Hunt's Proven Trail wheelset employ H_Core technology
The latest carbon wheelset from Hunt gets front- and rear-specific tunes and a high strength-to-weight ratio.
More News
Two new wheelsets are built to cope with the rigours of trail riding.
New wheelsets get new rim profiles, hubs and spoke configurations for greater impact resistance
With a crazy 1,254g weight claim
Get the low down on newbies - the Fugio, the Mantle and the TarnTanium
Hunt's Proven range has quickly set a benchmark for high-performance carbon wheelsets with affordable price points – and has now filled the rather stark gap for a trail-specific carbon wheelset. Say hello to the Proven Carbon Trail wheels. Not only does the new wheelset inherit features found on its Enduro-flavoured sibling but gets front- and rear-specific tunes and spoke configurations. Here are all of the details.
- Best mountain bike wheels 2025
- Hunt Trail Wide V2 wheelset review
- 27.5 vs. 29-inch wheels - understanding the differences
Hunt says that the Proven Carbon Trail wheel is its most versatile wheel to date. Designed to complement bikes with 160mm of suspension travel at the fork, the brand has focused on a blend of impact resistance, freehub engagement, stiffness and lateral compliance.
Like a few other wheels in the market, Hunt has gone for front- and rear-specific tunes with its Proven Carbon Trail wheelset. Those tunes apply to both the rim constructions and the spoke counts. Up front, there's a wider 31mm internal width to maximise traction and comfort, whereas the rear rim is built to be stronger. That comes as a result of a beefier carbon layup that's 20g heavier (on a full 29-inch wheel setup) and narrower, with a 30mm internal width to help reduce rolling resistance.
2025 hunt proven carbon trail hero 2.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Those differences in rim width have allowed Hunt to build the rear rim with wider 4mm beads. The idea here is to help dissipate impact forces and reduce the chance of pinch flats. Both wheels get asymmetric offset designs that compensate for the differences in spoke tension between the non-drive sides and drive sides, as well as the braking and non-braking side at the front.
H_Core, a technology quietly introduced on the brand's latest Proven Carbon Enduro wheelset is another method of bolstering the rims. It's rim reinforcement is said to significantly increase impact resistance without adding that much weight and stiffness.
2025 hunt proven carbon trail h core.jpg, by Liam Mercer
H_Core comprises a pair of thin but super strong carbon inserts that sit just underneath the rim's beads. These are added to achieve consistent compaction of the carbon and resin flow to minimise voids within the carbon structure that would otherwise decrease strength.
The wheels benefit from Hunt's 'anti-splinter' layup, which is a new carbon layup designed to reduce the splintering of the carbon. It uses an extra 10k carbon weave that we're told is resilient to 'micro-cracks' that could lead to larger failures later in the materials' lifespan.
2025 hunt proven carbon trail freehub.jpg, by Liam Mercer
As well as a lifetime free crash replacement warranty, the Hunt Proven Carbon Trail H_Core wheels boast Hunt's two-degree S_RapidEngage freehub. It uses six pawls with two teeth per pawl that engage with a 90-tooth ratchet for fast engagement.
Pre-orders for Hunt's latest wheelset are open now with wheels set to arrive with customers in the first week of March. They're priced at £1,199 and are claimed to weigh 1,732g for a full 29-inch set.
You might also like:
Author block
