UK wheel brand Hunt’s latest 4AM Limitless wheel system is, in the UK brand’s words, “designed to deliver ultralight responsiveness and category-leading aero efficiency for high alpine racing environments”. Some brands hesitate to compare their products directly against competitors, but not Hunt: the British company is taking aim at the best of the best – the favourite wheels of Tadej Pogačar. It says the 4AM Limitless Ti_UD Carbon Spoke wheel system is wind tunnel tested to provide a 1.4-watt aero advantage over the Tour de France-winning Enve SES 4.5 Pro, while at 1,156 grams is claims a 139-gram weight saving, delivering “deep aero wheel performance at climbing wheel weight”.
Hunt says the third-generation Limitless range was engineered through its 5-Stage Aero Development process (CFD, 3-phase wind tunnel testing system, and real-world AeroSensor validation). It claims that its aero-maximised wheel systems – there’s a steel-spoke model as well as the Ti_UD carbon version – leverage deeper, wider front rim profiles with patented Limitless Width Aero Technology for industry-leading speed, stability, and control, paired with shallower, narrower rear rim shapes optimised for weight reduction and power transfer.
The steel-spoked version (above) is slightly slower than the carbon one, according to Hunt’s data, which is relatively unusual. It saves 1.13 watts over the Enves compared with the Ti_UD's 1.4 watts. Steel spokes have been generally faster in the past due to their narrower frontal area, but Hunt says the elongated aerofoil of the Vonoa Ti_UD spokes reduces drag. And, it says, only five spokes out of the 15 in the front wheel are exposed to clean air.
Hunt supplies more competitor data in its white paper: “In wind tunnel testing performed at Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub (both wheels on bike), mounted with 30mm tyres at 45 km/h, the 4AM Limitless Ti_UD wheelset (1,156g) tests 1.4 watts faster than the Enve 4.5 Pro while being 139 grams lighter. Compared to the significantly deeper and heavier DT Swiss 55 ARC Dicut BD (1,479g) and Reserve 57/64 Turbulent Aero (1,554g) wheels, the 4AM Limitless Ti_UD performs within 0.1 watt.”
Here are the spec highlights for the 4AM Limitless Ti_UD Carbon Spoke:
- Weight: 1,156g per pair.
- Front Rim: 49.5mm deep. 34.2mm wide rim profile with patented Limitless Width Aero Tech. 23mm internal rim width. Hooked tyre interface.
- Rear Rim: 47mm deep. 30mm wide rim profile. 23mm internal rim width. Hooked tyre interface.
- Spokes: 15 front / 18 rear VONOA Ti_UD Carbon Spokes with Recessed Spoke Nipples.
- Hub System: HUNT Chase SLC. 7.5° engagement angle. 7075-T6 alloy construction. Dual-sided, zinc-coated ratchet system. Available with unreleased CeramicSpeed or precision stainless steel bearings. 289g per pair.
- £1,959 | €2,299 | $2,559 | $3,759 AUD w/stainless steel bearings
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£2,449 | €2,859 | $3,159 | $4,709 AUD w/CeramicSpeed bearings
The standard 4am Limitless uses the same rims and hub but is manufactured for 20 Pillar SuperWing triple butted, aero bladed spokes in the front and 24 in the rear. It weighs a claimed 1,283g per pair and is priced at £1,659/€1,959/$2,359/$3,199 AUD.
Hunt has clearly pulled out all the stops to produce a highly impressive spec. Just like the Enve SES 4.5 Pro, the internal width is held relatively narrow, in Hunt's case narrower at 23mm than the 23.5mm of the Enves. This saves weight and allows riders to use 28mm tyres within ISO recommendations. Even Zipp, one of the pioneers of the wider internal rim width, went back to 23mm with its latest 1,090-gram 202 NSW.
However, you’ll notice that Hunt doesn’t claim that the new wheels are its lightest ever – that’s because its Hill Climb SL dips well under the kilo with a claimed 963 grams. They have a shallow 30mm rim for tubular tyres – something you don’t often see these days.
For all the details to go to Hunt's website.
