I used an nlgi 2 for the pawls of my hub. Though i used just a tiny bit. Its hard to buy a small amount of nlgi lower than 2 here in my country. Most shops sell nlgi 2 or nlgi 3 for automotive use.
Seems like the majority of people are actually pretty happy with their Hunts. From my experience with Hunt, no individual component for most of their wheels (hub, rim, spokes or bearings) is remarkable on their own. But that's kind of the point, Hunt are kind of the min-max of wheelsets (spend the money where it matters) and build relatively sensible wheels (e.g. they actually spec brass nipples on their 4Season wheels, they lace 28H spokes on the gravel wheels and 36H spokes on their eBike wheels and use proper wide widths, tubeless well with the 10 different manufacturers I've tried). They also offer a lifetime warranty crash replacement for a small cost (which puts in in the same realm as Reserve and Zipp's policies). Their customer service is actually fantastic and considering they cost the same as a pair of Farsport wheels, which don't have the same warranty of aftercare. Know about half a dozen people with Hunt v2 hubs and they've lasted well (no unusually early bearing changes). I was very skeptical about Hunt (wanted to dislike them as another pop-up dressed up catalogue wheel company) in the early days but having seen a few in the wild and after having given their v2 wheelsets a go (too many stories regarding their V1 hubs being middle-road or their Enduro V1 rims being a bit soft), they appear to have grown their capital to a point where they have significantly more control over their components (e.g. don't have to resort to using rebadged Novatec hubs, are choosing their own suppliers for each component now). Are they my favorite wheels ever? No. But they offered specs I needed (gravel wheels that hold up to proper hard riding, most other gravel wheels are too geared towards featherweight roadies) at a reasonable price at good all-round specs with decent durability with great customer service and a lifetime crash replacement warranty.
Great comment. I agree. They are far better than a 'entry level' upgrade, but not far off a carbon upgrade, for substantially less. Great value:performance ratio in my experience
Yeah, they're definitely still using Novatec hubs. They're just custom spec Novatec hubs rather than a rebadged off the shelf hub, which they never used in the first place. They've downgraded their hubsto 5* on the MTB side for no other reason than their 3* engagement hubs were blowing up all the time. That's not engineering or designing a better 3* hub, that's just choosing less engagement for bigger teeth.
Also agree. No idea why I hear a few moans here and there - I've had mine for about 6 years now and absolutely ZERO issues. My mechanic even said they're fantastic.
I’ve had several sets of Hunts over the years on my own bikes & on customers bikes and not had a problem with any of them other than replacing the odd bearing & these are consumable parts. I am a professional cycle mechanic so see many different wheels from various manufacturers & personally think that Hunt wheels are good value & well made. The customer service is also very good & UK based. I also use the correct tools!!!!!!
I've been buying Hunt MTB wheels for custom builds and for our demo bikes for two years. So far nothing but a positive experience, especially for the price.
No problems with my 5 sets of Hunt wheels (2x MTB, 2x gravel/CX and 1 road) - are we saying that a bad bearing or hub got into the wild and hence all the product line is awful? On a sample size of 1 that's not a valid conclusion.
Two sets of hunt carbon rimmed wheels here. Set on my gravel bike has seen zero issues in 4 years. Set on my full susser has had 2 broken spokes in 3 years, both recently riding very rough ground. My all mountain carbons have lifetime free crash replacement and the hub engages really quickly. Excellent CS and good instruction videos. Can easily recommend.
I have to say though I've had 4 seasons for the last 4 winters and they are the most bullet proof wheels I've ever owned.still on the same set of crap bearings. They've had plenty of crappy British winter road abuse
Same experience here. I have some early Mason x Michael Hunts 4 seasons (I think perhaps when they used rebranded Novatec hubs!?) and they have been solid for years now, they have taken a battering and I've never needed to do a thing to them.
I've been running the Hunt Aero wheelset on the road for about 4000 miles. I did have an odd clicking sound from the rear hub which they warrantied and haven't had any other issues since. I also put a set of their 4 Season wheels on a gravel build which are super loud but have been real solid and trouble-free for 1000+ miles. Can't say these are the greatest wheels ever, but I do think you get more (tubeless ready, light weight, customer service) than you would from other brands for the same price.
