Hunt's Proven Carbon Race XC wheelset gets UD carbon spokes
With a crazy 1,254g weight claim
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Hunt's latest wheelset, the Proven Race XC UD both completes the brand's cross-country offering and is said to come in at a super-light 1,254g thanks to a range of fresh features. Here's everything you need to know.
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The Proven Race XC UD takes inspiration from Hunt's existing road wheels but is repackaged as a performance cross-country platform. This wheelset has been designed with help from the brand's latest computer modelling tech and lab testing, alongside loads of rider input, delivering a wheel that gets all the mod-cons. This includes 30mm internal widths with specific carbon lay-ups for the front and rear wheels.
2023 hunt proven carbon race XC UD on bike 2.jpg, by Liam Mercer
The big weight shedder is the introduction of Taperlock and UD carbon spokes that are said to be 30% stronger than a compatible spoke made of steel. Such strength has allowed the brand to use fewer spokes which saves weight.
By using a Taperlock construction, the designers have been able to create a spoke that's just as user-friendly as its metal counterparts. To do so, at the hub end of the spokes, there's an aluminium mandrel that's placed during curing. At the rim, there's a threaded steel mandrel that allows for wheel truing, accessible via the spoke holes on the rim bed. All of this results in a lower weight, better vibration damping and responsiveness without the downsides of carbon-spoked wheels that rely on resins or adhesives.
2023 hunt proven carbon race XC UD on bike 1.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Just as we saw on the recently released XC Wide wheelset, the Proven Race XC UD gets purpose-built front and rear rims. Both wheels get 22mm depths and the aforementioned 30mm widths but each wheel's spoke count has been chosen specifically for each wheel's use. At the front, there are 20 spokes and 24 at the rear with the former tuned towards compliance and traction. The latter has been aimed towards responsiveness, acceleration and durability. Hunt says that there's just a 20g weight difference between the two.
2023 hunt proven carbon race XC UD hero 2.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Finally, this wheelset benefits from Hunt's S-RapidEngage hub which offers two-degree engagement through the use of six pawls that are cut with two teeth each. The hubs roll on EZO bearings with dual full-contact seals, centre-lock rotor mounts, 15mm axles and alloy nipples.
Customers are covered by Hunt's H_Care Lifetime crash replacement policy. This covers the original owner against accidents through free repair or replacement if deemed necessary.
Pricing for Hunt's latest wheelset sits at £1,349.
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