Hunt claims new SUB50 Limitless wheelset is fastest in category

British wheel brand Hunt has released the SUB50 Limitless, a new wheelset that is the culmination of its aim to make the fastest all-rounder race wheel up to 50mm in depth.

To keep up with the ever-widening road tyre trend, the wheels have been designed specifically for use with 28 and 30mm tyres. This continues the theme that the 48 Limitless wheels started when they were released as the first road wheels with an external rim width greater than 30mm.

Since the 48 Limitless was released, Hunt spent three years developing and testing the Sub50 Limitless wheels to make them lighter and faster.

© Hunt

Using hookless rim profiles has allowed for the new wheels to be lighter than their predecessors

Hunt has shared its own wind tunnel testing data around the new wheelset and the competitors it was tested against, claiming that the SUB50 Limitless offered best overall performance of all wheels 50mm and under.

We have no way of verifying the credibility of these results, but Hunt has released a 34-page white paper that sets out how the wheels were developed over 2,500 hours of Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis and then pitted against competitors in the GST wind tunnel in Germany.

DT Swiss’s ARC 1400 DICUT 50 DB were the closest competition that the wheels faced during the tests. These were actually aerodynamically faster than the Sub50 with a 28 mm tyre, which Hunt attributed predominantly to the DT Swiss’s 3mm narrower internal rim width, and the consequent narrower tyre profile.

• Read more: Hunt releases sub-1kg hill climb wheelset

The result was, however, reversed when wider rubber was fitted. The SUB50 produced a 1.85-watt gain compared to the DT Swiss 50 when fitted with a 30mm tyre, while also providing all the benefits of a wider internal rim with reduced rolling resistance and increased grip and comfort.

Hunt also claims that the Sub50 wheelset outperformed deeper options on the market, including the Zipp 454, with both 28 and 30mm tyres fitted. However, the advantage was significantly more pronounced with the use of 30mm tyres.

© Hunt

Hunt also released its own testing data detailing the competition it was tested against

For a deep aero wheelset, the Sub50 comes in at a competitive system weight of 1380 grams per pair with UD Carbon Spokes and 1428 grams per pair with steel spokes.

Wider tyres naturally require lower tyre pressures. With a 30mm tyre especially, pressures typically won’t exceed 70psi for most riders. This has allowed for the Sub50 wheels to reduce rim weight by moving over to a hookless rim profile.

Hunt has said that “hookless rim technology allows Hunt to slightly reduce rim weight, improve manufacturing consistency, and improve aerodynamics at the tyre-to-rim interface by reducing the ‘lightbulb’ effect that inwardly protruded hooks have on the tyre profile.”

• Read more: What are hookless rims and should we all be using them?

Pricing and build spec

Hunt offers the SUB50 wheelset with both carbon and steel spokes along with the option for ceramic bearings or traditional steel bearings.

Hunt SUB50 Limitless Aero Disc UD Carbon Spoke, CeramicSpeed Bearings

• Weight: 1380g per pair
• Internal Rim Width: 23.0mm
• External Rim Width: 34.2mm Front | 30mm Rear
• Spokes: TaperLock UD Carbon
• Spoke Count: 18 Front | 20 Rear
• Hubs: HUNT H_Ratchet DBL, 40T, 9-degree engagement
• Bearings: CeramicSpeed, double-sealed
• Pricing: £2,289 | $2,789

Hunt SUB50 Limitless Aero Disc UD Carbon Spoke, Stainless Steel Bearings

• Weight: 1380g per pair
• Internal Rim Width: 23.0mm
• External Rim Width: 34.2mm Front | 30mm Rear
• Spokes: TaperLock UD Carbon
• Spoke Count: 18 Front | 20 Rear
• Hubs: HUNT H_Ratchet DBL, 40T, 9-degree engagement
• Bearings: Double-sealed stainless steel cartridge
• Pricing: £1,849 | $2249

Hunt SUB50 Limitless Aero Disc Steel Spoke, Stainless Steel Bearings

• Weight: 1380g per pair
• Internal Rim Width: 23.0mm
• External Rim Width: 34.2mm Front | 30mm Rear
• Spokes: Pillar Wing 20 elliptical aero
• Spoke Count: 20 Front | 24 Rear
• Hubs: HUNT H_Ratchet DBL, 40T, 9-degree engagement
• Bearings: Double-sealed stainless steel cartridge
• Pricing: £1,479 | $1,799

What do you make of the new Hunt wheels? Let us know in the comments below and for all the latest tech news head over to our dedicated tech news section.