Hunt has developed a ready-made wheelset for riders and adventure racers seeking a lightweight, fast and durable dynamo option. Built around the SON 28 hub – widely regarded as the best in its class – and paired with a wide, lightweight carbon rim and sensible spoke and nipple choices, it delivered flawless performance once the rim tape was replaced.
Hunt Proven Carbon XC Dynamo wheelset – Technical details
The wheelset shares the same carbon rim as Hunt’s Proven Carbon XC model, featuring a 36mm external width, 30mm internal width and a 22mm rim depth. The rear hub is a familiar unit, offering rapid engagement via a six-pawl system arranged in a 2 x 3 pattern. This provides 90 points of engagement and a two-degree pickup.
The wheelset uses the SON 28 dynamo hub, which is widely recognised as the market-leading option for its efficiency and long-term durability. It’s fitted with SKF deep-groove bearings, stainless steel axle ends, and a standard two-pin spade connection for the dynamo cable. Inside, 26 neodymium magnets deliver a claimed 65% efficiency at 15km/h, with a three-watt, six-volt output at around 18–19km/h.
Spokes and nipples have been sensibly selected with reliability in mind. Rather than chasing the lowest possible weight, Hunt has opted for traditional J-bend, triple-butted Sandvik spokes in a three-cross lacing pattern. The brass nipples are slightly heavier than aluminium alternatives but offer better corrosion resistance and are more durable when it comes to adjustment. They’re external, 14-gauge, and feature a square head to suit standard tools.
Hunt also includes a spare of each spoke length and spare spoke nipples, allowing riders to carry them as spares on extended adventures.
The claimed weight is 1,966g, which is very good for a dynamo hub, considering the front SON 28 hub is over 400g.
The rear hub is available with Shimano HG, Micro Spline, or SRAM XD freehub bodies. The system weight limit is 145kg, including rider, bike and all kit. The wheelset also comes with Hunt’s lifetime crash replacement programme (H_Care) for the original owner, along with a three-year warranty on components.
Hunt Proven Carbon XC Dynamo wheelset – Performance
The initial setup proved frustrating, as the tubeless tape supplied pre-installed on the rims was coming undone. Despite efforts to make it work, the first setup leaked air and sealant through the spoke holes. Attempts to patch the tape were unsuccessful, so I chose to replace it with an alternative brand of the same width. This isn’t the first time I’ve suffered tubeless tape issues on Hunt wheels – almost every set I’ve tested has suffered from poor factory fitment or a lack of adhesive tack. While it’s a relatively quick and easy fix, it’s still disappointing for this kind of issue on a brand-new, high-end wheelset.
Once re-taped, the wheels were straightforward to set up. Tyres fitted easily and inflated without fuss. Although I chose to use a tyre lever, they weren’t overly tight, and for trailside puncture repairs, a slim, lightweight lever should be more than sufficient. During testing, I used a mix of Schwalbe Rick XC and Vittoria Mezcal XC tyres – both were easy to mount.
Out on the trail, the wheels feel impressively stiff, with minimal detectable flex. Even when ridden back-to-back against Hunt’s UD carbon-spoked wheelset, there was no noticeable difference in stiffness or ride quality.
At sub-2,000g, the wheelset’s weight is in line with many standard cross-country options, but the distribution of mass is quite different, primarily due to the heavier dynamo hub up front. With the bulk of that weight centred at the hub, the wheels spin up quickly and feel light and lively on climbs.
The 90-point engagement of the rear hub translates to near-instant power transfer, making technical climbing more responsive and precise. Throughout testing, the freehub delivered consistent, slip-free performance. Spoke tension remained even, and there were no issues with spoke integrity. It’s also reassuring to see Hunt cater for the demands of adventure riders with standard J-bend spokes and corrosion-resistant brass nipples that are more durable than aluminium spoke nipples.
The SON 28 dynamo hub is widely regarded as the gold standard for mixed-terrain riding. Its bearings are smooth, reliable, and long-lasting. The only real downside is that the hub isn’t user-serviceable – if the bearings eventually need replacing, it must be sent away. My own SON hub on a different bike has clocked over 20,000km and spins as smoothly as it did on day one. SON uses lifetime-lubricated grooved ball bearings, and with many of the hub components made from stainless steel, corrosion is unlikely to be a concern.
