After years spent testing and developing in the wind tunnel and on the open road (and the subsequent launch of our 48 Limitless Aero Disc wheelset), HUNT is proud to introduce the 34 Aero Wide Disc - the world's fastest alloy disc-brake wheelset.
Wind tunnel proven against world leading wheels. See the 34AWD test report for full technical details of our wind tunnel testing methodology, including data/graphs and the full range of wheels we tested against.
Designed by HUNT Product Engineering Manager, Luisa Grappone (MSc Aerospace Engineering).
Everything we learned when pushing what is aerodynamically possible with a carbon disc-brake wheelset, has been applied to an alloy model that embodies the same philosophy: be the absolute fastest drop-bar wheelset.
Fully compliant with new ETRTO tubeless road guidelines (yet to be released) for 23/25/28mm+ road tires. As with all our current HUNT rims, these have a normal hooked sidewall and are suitable for all clincher road tires including Continental.
ALLOY? IN A WIND TUNNEL?
Until now, aerodynamic development has lagged behind on alloy wheelsets. So much so, that after having invested our time and knowledge into the 34 Aero Wide Disc, it is faster than a (carbon) Zipp 202 NSW when paired with a 28c tire. The assumption that carbon is inherently faster is untrue, and now tangible aerodynamic performance has been made accessible for all.
WIDER TIRES & WIDER WHEELS | RIDE FASTER
Leading rim-brake wheels have been at the 27-28mm wide mark for some time, with undisputed aero benefits over narrower designs. However, they are aerodynamically limited by rim brake calipers limiting the maximum width of the brake track. Further, most are optimised for narrower tires. 23mm tires used to be the standard… but for us, you and most pro riders, 25/28 and even 30mm tires are the preferred choice. Let’s face it: when leaning in on the final turn of a mass bunch sprint or descending sweeping alpine bends, you want serious grip! Plus, the lower rolling resistance benefits of 25 and 28mm tires* mean that road disc aero wheels should be specifically designed around these wider tires. Accordingly, this wheelset has been designed using schematics and feedback from Schwalbe's own engineers.
(*Especially rider-system benefits, wheel & tire only tests do not include rider damped losses, and how lower pressures reduce these losses by reducing rider movement. This is a whole other area we will be releasing scientific data on.)
INDUSTRY-LEADING AERO KNOWLEDGE
We were ecstatic when Luisa Grappone (MSc Aerospace Engineering) approached us in 2017 about joining HUNT. Luisa’s experience in wind tunnel testing and developing wheels for 10 years (with World Tour pros from BMC Racing, Team Movistar & Cervelo Test Team) showed her industry-leading experience. So of course we welcomed Luisa to join us as HUNT Product Engineering Manager in August 2017. Using Luisa as our Engineering lead, Peter (Co-Founder & Materials Scientist), Tom (Co-Founder & Product Manager) and the whole team here set to work immediately to develop you the fastest ‘unlimited’ road disc-brake wheelset in the world!
THE RESULTS…
The wind tunnel data we recorded is shown against the full range of incumbent world-class aero wheels in the charts below. The results speak for themselves. It was amazing to see Luisa’s face when it became evident what we'd achieved for riders. It’s been hard work but it’s been very worthwhile. This process and the knowledge gained from pushing the boundaries of aero wheel development creates huge opportunities to serve you with a wide range of world leading aerodynamic wheels…this is just the beginning! Thank you.
THE DATA
Read the full wind tunnel test report showing all technical wind tunnel testing method details, extensive wind tunnel data and the full range of wheels we tested against.