My son and i both ride Hunts and have been for a couple of years now. He's on the alloy Gravel Race and mine are the alloy 4 Season/ All Road. Those wheels have seen about 5k miles each, including at least a dozen gravel races. My son's set have carried him to around eight podium finishes. They are as true and spin as well as the day we got them. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another set.
I purchased a pair of Hunt wheels about 5 months ago, they were horrible from the start. The freehub (XDR) has so much preload applied when the wheel was built, that the bearings would hardly turn. The shaft between the bearings was so tightly pressed between the bearings that I couldn't even move it out of the way to push out the bearings. Hunt supplied me with a new freehub so I thought things would be fine. The odd thing is that the bearings never felt smooth, not even in the new one. I eventually removed the bearings from the original freehub, which they allowed me to keep, and installed new bearings. To my surprise, they felt horrible when they were installed. They were new bearings and rolled smoothly until I put them in freehub then they were horrible. The worst part was that the freehub would skip like the pawls would not engage properly. I would go to put force on the pedals and...pop...it would skip. It wouldn't do it every time, perhaps 1 in 50 times but It was very disconcerting. I had two freehubs and the problem existed on both and I couldn't see any problems with the teeth in the freehub. I tried it with no lube on the pawls and with a light freehub-specific grease with the same results. All this happened within the 90-day return window so I eventually returned them, lesson learned.
curious if in this whole debacle you ever replaced the spacer between the freehub and the pawls, or the spacer inside the freehub body. I think most hubs use Novatech as their supplier and I've had this issue in the past. They were especially prone to damage from an overtightened skewer. A well designed hub should be able to deal with any skewer in my opinion and these weren't that.
I have exactly the same wheels and my mechanic replaced all the bearings including free hub earlier this year. I reckon I had done about 7000 miles on the original ones, he swapped them out for Enduro bearings and the result was much smoother and a quieter free hub compared to the old bearings.
Wasn't the whole thing about Hunt being generic open-mold Chinese rims being sold by a western company that can offer warranty? Not sure how or why anyone thinks they'd be getting anything more.
Yes, their rims and hubs are outsourced. I'm not too sure who manufactures their rims, but I do know one of the hub brands they use: Hubsmith from Taiwan.
Never had a problem with any of my Hunts. I have got them on my gravel, road and MTB. The oldest set is from 2018. Have not even had to think about changing the bearings on any of them yet. I do go in there to have a look and regrease. Given what they cost I would be happy with them anyway. Even if I did have to change the bearings every 2 or 3 years. Maybe the older stuff was better than the current batches? Shrinkflation and all that, companies trying to keep the margins good. Thanks for the video. Will use if things do go pear shaped and surgery is required.
I got the c50 rim brake and used them 32 000 km. The freehub body got an reinforced spline so it is not much dented. I have changed the bearings in the freehub body to SKF, but it was nothing wrong with the old Ezo bearing. Got a set of SKF bearings for the wheels, just in case. I’m 80 kg and averaging around 40 km/h solo on a 50 km long loop. My experience with the C50 is much better than with my Specialized and Dtswiss wheels.
I own the Hunt 50 Aerodynamicist wheels and they're pretty good. Yes you can buy similar/better wheels for around the same money or less but you won't get crash replacement. If you race crits or just generally are careless with your stuff it's not a bad purchase for what you get. They look good and perform well up to a point.
Got two sets, one for my MTB and one for my road. I rate them primarily for the price, weight and robustness. But mainly coz they're not covered in garish graphics
I've been hammering a set of all mountain carbon h-impacts for a few years now and they've been amazing. I managed to crack a rear rim a week before going on holiday with my bike and they repaired it via their crash repair scheme in time for my holiday. The wheels ride great, have stayed true and have simply been a dream. I'm starting to think you're being controversial simply for clickbait, shame on you.
