Hunt has given its 650B Adventure Carbon Disc wheelset a big overhaul, adding its H_Core carbon reinforcement technology and targeting gravel riders who want to run big tyres for rough riding and fully loaded adventures.
650B may have fallen out of favour in some parts of the cycling world, but Hunt clearly isn’t ready to give up on it. The British brand has taken the H_Core technology already used elsewhere in its range and built it into the rims of its updated 650B Adventure Carbon Disc wheelset.
H_Core? Over to Hunt…
“H_Core utilises a pultruded carbon core within the rim sidewalls. This minimises porosity in high-stress areas, drastically improving overall impact resistance where you need it most. Paired with our rapid-engaging H_Ratchet 36 SGL Hubset and thoughtful details like durable brass nipples, the system ties together into a bombproof package that hits the scales at a highly competitive 1,390g.”
In slightly less technical language, “pultruded” describes a manufacturing process in which composite material is pulled through a heated die, while “porosity” refers to the amount of empty, void space inside the material.
H_Core is essentially made up of a pair of reinforced rings that are added to the carbon moulds before the layup process. The idea is to beef up the areas of the rim most vulnerable to impacts, without piling on a load of extra weight.
> Find out more about Hunt’s H_Core tech
Hunt argues that you don’t necessarily need to buy a new bike to run much bigger tyres; in many cases, you could swap from 700C wheels/tyres to 650B instead.
> 650B vs 700C wheels: find out which you should choose
“Because the outer diameter of a 700C tyre (40-45mm) and a 650B tyre (2.0-2.2in) are remarkably similar, swapping wheelsets won’t drastically alter a bike’s geometry,” says Hunt.
You still need to check you have enough width between the chainstays and fork legs to take a wider tyre, of course, but 650B can be a neat way of getting more rubber under an older gravel bike without replacing the whole thing.
As well as being reinforced with those H_Core internal carbon inserts, the 650B Adventure Carbon Disc wheels are made with “preformed carbon angular spoke patches” that are designed to prevent spoke pull-through (where the spoke damages the rim at the spoke hole).
Those rims are 25mm deep – designed for “maximum compliance and resilience”, according to Hunt – with an internal width of 27mm and an external width of 32mm. They’re hookless and are said to be optimised for tyres up to 60mm (2.35in) wide – so they’re firmly into high-volume gravel and adventure territory.
The wheels are built around Hunt’s H_Ratchet 36 SGL hubset with a 36-tooth ratchet drive system at the rear, meaning you get engagement in 10° when you start to pedal.
They’re laced up with Sapim D-Light double-butted spokes – 28 front and rear – and brass nipples. Hunt claims a wheelset weight of 1,390g.
Price? You’re looking at £949 for the pair. Pre-orders are open now, with availability from the end of this month.
