Hunt built a brand on well spec’ed, affordable tubeless road wheels spinning up solid, reliable performance. But deep down, much of the Hunt team are really technical mountain bikers. That’s made most of their wheels capable in the dirt & gravel, but it was time for some proper wide mountain bike wheels. The result, a family of three new premium alloy off-road wheels – the EnduroWide, TrailWide & XCWide – ready to hit every kind of trail that awaits…
Hunt (Mountain) Bike Wheels goes off-road
As co-founder/owner Tom Marchment put it, he started his biking life “getting uplifts from the local bike shop and racing back downhill”. Most of his product team are “MTB Lifers” and the group still regularly “partakes in the dirty side of life”. That’s been both the impetus for mountain bike wheel development and how they’ve handled R&D.
Their communications specialist Hamish is an elite-level enduro racer. Head of customer service Jack is an ex DH racer. Their spec & dispatch specialist Dan races UK enduro. OEM manager Sarah shreds the trail and rules the local QOM descents. Even their ultra endurance Transcontinental winning product development & service guy Josh, held the race record for five years on the 200 mile South Downs Way Double MTB challenge.
That’s a relatively convoluted way to say that Hunt lives and breathes mountain biking. So we expect these three new wheelsets to be as well thought out as their road and gravel offerings. And they are likely only the first of many more mountain wheels to come.
Hunt EnduroWide 27.5 or 29″ alloy mountain bike wheels
Enduro wheels need to be burly and wide. But Hunt wanted to build something that was solid and affordable without weighing a ton. So they worked for the last two years on a 33mm wide internal rim with extra thick sidewalls to withstand the regular beating of racing technical trails.
In the end it was a unique, high-end 6069 T6 alloy with a shot-peened hardened finish that delivered much improved strength over the conventional 6061, plus a set of high spoke count premium hubs that lace up into a solid wheelset.
The EnduroWide wheels come in a 27.5″ version at 1994g or larger 29″ version at 2064g, both selling for the same pre-order price of £360 with mid June delivery. Both wheel sizes also share the same tubeless-ready rim profile with its H-lock bead seats to hold the 2.3-2.6″ tires securely.
They also share the same oversized double sealed bearing, machined alloy hubs, with a 84point/4.3° engagement, 6-bolt disc mounts, and are available in both standard & Boost spacing and for Shimano freehub or SRAM XD driver. The wheels are laced up with 32 triple butted spokes up front, and 36 in the rear for strength and use alloy nipples.
Like their road wheels, Hunt sees the value in delivering a complete wheel system package, pairing the MTB wheels with tires. No more messing with the sealant or even needing to fit and air up your tires. They’ll install a set of Schwalbe Magic Mary/Hans Dampf or Maxxis Minion/High Roller tires for you with biodegradeable Peaty’s Sealant for cheaper than you could buy the tires yourself. They can even put a set of Huck Norrises inside if you want some extra protection.
Hunt TrailWide 27.5 or 29″ alloy mountain bike wheels
So you need to hit some aggressive trails, but a proper enduro wheel is overkill? That’s where the TrailWide wheels slot in with a 30mm internal rim. Again available as a 27.5 or 29″ wheel, they feature a lighter, more narrow rim of the same strong 6069 alloy, and a few less spokes.
The 30mm H-lock tubeless-ready rim is still rated for technical trail use and 2.3-2.4″ tires. At 1757g for the 27.5″ wheels or 1823g for the 29er, you get a more all-around mountain bike wheelset durable enough for all day epics or sessioning your local trails, and happy to do a bit more climbing.
The wheels feature the same RapidEngage hub as the rear of the EnduroWide, with a less burly front – still available in Boost or not and Shimano or SRAM drivetrain compatibility. Spokes are the same triple butted PSR from Pillar, but here you need just 28 up front and 32 in the back for a balance of strength and lightweight.
The TrailWide wheels can be pre-ordered now for £340, again with mid June delivery expected. Tires again can be fitted by Hunt and set up tubeless, here with the Schwalbe Hans Dampf or Maxxis High Roller their suggested pairing for all around trail use.
Hunt XCWide 29″ alloy mountain bike wheels
Lastly, the XCWide wheels offer a lighter alternative for less technical trail riding. Here only available in a 1647g 29er wheelset, the XCWide uses a 25mm internal rim that is well suited for full suspension XC and marathon cross-country bikes, up to longer travel hardtails that you’ll still be pedaling uphill quite a bit.
These feature another alloy – 6066 T6 – which has a tensile strength in between 6069 & 6061 to create the wide, H-lock tubeless ready rim. The XCWide wheels use the same hubs at the TrailWide wheels with 28 PSR triple butted spoke front & rear. That again give them Boost or standard spacing and Shimano cassette or SRAM XD driver compatibility.
The XC Wide wheels sell for just £320 on pre-order, again promising mid-June availability. Pair them with a set of Schwalbe Nobby Nic or Maxxis High Roller/Ardent tires, set up tubeless for you by Hunt.