As with all dynamo hubs, some drag is inevitable (both when powering a device and when running idle), but the SON 28 keeps resistance impressively low. When not in use, the additional drag is barely noticeable. Independent lab tests suggest drag is around one watt when no power is drawn, and seven to 10 watts when drawing a load, depending on speed and the connected device. The SON 28 delivers more power for less drag than other hub dynamo options.
During testing, I used the wheelset to recharge a lightweight Nitecore USB power bank in conjunction with the Igaro C1 light we currently have on test. Performance was excellent throughout – the light remained impressively bright, even at lower speeds, and the power bank consistently charged faster than expected.
Beyond the initial tubeless tape setback, the setup remained airtight and dependable. I used the wheelset for a demanding trip to Morocco, including a multi-day ride across the Atlas Mountains with plenty of rough, technical terrain. The wheels stayed true and evenly tensioned throughout. The wide internal rim profile also helped broaden the tyre footprint, improving traction and offering a more stable connection with the trail surface
Hunt Proven Carbon XC Dynamo wheelset – Verdict
There are very few ready-built dynamo wheelsets designed specifically for off-road and mountain bike use. Most alternatives use SP Dynamo hubs or rebranded versions, which offer a more budget friendly option. The Alpkit Sonder Alpha 28, for example, comes in at £449, but features a narrower 23mm alloy rim, which limits tyre profile and overall performance.
When you consider that the SON 28 hub alone retails for £295, the price of the Proven Carbon XC Dynamo wheelset starts to look far more justifiable. The standard hub version of the same wheelset is priced at £1,199, and to match this spec elsewhere, you’d likely need to go the custom-built route. Only a small number of wheel builders offer wide, lightweight carbon rims that come close to the Proven Carbon XC’s performance and design.
While this wheelset certainly isn’t cheap, it delivers exceptional performance across the board, packaged with a proven and reliable dynamo hub that can handle the harshest terrain. It’s also been carefully specced with practical, serviceable components suited to its intended use. The issues with the factory tubeless tape were frustrating and not something you’d expect to deal with on a new wheelset, but they were at least straightforward and inexpensive to resolve.
For anyone seeking an off-the-shelf dynamo-equipped wheelset for mountain biking, the Hunt Proven Carbon XC Dynamo is as good as it gets.
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Product construction
Product performance
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Wheel purpose:
A robust but responsive, dynamo-equipped mountain wheelset developed to tackle the world’s toughest bikepacking races. Based on our award-winning Proven Race XC rims, and built with a SON 28 front hub to power lights and charge electronics, solving an ultra-racing pain point and enabling faster passages.
THE PURPOSE:
The Proven XC Dynamo wheelset was developed in collaboration with HUNT Beyond athletes seeking a lightweight carbon MTB wheelset with Dynamo charging and lighting capabilities to tackle the world’s toughest off-road ultra races. Utilising our Proven Race XC MTB rim with a 30mm internal width for maximum tyre volume and ride tuned front and rear-specific carbon fibre layup to maximize comfort and traction up front, and power transfer in the rear. Our engineering and development team has included an extra layer of carbon in the rim to reinforce the spoke holes.
Hand-built with 28 J-bend spokes and durable, corrosion-resistant, self-lubricating brass nipples to ensure strength and reliability.
Build extra:
Rims
• 30mm internal rim width, 36mm external and 22mm depth
• Tailored carbon construction with 3K carbon spoke bed reinforcement.
• Hookless – Tubeless-ready – designed for use with tubeless tyres. Tubeless-rim tape and valves included.
• H-lock Wedge bead-seat up-kicks for easy and secure tubeless installation.
• Available in 29″ only.
Spokes
• 28 Spoke front and rear in a 3 cross lacing pattern
• J-bend cold drawn
• Made from high grade T302 (18/10) stainless steel wire by Sandvik Sweden
• Triple butted 2.0-1.6-2.0
• Black stainless treatment
Nipples
• Durable brass nipples for corrosion resistance and self-lubricating properties
• 16mm length for a strong connection to the spoke for added durability
• Square body for external adjustment and square head for easy internal adjustment/tensioning
• 14 gauge
Wheel construction
Wheel construction extra:
Wheel performance
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Wheel weight
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Wheel value
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