Using a set of Trail Wide 29's with the V2 hub on my Stumpjumper FSR. They've maintained their trueness, survived some sharp hits with pressures in the high teens psi with tubeless set-up. There is some scoring from the cassette on the HG freehub despite the advertised "Ceramik" freehub being harder to prevent such a damage. The ratcheting mechanism is louder and buzzier than I prefer, but the resulting prompt engagement is nice. I'm a fan of the simple, rounded design of the rim as well as the minimalist logo on the rim--saves me time and elbow grease not to have to remove first thing ridiculously large stickers whose colorway doesn't match the bike or my taste. Bearings are still smooth but only 1/2 a season on them so far. We'll see how winter treats them. I miss the satisfaction of getting a QR, loose ball hub set up perfect: pendulums to a stop when secured in the dropouts, yet no hint of a wiggle when checked for play. Good times. Anyway, the Trail Wide V2's have passed muster so far, and if they maintain the durability they'll represent a great value compared to Stan's or the like.
@@0xsergy Better grip on the single track. Wide variety of conditions from dirt, sand, bedrock, loose rock over hardpack, grass...you name it, it's likely to be encountered on a single ride. North Central Midwest, USA. Around 20 psi for tubeless MTB tires is reasonable. My rear I'll inflate to 23-25psi and let it dwindle down over a few weeks to 17-18psi. That starts to feel a little too low on hardpack and the streets, so I go back to nearing 25. More than that, it feels like a brick and there is noticable loss of traction in both climbs and corners. The higher psi tire just breaks loose much easier. The front is most comfortable for me at 18-20. 25psi in front seems to make the handling a little squirrelly. The traction simply isn't there. My ride weight is 190-195# and I run my suspension with 20-22% sag in front, and 25% sag in the rear shock. Both air sprung, open mode compression with some additional low speed compression dialed in. Rebound setting midway to midway plus a couple clicks in (more rebound damping).
@@jeffhargis8017 i read that running a too large frame can also have the front being light and squirrely. i'm with you on the psi, just felt super low for an average adults weight.
@@0xsergy Could be. Lots of issues with a too large of a bike most related to diminished control, even if that means it's just "less playful." Regarding the pressures, i, too, didn't believe some of the stuff I was reading when I went tubeless. Pressures in the teens people were saying gave them the best handling. I scoffed and started out at 30psi with my first tubeless set up. Then tried 25. My hard head would've kept it there despite the anecdotal evidence I was reading about lower pressures. However, after a particularly good ride, and thinking my technique was really coming around, I noted the front tire was perhaps a little squishy on the street ride home. When I checked the pressure, it was down to 17 or 18. That opened my mind a bit to the idea of lower pressures. Next ride I experimented and there was such a world of difference in a 25 psi tire compared to 18. So I started doing what others were advocating in my readings: ridiculously low pressures.
@@jeffhargis8017 ye, i run 10 psi on my tubed front tire for that reason. Its just so grippy. But im skinny af. Just arent allowed any hard front impacts for tubed reasons.
I run my Hunt wheels for 15000km with stock bearings...still no problems yet. 👍 I didnt even had to true them. btw I serviced them last week. Vision team 35 wheelset: had to replace the freehub bearings twice after 10.000km 🖕 Zipp303s: are fine after 9500km 👍 Yoeleo C50/50 pro: hold up for 50km and then the front rim simply exploded 🤮
I have 2 set now of the Hunt Trail Wide. The first set has over 700 miles and that includes Bike parks and rocky trails. The rear had some loose spokes just now and the jumps with whip landings don't do well on them. They are true again and have no issues so I bought a set for the 2nd bike. We shall see how they go but its been good so far.
The hubs look like they're made by Novatec in Taiwan. It's even possible the complete wheel is made by Novatec. So, if you're a lazy wheel "engineer" or product manager, it's just a matter of placing your company order on their website, and then wait about four months for the container to arrive. You can opt to have Novatec's name on the product or have your own; it's just a matter of placing your PO with sufficient $$$ up front and MOQ. No magic here when somebody else has done the thinking for you. And Novatec, I suspect, not only make hubs and wheels for bottom-feeders like Hunt, but the big names at the top of the ladder as well.
