Hunt 48 Limitless Aero Disc Wheelset

Hunt says its 48 Limitless Aero Disc wheels are the fastest disc brake-compatible road wheels up to and including 50mm deep, thanks to its patented Limitless technology. Going wide is the key apparently, and going by the way they perform out in the real world, Hunt could really be on to something. These wheels are quick!

We first covered the 48 Limitless Aeros back in June of last year – if you want the full technical details then Mat has them covered here. Hunt has also released a research white paper too. In a nutshell, though, Hunt has gone wide.

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It's not a new thing – we've seen others like Scribe bringing out its Wide+ range, which I have also been testing, and the new Specialized Tarmac SL7 I've been riding is also sporting some rather broad deep-section Roval Rapide CLXs, but Hunt has gone wider than most.

Hunt and many others say that having a rim that's wider than the tyre creates the most effective aerofoil shape when considering the tyre and wheel together.

After countless wind tunnel tests and interpretation of the results, Hunt settled on an external width of 34.5mm when using a 28mm tubeless tyre (Schwalbe Pro One) and a depth of 48mm. Keeping the internal rim width at just 22.5mm, though, means that you don't lose compatibility with thinner 25mm tyres, or even 23s.

With tyres installed (which was an absolute breeze to achieve) and the wheels fitted to the bike, the Limitless make a very noticeable difference to the aerodynamics.

Compared with a lot of 40mm to 50mm-deep wheels I've used, the Hunts make the bike feel like it doesn't need as much power to maintain a given speed, especially when that speed is around 20-25mph.

They roll very nicely, and the rounded profile of the rim doesn't get battered around by crosswinds or when being passed by large vehicles at speed. The only time I got a bit of a twitch was when passing an exposed gateway on a blustery day.

Stiffness levels are impressive too. Hard acceleration and climbing don't give any feeling of flex in the wheels, although it is harder to detect than on a rim-braked version where you can get pad rub.

Considering their size and the amount of material used, the Hunts don't give a harsh ride either, even with the tyres pumped up firm.

The wide profile and deep section of the rims obviously does bring an increase in weight compared with narrower wheels in Hunt's range, which always score well in that regard.

To keep things as light as possible while still being able to pass its cobbled-rolling-road tests, Hunt has used a non-structural, low-density, expanding polymer insert inside a channel carved out of the rim during the pre-preg phase of constructing the rim. It is bonded to the uni-directional carbon fibre during the curing process and Hunt reckons it shaves off about 50g per rim.

The weight for the pair comes in at 1,690g including the factory fitted rim tape. Not as light as something like the Scribe Aero Wide+ 50-D I mentioned earlier, at 1,463g, but taking the aerodynamic advantage into account you'll not notice much difference on any but the steepest of hills.

Build

When it comes to the build Hunt hasn't scrimped on the components.

The rims are constructed from a mixture of uni-directional T24 and T30 grade carbon fibre and include reinforcement around the spoke holes.

As I've mentioned, the rim shape has been optimised for 25-28mm tyres, but you can fit much wider if you so desire as they're compatible with up to 50mm rubber.

Some manufacturers are focusing on tubeless-only rims which do away with the hooked rim altogether. Hunt hasn't, and these rims are also compatible with a clincher tyre and tube if that's the route you want to take.

Tyre pressures are limited to 100psi with 25-28mm tyres, and Hunt has various other limits for wider options on its website.

Another limit is set for weight, at 109kg, which includes rider and luggage.

Spokes

The spokes are Pillar Wing 20 which have an aero profile. They are laced two-cross, with 20 on the front wheel, and 24 on the rear.

Aerodynamics would often dictate that you hide the nipples inside the wheel rim, but Hunt has taken into account maintenance. The external mounting of the body means that the wheels are easy to tweak if they become out of true – not something that I had an issue with throughout testing.

Hubs

The hub bodies are forged and then CNC machined from 6061-T6 aluminium alloy and are available in a whole range of axle diameters to suit various thru-axle and quick release setups.

It's the same with the freehub bodies, available for every major brand like Shimano/SRAM, Campagnolo and also SRAM's XD and XDR models.

Pick-up from the pawls in the freehub is instantaneous, which removes any slop when you hammer on the pedals from a standing start or when exiting a tight corner that you've freewheeled through.

The freehub body is alloy, which can cause problems with the cassette biting into the splines on Shimano/SRAM options, but Hunt has got around this by fitting steel inserts to stop any unwanted movement. This really cuts down on wear and tear.

The hubs run very smoothly on their bearings, too, CeramicSpeed hybrid ceramic in this case. You get a six-year warranty on any bearing issues, while the rest of the wheel gets three years.

Should you crash and be the original owner of the wheels, Hunt's H_Care system gives you access to free replacement parts and labour to get everything fixed. The only thing you have to worry about is postage.

Value

I mentioned earlier that the 48 Limitless wheels cost £1,289 which, while more expensive than many wheelsets in Hunt's line-up, is still very good value for money.

They are more expensive than the Scribe Wide+, a very good set of wheels that cost £870. For me, though, on out and out speed the Hunts feel faster, though by how much in the real world is really difficult to gauge. The Hunts also come with the hybrid ceramic bearings, and while there is much debate over whether they really bring any huge performance gains, they do bring an increase to the price tag.

> Buyer’s Guide: 44 of the best road bike wheelsets

The Campagnolo Bora WTO 60 Disc wheelset will save you a few grams while also giving some extra millimetres in depth, but they are a cool £1,928.99, and at 26.1mm externally don't offer anywhere near the width for mating with wider tyres.

Overall, the Hunt 48 Limitless Aero Disc wheels bring a noticeable performance boost over many other deep-section wheels and they are very well made.

Verdict

With a deep section in both directions this is one very fast set of wheels, with stiffness to match