Hunt Enduro V3 Mullet Wheelset

Now in its third iteration, Hunt’s Enduro V3 wheelset takes a slightly different stance from models prior. Now with front and rear-specific construction and a new freehub, Hunt has delivered a seriously durable set of wheels at a very approachable price. With a reasonable weight, there’s very little to moan about here, but the rims are extra prone to scratching.

Hunt Enduro V3 wheelset – Technical details

The Enduro V3 poses quite the step forward for Hunt’s wheel builds. After strenuous impact testing, the brand reckons that it boasts industry-leading impact resistance, which for an enduro wheelset is incredibly important.

But things get interesting when we look at the rims themselves. Like many popping up on the market, they’re front and rear-wheel specific. The front rim features a 31.5mm internal width and a 19mm depth. The goal here is to boost compliance for comfort and traction. At the rear, the rim measures 30mm wide internally with a deeper 21mm depth. This is to bring better strength.

These different front/rear measurements also affect how the tyre sits on each rim. At the front, it’s squarer, which should introduce the shoulder knobs to the ground sooner, for more front wheel bite. The rear then produces a rounder tyre profile, which in turn reduces the tyre’s contact patch with the ground, reducing pedalling resistance.

Both rims benefit from a V-shaped profile, which Hunt says reduces spoke stress by 40% and impact stress by 13%, compared to a round profile. Of course, those are alloy rims, too.

Elsewhere, those rims are laced to Hunt’s own hubs via 28 J-bend spokes at the front, and 32 at the rear with a three-cross lacing pattern. The front hub is a CNC-machined 6066-T6 heat-treated unit, whereas the rear is the brand’s H_Ratchet XL 40T DBL offering, which is rated for up to 120Nm of torque, so it’s e-MTB-ready, too. That provides a nine-degree engagement, and both hubs rotate thanks to a bunch of ABEC 5 Enduro bearings. Oh, and those spokes are held in place thanks to brass nipples.

Hunt suggests that these wheels are ‘optimised’ for 2.35” up to 2.6” tyres, but they can also accommodate 2.3” up to 2.8” rubber.

They’re then available in full 29” and mixed (650b and 29”) sizes, with XD, HG and Microspline freehub bodies, and there is only Boost hub spacing on offer. They also come with six-bolt rotor mounts with no centerlock option.

Hunt Enduro V3 wheelset – Performance

When pulling these wheels from the box, I’ve found that there’s been a real improvement in their finish, compared to previous Hunt wheels. In the past, Hunt’s job of taping the rims from the factory has been a little iffy, but with my set of Enduro V3s, the tape job is spot on.

This led to simple installation of a whole bunch of tyres. I’ve ridden these with the Schwalbe Romy, Cast’s Antagonist and Protagonist duo, and now, the burlier-cased Maxxis Minion DHX, all of which inflated with little wheel-related issue.

With tyres inflated, it was very clear to see the difference in tyre profile that came as a result of the front and rear-specific rim widths, especially with a matching set of tyres. The rear is noticeably rounder than the front, which I’m pleased to see as it brings marginally better pedalling performance. But note, the gains here are certainly marginal.

What’s great to see is that the wheelset’s weight isn’t anything too crazy. In fact, it’s right on the money for an alloy enduro wheelset, at 2,030g, according to my scale. Though that’s a few grams heavier than claimed… but I’ll let Hunt off there.

Paired with its promptly engaging freehub, the Enduro V3 wheelset is pleasant to pedal around. While there’s some extra weight compared to trail-going wheels, it’s far from sluggish. Then, there’s little room in the freehub’s engagement to slow things down, so the transfer from pedal stroke to forward momentum poses little in the way of delay.

Although there’s a focus on strength with these wheels, I’ve had little issue in the comfort department. The front and rear-specific builds do some work towards this, as I’ve had no excess feedback transmitted to my hands, while the rear has capably put up with every ounce of abuse I’ve put it through.

Through harder corners, there’s little in the way of surplus flex, as each wheel feels taught and precise, despite the front being built to promote more compliance. In all honesty, these wheels perform exactly how a solid pair of enduro wheels should – they’re direct, tough and reasonably comfortable.

Durability is a big goal, too. And the Enduro V3 is nothing but durable. After months of riding with these wheels, they’re still running as true as they did out of the box and there’s been no degradation in the hubs’ performance. They’re still silky smooth.

While there’s an awful lot to like about the hoops, there are a couple of things that have reared their heads. Although shot-peened to boost durability, the black anodising is very prone to scratching. In fact, during my very first climb I picked up a scratch which mars the otherwise stealthy look. From then on, they’ve picked up plenty more.

Hunt Enduro V3 wheelset – Verdict

Although I have my niggles, it’s really tough to complain about the value here. At a pound under £500, there’s not much around that provides quite the same bang for buck.

One option is Silt’s Enduro Alloy wheelset that’ll set you back £399. They’re lighter, with the 29” model I tested weighing 1,890g, but the freehub wasn’t as well sealed, and the rim tape wasn’t as good.

At £549, OneUp Components’ Aluminium Wheelset is well worth checking out. We’ve got a set on test, and while I haven’t ridden them yet, the freehub is easier to remove, and it’s lighter, at 1,880g. However, OneUp doesn’t pigeonhole it to a genre, so we’ll see if it can withstand harder enduro riding.

DT Swiss’s F 1900 wheelset is priced at £479.98, and it uses a downhill-specific profile, comes in more hub width standards, and features the brand’s 18-tooth freehub. However, they’re heavier at a claimed 2,232g for a pair of 29” wheels.

But for £499, the Hunt Enduro V3 wheelset makes for an excellent fit-and-forget wheelset. Although it’s not without its niggles, it’s durable, comfortable and pretty speedy on the engagement front. It would just be made better if it was simpler to service.