Trade in your 2¢ for 1000£. That’s the tagline behind Hunt Wheels’ new grassroots product development challenge, that aims to put new gear in your hands in exchange for some constructive feedback. They have opened up applications today for 6 lucky riders who will join their team in helping to shape the next series of products they will produce. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, they want real input from cyclists who ride road, gravel, or cyclocross out in the real world. Those selected to join the OpeDev Team with get outfitted with a set of Hunt wheels, a new Giro Synthe helmet, and a Hunt cycling kit from Mobel, all for just providing your feedback. Spin past the break to get a bot more detail and to find out how to throw your hat in the ring…
Hunt is a pretty small company, and they know that their perspective can be a bit focused on the type of riding that they see close to home. They spend a lot of time testing their products out on the wet & dirty, rolling & steep, wind-swept lanes of the south of England. But they value a different perspective, so with the new ‘Open Development Team‘ program they want to see what you might have to offer. They’ve put out a lot of wide rim, tubeless-ready, disc and rim brake road & cross wheels over the last year and has plenty more projects in the works. Now is your chance to add in your two cents.
They’ve partnered with Giro to outfit the OpenDev team with their most recent all-purpose aero Synthe helmet, and with Spanish clothing maker Mobel for a full Hunt team kit. And of course there is the wheelset. Each selected development team rider will get to select one current set of wheels for 2016, best suited to their bike and type of riding. Then you are tasked with racking up the miles and providing feedback as you go. Then as Hunt develops prototypes (possibly based on input from the OpenDev team), they will look to the development riders for those first real world tests.
Hunt isn’t just looking for someone who is fast or rides huge distances (their Brand Manager and 2015 Transcontinental winner Josh Ibbett has got that base covered – over 4200km/2600mi in 10days for that win.) What they are trying to get a sense of in the application process is a rider’s ability and willingness to provide good feedback and fresh, relevant ideas. The focus for 2016 is on road and cross type riding, but we have it on good authority that they have some mountain wheels in the works too, so being a well-rounded cyclist might play in your favor.
The application process closes February 15, with the six selected to be announced by March 15. So head over to Hunt’s website to register your interest.
