off is the potential freehub noise, the plus is UK warranty. However reading other comments people say that they are not as spritely as other brands. ie my new bike has come with Miche 48mm wheels and they do not spin up or feel as tight, good as the Zipp 303 Firecrest rim wheels I had previously.
Is it best to stay safe and buy Hunt ? Currently looking at Light bicyle, and Hambini (YT) likes 9Velo.
Thoughts welcomed 🙂
My mate and I both ride with Hunt wheels on gravel bikes. I can't say the noise has ever bothered me - even when we're riding together.
I have a set of Hunt grave wheels the hubs are noisier than I am used too and were a little off putting for about 10 min but it is really not a big deal and would not stop me getting another set.
Also have a look at CES wheels I have a set of their road wheels and they have been very good.
Just Riding Along. Similar concept to Hunt, but just done better. The 3 sets I have are incredibly well built and have Just Worked (one set over a decade old now). The odd time I've needed spares, they've been quick and efficient (endcaps/axles mostly), unlike my single experience of Hunt customer service which was well meaning but utterly useless.
Hunt freehub means you don’t need a bell! I don’t mind the noise. They’re good for warranty issues as you allude too. Counter argument may be they have to be, as some of their products do seem a bit fragile.
If you can be bothered you can quieten them down with something like Dumonde Pro X hub grease but it needs redoing every few 100kms to stay quiet.
Otherwise may be talk to someone like Mark at Spokesman Wheels and get some wheels made up to your spec instead?
If you can be bothered you can quieten them down with something like Dumonde Pro X hub grease but it needs redoing every few 100kms to stay quiet.
Or just pedal more 😉
From friends experiences Hunts warranty is good but you'll probably need it. Buying from a Chinese OEM will get you a similar product for less money, with the ability to customise useful aspects of it, at the expense of delivery time and variable warranty. I've personally used Zen carbon and could specify the complete build including using brass nipples.
A slightly less fatuous answer than my last.....if I was to do it again with a bigger budget I'd make sure the hubs on my two sets of wheels were the same. I have two sets of wheels for my gravel and 3 for my fat bike. All bought 2nd hand with varying brand hubs. Every time I switch wheels I need to tweak the calipers ever so slightly to stop brake rub and on one bike I need to adjust the derailleur limit screws to allow a clean gear change and stop any chance of throwing the chain into the spokes.
Faff free biking = another reason not to bother removed so I'd personally prioritise that over everything else.
Every time I switch wheels I need to tweak the calipers ever so slightly to stop brake rub and on one bike I need to adjust the derailleur limit screws to allow a clean gear change and stop any chance of throwing the chain into the spokes.
To be fair that is a very good point! Having SRAM XDR it removes the cassette trimming issues (hopefully) but not the rotor alignment 🙁 .
Looking at light bicycle, once you add shipping they are not that cheap!
I may end up buying some more Miche Aero 48s that can be had for £850, these are the wheels already on my bike. However I will wait until my 35mm GP5000s arrive and see how much faster they are than the current gravel tyres. There is no point buying a second set of wheels if they dont give that much advantage on the road