@@joehart3826 Like any other bike industry vendor, Novatec has a range of hubs and wheels to suit various budgets and needs, from cheap to relatively pricey. Thing is, at least to me, there's not much difference in appearance and features between some of their lower-priced products than what's offered by, say Zip or others like them. The only major difference is the pricing for what appears to be the same thing, such as freehubs.
I bought Chinese plus bike wheels when the WTB ones died a premature death. I actually was happy that I could find ones with Novatec hubs. They have been 100% more reliable than my Hunt wheels so far.
Wait, what? You've just described 70 % (or more?) of the bike biz. But that won't stop endless arguments over which decal on the same crap is superior, right?
@@larryt.atcycleitalia5786 You're correct. It's like having snobs taste test mineral water and in the end they not only can't tell the difference between the cheapest and most expensive brands, but they pick water out of the tap as the best.
I’ve Hunt carbon gravel 30s on a synapse. I’m a 100k ex back row rugby player and OE wheels - including the Cannondale’s - are way inadequate. The Hunts? 12k miles in and I’ve replaced both sets of bearings and the freehub. Other than that nothing to report other than they’ve been excellent and have survived countless gravel runs and winter rides.
I have the Hunt 4 season rim brake version from 2019, to be honest they've served me well. The rear hub isn't great, but otherwise they've seen me over 15000 miles with little complaint. Their marketing bollox does set alarm bells ringing though!
Had some hunt 4 season gravel wheels for 5 years now, been great wheels, and customer support has be superb. One thing that's great is the adaptability of the hubs, managed to swap these wheels throughout my bikes with ease, QR, thru axle, doesn't matter just fit the hunt adapters and away you go.
Hi, Hambini I have the Aero disk ones in your vid got them in 2017 and have never missed a beat I have changed all 4 hub bearings after 2 years same with free hub ones for better ones nothing wrong with them just swapped them out for new ones not had any issues with the wheelset overall that time spokes are still nice and tight and true. just maybe I'm a lucky one keep up the good work. oh and set up tubeless no leaking using a track pump.
Iv got a few sets of Hunt wheels. My aero 50s that use the sprint hubs have failed twice. Both times in less than 6 months the free hub body has cracked around the area where the pawls are held in. Both times I found the spacer in that area had disintergrated. I have pictures if you want to see. To be fair to hunt they replaced the free hub both times and took the wheels back for inspection second time. Not sure what the solution will be when it happens again.
Hi there! I m as well A/C engineer and i DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS cause i love them and understand as well....funny is cycling world arround. Don't stop and keep funny but pertinent analysis and comments!
My winter bike/ commuter has survived 2 years with hunts cheapest alloy wheels. My new set of aerodynamicist wheels are an improvement on the 50mm aero wide wheel I had from them but of course there is better out there but they also cost more than £800
If you unlock both sides at the rear, of course it's going to come out as one unit. Wouldn't let you anywhere near my wheelsets, if you don't even know that. Butchered the whole process as well.
Hardly overpriced when the current equivalent of these retail for less than £400, with others available for £300. Suggest some alternatives that would get me better hubs for a similar price vs. weight vs. level of UK-based customer service?
@@alexyounghunlee Hunt alloy gravel wheels are 25% cheaper (and 10% lighter) than Scribe and weigh less with the same dimensions, same spokes and brass nipple as Scribe. Scribe make nice wheels too, but 25% across the board is notable.
I have 2 sets of 4 season wheels, they are some of the best wheels I've had, not a single problem in 5 years / 20,000 miles, using a little (just a little) of Phil's Tenacious Oil sorts the noise.
Like many engineers, Hambini really is a shitey, ham-fisted, clumsy, pikey mechanic. I really do not see much wrong with these hubs although the bearings could be better quality from the start. Now you know you can refresh them easily with better bearings since you've just seen an unskilled wrench have a successful go at it!
