Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheelset: Comfortable and responsive but not without some durability qualms

The Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheelset is designed for gravel racers and fast all-road riders who want low weight, responsive acceleration, and an aerodynamic rim profile. Strong carbon rims, excellent hub engagement, and a comfortable ride make these wheels well suited to rough gravel, though their compliance may leave racers wanting a stiffer build, and the 40mm depth can be felt in crosswinds. Spoke tension and bearing issues emerged during testing, but Hunt’s excellent after-care resolved both, leaving a capable, competitively priced wheelset with some reservations over long-term reliability.

Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheelset – Technical details

Hunt’s 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheels are aimed at gravel racers and fast all-road riders who want a lightweight, responsive and aerodynamic wheelset that is still durable enough for demanding off-road use. The key development in the latest rims is Hunt’s H_Cyclo technology, which uses a recyclable thermoset epoxy resin that’s said not to compromise the strength-to-weight ratio of the carbon construction.

At the end of their life, the rims can be broken down so the carbon fibres and resin can be reused in smaller components. Hunt also offers to collect worn-out H_Cyclo products for recycling free of charge.

The rims are 40mm deep, giving them enough depth to provide an aerodynamic advantage without becoming excessively heavy or difficult to control in changeable conditions. They measure 30mm externally and 25mm internally, creating a broad profile that is designed around modern gravel race tyres. Hunt says the wheels are aerodynamically optimised for tyres between 35 and 50mm wide, although tyres from 29mm up to 60mm can safely be used.

Hunt uses a profile called H_LOCK, which is simply a concave channel on either side of the rim well in which the bead sits. This is said to hold the tyre more securely and stop it moving into the centre of the rim under cornering or braking.

Moving on to the hubs, the rear uses Hunt’s H_Ratchet 40T DBL system. Two floating, 40-tooth ratchet rings engage simultaneously, providing nine degrees of engagement. This gives reasonably quick pickup while spreading the load across all 40 teeth, helping the hub cope with the high torque produced during steep gravel climbs and hard accelerations. The freehub body itself receives Hunt’s H_Ceramik reinforcement coating, which is intended to reduce the cassette gouging that can affect conventional aluminium freehub bodies.

Both hub shells are forged and CNC-machined from heat-treated 6066-T6 aluminium and spin on 7075-T6 aluminium axles. The hubs run on sealed cartridge bearings with dual full-contact seals to keep contamination out. They are supplied with centre-lock rotor mounts, although separate adaptors can be used with six-bolt rotors.

The wheels are hand-built using 24 straight-pull Pillar PSR XTRA 1420 aero-butted spokes at the front and rear, laced in a two-cross pattern.

The current H_Cyclo version has a claimed wheelset weight of 1,431g, which is competitive for a 40mm-deep gravel wheelset with wide rims and steel spokes. The wheels have a maximum system weight of 130kg, including the fully equipped rider, bike and luggage. But Hunt recommends that riders with a system weight above 105kg have the wheels inspected regularly by an experienced mechanic.

They are covered by Hunt’s three-year warranty against manufacturing and material defects, along with a 60-day Ride and Return scheme.

The Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheelset is available in 700c and can be ordered with Shimano/SRAM HG, SRAM XD/XDR, Campagnolo N3W or Shimano Micro Spline freehub bodies. The usual gravel axle standards, 12x100mm and 12x142mm, are catered for.

The wheels arrive with Hunt Black Shield tubeless tape already fitted, 55mm tubeless valves, the required axle adaptors, cassette spacers where applicable, spare spokes and nipples.

Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheelset – Performance

Starting with installation, it was a simple affair and thanks to the pre-taped rims, even getting them set up tubeless was done in a jiffy. 52C and 50C tyres both suited the internal 25mm width with no issues.

Actual weights are as claimed, if not a little lighter, with the taped wheels and valves coming in at just about 1400g. As a road wheel, there are lighter options, but for off-road gravel applications that weight is impressive, especially at this price point.

From the first roll, these wheels feel like a premium product. The hub engagement is excellent, and the freehub buzz sounds high-end. It’s quite a loud buzz from the freehub, which I enjoy, however, the assembly is dry from the factory, so those who want to quieten it down can do so with a light coating of thin grease.

The power transfer is fast and efficient, however, there is certainly a nod towards comfort, with the wheel showing some notable compliance. That compliance is welcomed for the rougher gravel I ride, but if you’re looking for a true “race” wheel, you may want something stiffer.

The jury is still out on whether deep-sectioned wheels give a meaningful improvement for gravel – I personally don’t think I ride fast enough to notice the difference – however, the 40mm depth sure looks great. That rim depth does have a noticeable effect with crosswinds, so watch out on windy days, as sudden blasts of wind can be quite scary.

The carbon rims have done an excellent job at standing up to some abuse thanks to some less-than-premium gravel around my local Forest of Dean area. There are plenty of chunky rocks, roots, and ruts mixed into my local “gravel” riding routes, which makes for some excellent testing. I have uncovered some issues, however.

After around 1,000km, the rear wheel developed two issues. The non-drive side spokes lost tension, which caused the wheel to flex a lot and the bearings to develop play. Hunt’s excellent after-care support got these issues dealt with quickly, but it’s a shame they developed in the first place. According to Hunt, the spoke tension issue was resolved with some new nipples and careful application of thread-lock, whilst the enduro bearings were replaced with “higher toleranced” articles. The fixes have proven to resolve the issues for the last 400km.

Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheelset – Verdict

Retail price for the 40CGRs is £1,199, which is a very reasonable price for the strength, weight and overall finish on offer. There are, of course, plenty of carbon gravel wheelsets on offer.
The Scribe Gravel Wide++ 40 CD carbon wheelset is a solid offering at a very-well priced £800. They come in slightly heavier at 1490g and have less freehub engagement, however, our review did report harsh feedback thanks to an overly stiff build.

Parcours’ FKT is another option with a slightly deeper 47mm rim. They come in at £1249 and a slightly heavier 1500g. They’re a race-focused wheel which suits 40-50C tyres and use a 36T star-ratchet hub.

The Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheelset is a double-edged sword. The rims are strong, comfort is top-notch, and hub engagement is excellent, but my experience was tainted with spoke tension issues and a long-term bearing problem. Hunt’s after-care has been excellent in resolving these issues, and the wheels have performed very well across rough-road, smooth gravel, and chunkier terrains. For the price and performance on offer, they’re still an excellent buy despite a couple of hiccups.