The HUNT 60 Limitless UD Carbon Spoke Aero Disc Wheelset with Ceramic Speed utilises all of HUNT’s top end technology to make one of their most expensive wheel options to date.
Carbon spokes, fast engaging hubs, Ceramic Speed bearings and HUNT’s ultra-wide rim for improved crosswind stability and aero performance make should make this a great all-round wheel with low weight for the depth.
But how do they standup against other well-established high-end players in the deep section wheel market? We rode them to find out.
Design and construction
The HUNT 60 Limitless UD Carbon Spoke Aero Disc Wheelset with Ceramic Speed features, unsurprisingly, the brand's Limitless rim technology. This uses a co-moulded low-density polymer in the outer rim construction to reduce weight while being able to make the rim 60mm deep and 34mm wide at the widest points with a 21mm internal width. HUNT say this is lighter than carbon, density of 0.7g/cm3 vs. carbon fibre pre-perg of 1.6g/cm3, so for the same volume it weighs less.
This wide rim also works best aerodynamically with tyres of 25-28mm, and is aimed to produce a smooth interface from tyre to rim to aid in aero performance.
As for aero data, HUNT published this, and with standardised tyres, the HUNTs came out faster than several high end competitors across a range of YAW angles, but the speed is not given. The rim is also Hooked tubeless compatible, with H-lock bead-seat up-kicks for easy tubeless installation.
These wheels also feature carbon spokes, which HUNT claim are better for vibration dampening as well as being stiffer than alloy spokes and lighter. HUNT says that the carbon spokes are just 2.7g per spoke, a Sapim CX-Ray straight pull spoke is 14g for reference, and can deal with ~450kgf tensile force per spoke.
The front hub is laced with a 12 spoke 2-cross pattern on the rotor side and a 6 spoke radial pattern on the other for 20 total, while the rear is a 10 spoke 2-cross pattern on both sides for 20 total. Truing is possible from the inside of the rim.
The hubs are the Sprint SLC hubs with centre-lock disc mounting, which use a forged and CNC’d 7075-T6 heat treated aluminium alloy body and axles, and a TaperLock spoke interface.
The rear features a steel spline insert on the freehub body to avoid cassette bite into the material. While 3x treble-tooth individually leaf sprung pawls with 48 teeth on the ratchet ring for fast 7.5 degree engagement are used in the rear hub.
All bearings are CeramicSpeed hybrid which use silicon nitride ball bearings which supposedly feature better roundness, hardness, smoothness and load taking capacity which reduces the chance of damage to the metal races. The bearings also come with a 4 year warranty from Ceramic Speed.
Total weight is claimed 1551g but ours came in at 866g rear and 735g front (1601g total) with rim tape, and no valves or lockrings.
Compatible tyre sizes range from 25-47mm, while axle compatibility is 12x100mm Thru-Axle, 9x100mm Thru-Axle, Quick Release 9x100mm for the front and 12x142mm Thru-Axle, 12x135mm Thru-Axle, 10x135mm Thru-Axle, Quick Release 9x135mm for the rear. Adaptors can be purchased, but 12x100 and 12x142 are supplied as standard, as are 80mm valves and a spacer for 8/9/10 speed cassettes.
The wheels also feature a H_CARE lifetime crash replacement, and a maximum system user package of 125kg.
The ride
The first impression when setting off with these wheels was just how quickly they roll up to speed and then stay there. The wide rim in conjunction with the wide tyre helps these wheels roll quite effortlessly and with the large volume of air in the tyres, it’s an impressively comfortable setup. Perhaps the carbon spokes vibration dampening properties helped out here as well. But for rolling roads and on the flats, the wheels just ate up the tarmac and I found my average speeds increasing for the same effort levels. The CeramicSpeed bearings also likely help aid this fast rolling feeling, and the whole package really does feel exceptionally fast.
I also found that sprinting on these wheels felt fantastic. The rear hub engagement is incredibly fast with the 7.5 degree engagement rate, so there is barely a moment of float before the bite on the hub when kicking down the power. The steel cassette body guard prevents damage to the hub when kicking as well.
The hub is very loud when coasting, though I know some people who love this and others who hate it, I personally didn’t mind. The 2-cross carbon spokes at the rear also appear to deal with the torsional load nicely without any feeling of slack.
From sprinting at both low and high speeds, the wheels were very easy to accelerate. However there was a slight feeling of slack on the front wheel when cornering particularly fast. Reducing the spoke count at the front may have helped slightly with marginal aero gains, but the radial pattern on the right side of the hub can have an effect of reducing the effectiveness against torsional load when braking as well as lateral loads when cornering.
Another area to be mentioned was fitting the tyres, which were very hard to get onto the rim. I needed some grippy gloves to get them on for both sides of the tyre. The upside is that they can be seated with a track pump without a compressor or valve removed.
When it came to climbing, the stiffness of the wheels made them pretty good across shorter sharper inclines, while on shallow gradients the weight penalty of a deeper rim tends to be outweighed by the aero benefits.
On longer steep climbs, I couldn’t feel that much of a difference between these and a lighter 30mm climbing wheelset. I’m admittedly not a lightweight climber, so I don’t think I’ll ever have that sensation of dancing up climbs. But at very low speeds the stiffness aids power transfer and acceleration to a level that the additional rotational mass is imperceivable.
The wheels handled brilliantly in gusty conditions with reliable handling in the wind. Strong winds still meant riding no-handed was a no-go, but there were no unpredictable movements.
Value
There is one big consideration with these wheels however and that is the price. At $2,699 / £2149 these wheels have certainly transcended HUNTs reputation as a budget wheel brand.
The Zipp 404 Firecrest for example come in at a similar claimed weight and rim depth but for $2,005 / £1688, although are hookless and feature no ceramic bearings.
However the HUNTs compare favourably to the Roval CLX II wheelset, which at similar depth and weight, no ceramic bearings, cost $2,800 / £2500.
In terms of a high performing deep section wheelset, the HUNTs are impressive in their performance with minimal faults. But the price is still high.
Conclusion
The HUNT 60 Limitless UD Carbon Spoke Aero Disc Wheelset with Ceramic Speed are a very solid performing set of deep section wheels. The weight is competitive, they handle well in crosswinds, and they accelerate rapidly. The CeramicSpeed bearings also add an additional level of performance and the carbon spokes are replaceable should one break.
The only negative which is perceivable is the slight lack of lateral stiffness when cornering hard, and the price is now over $/£2k, breaking out of HUNT’s reputation as a budget performance option. But for a wheel that performs as well as more expensive competitors, it is still a great choice for those looking for an all-round deep section wheelset.
