Hunt Wheels: The Little Wheel Company That Could

August 25, 2026

Hunt Bike Wheels got its start in 2015 when brothers Tom and Peter Marchment launched the company in a small village called Partridge Green in West Sussex, England. The goal was to bridge what they deemed to be a gap in the cycling world – quality, but still affordable, wheel sets. “Robust, versatile and affordable” was the company’s mantra. From day one the company focused on direct-to-consumer sales, which helped keep the prices down. Tom and Peter’s father, John, a materials engineer, lent his technical expertise to the new company, which helped with the “engineering-first” approach to product design the company would quickly become known for.

The new company’s products were a hit, and it wasn’t long before Hunt was able to woo Luisa Grappone from Campagnolo/ Falcon to come on board to lead the engineering team. It wasn’t long before the new engineering team came out with the “Limitless” series that introduced wider, more aerodynamically refined rims in 2019.

It was a set of the Grappone’s next wheel set that really caught my attention in 2021 – the “Aerodynamicist” line up kept some of the lightweight tech of the Limitless wheels and added in even more aero profiles. The result was a super-fast wheel that offered excellent lateral stiffness, making it a fun wheel to climb with. Around that time Hunt wheels were starting to enjoy some success at the highest levels of bike racing, too, enjoying a couple of stage wins at the Giro d’Italia that year.

Above are a set of Hunt’s 60 Limitless UD Carbon wheels that I’ve been riding for about a year now, and I’m still more than happy with the performance – they’re relatively light (1,551 g), very quick aero-wise and manage to remain very comfortable while maintaining excellent lateral stiffness – even on the toughest climbs you don’t feel any flex in the wheels. These wheels came with Hunt’s SLC Hubs with Ceramic Speed bearings, which have proven to be very fast and smooth.

While I’ve never had any need to contact Hunt’s customer support, I’ve had a few athletes I coach break some wheels and make that call. Both were more than satisfied with the service – a hub replacement came within a few days in one case, and Hunt was quick to coordinate a spoke repair in another.

Gravel, Here We Come

All of which made me more than a little interested to try a set of the company’s gravel wheels. The 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheel set (US$1,549) turned out to provide many of the same features that I have enjoyed with the company’s road racing wheels – lightweight, speedy and responsive.

As the name suggests, the 40 CGR comes equipped with 40mm-deep rims that have a 30mm-wide external rim profile. The ETRTO-compliant tubeless straight-sidewall rim has a 25mm internal width, making it easy compatible with lots of gravel-specific tubless tires in a huge variety of widths – according to Hunt “tire widths between 29mm and 60mm are safe to use.” The H_Ratchet 40T DBL Hub is designed for gravel-specific loads, with all 40 teeth engaging simultaneously. I can’t speak to the engineering of all that, but I will say that I really appreciated the quick grab on steep climbs. The front hub features a forged and CNC’d 6066-T6 heat-treated aluminum alloy hub shell that provides smooth rolling, with large diameter bearings to take the abuse that gravel riding meets out on a wheel set. Both hubs feature precision bearings in sealed cartridge replaceable units, which should make maintenance that much easier.

Weighing in at a little over 1,400 g, the 40 CGRs feel extremely responsive when things get a bit more technical, but there’s no compromises made in terms of durability or toughness. A recent excursion while I was covering races in Germany ended with a 3 km ride on a completely flat tire (long story, but despite all my efforts I couldn’t get the flat fixed and had no other way home), but the rim managed to get through the ordeal without any issues.

Armed with Pirelli’s Cinturato Gravel S tires, I’ve found the 40 CGR wheels to provide both a comfortable and responsive ride, regardless of the conditions. While I have heard and read comments that the 40 CGR can be a harsh ride on rough terrain, I haven’t really experienced that, although the majority of my riding has been on relatively smooth gravel trails and roads, so I am not likely testing the wheels in the same environment as others – smooth gravel rail beds and roads are my go-to rides when I’m not on my tri bike.

And that is where these race-ready wheels truly excel. For those looking for some fast, lightweight and tough wheels for their gravel bike, Hunt’s 40 CGR is well worth the look, especially if you’re not planning on some heavy-duty off-road excursions. For triathletes looking for some fast wheels to enjoy some fast gravel rides, these will certainly fit the bill.

All of which is to say that, based on my time on both these wheel sets, Hunt has been living up to its initial company mantra. Whether on the road or gravel, the wheels I’ve looked at provide an excellent balance of performance and price.