Without having the experience of riding different wheels, it is difficult for me to know how one is better than another (and 'better' will mean different things to different people). I have two sets of the MasonXHunt wheels (700C and 650B) and have found HUNT's customer service to be excellent. When a large screw went right through my rear tyre and rim, I was able to complete the ride and then HUNT repaired the wheel at very reasonable cost. When I bought the 650Bs I opted for the lifetime guarantee. A friend has the carbon wheels with carbon spokes. He went head-over-heels and the wheels were fine. I don't have the expertise to comment on the quality compared with other suppliers, but I do have experience of their customer service and it is excellent.
I have a set of Hunt wheels and to be fare they transformed my sonder Camino. But the bearings fucked up very quickly as they did on the standard sonder love mud wheels. Imagine my shock to find the hunt wheels used the same hubs as sonder with the same POS bearings aka Revo cream. Binded the bearings for a set of enduro bearings job done no further issues
Mine have been fine…3 sets one rim 2 disc. Hunt are easy to get in touch with ref spares and questions. You can’t say they are premium - for me they sit in between Chinese-Prime/Hunt-Premium (Roval, DT etc).
Hunts carbon spoke wheels are from the same Chinese factory as the Winspace Hypers. Same spokes, same filament wound rims and the hubs are also similar if not the same.
I’ve seen a set of their gravel wheels fail after 800ish miles and less than a year of ownership. The rider was riding average gravel but wasn’t super rough on the wheels. The front bearings were already worn out and developed serious play so much so you could see the front wheel wobble back and forth despite the thru axle being torqued. His rear wheel had cracks and several spokes were about to pull out from the rim. They warrantied him a new wheelset but he could have been seriously hurt if he rode on that rear wheel, that thing was a few good rocks and roots from folding… He had nice tubeless tires too…
I’ve been running the Enduro wide. MTBs for 4 years Zero issues with standard maintenance the engagement points are decent better than DTSwiss . Do a tear down on the Bottom bracket of one of their Privateer Bikes . I kind of like the Company but I do listen to the Great Habini
I had some hunt areo 34 with there newer sprint hubs and I was going through rear bearings at and alarming rate. The actual free hub bearings where so small and wouldn’t last more than one or 2 rides before they went notchy. Front hub ran smooth through its entire time. The scoring on the hub is largely dependent on weather the lock is torqued correctly. So I think it unfair it for you to mention it, having said that, that’s not bad at all. Rim wise the anodising was thin and just gentle cleaning would wear through it quite easily. Upside hunt is the apple of wheel world and seem to keep there value on the second market so I got rid and lost very little money
When I saw that wear I immediately assumed the seized bearing had spun. I’ll bet the bearing turned(poorly) under rider weight but not in hand. Any intermittent lockup would spin the inner race on the soft axle. It might appear to be just aesthetic but when it comes to bearing surface it can’t be allowed to move like that. It would eventually, maybe quite soon, become unusable particularly with a failed bearing.
Interesting to read the comments here are mostly positive about owners wheelsets. I think I’m up to seven sets so far of road/TT/cx/gravel/mtb. Being a fat f*cker, I’ve found that that are bomb/blob proof. Looking forward to the 5yr olds attempt at reaming 👍
This is why I don't watch the hambini channel (except Thai because im looking for hunt Ud and I see this video). He gets one of thousands and then bashes the whole brands if all they make is junk. It's not fair. Watch MAPDEC cycle instead. He's honest but provides some perspective and context.
I'm a big unit and ride the Aero Superduras. Compared to any other wheels I've had they are basically indestructible, and the bearing life has been outstanding. I'm also a bike mechanic and have seen no issues with any Hunts I've had through the workshop. If you want bad wheels with bearings that last 4 seconds, I'd suggest Fulcrums. I think for fairness the model and age of the wheel / hub should have been noted, in case these issues may have been caught and resolved in later iterations. Of course, YMMV and I guess Hambini will always see the very worst case scenario for any equipment. Wondering if this also re-ignites the "to grease or not to grease when installing bearings" debate...
I have the 50 40 aero wheels on my road bike and they are brilliant. On the other hand, I have binned a set of the enduro wide v2 mtb wheels after less than a year - 2 sets of bearings, clogged tubeless valves, jammed freehub, absolute d0g 5h1te.
I bought some Hunt road wheels and 2019, 2020 the rear wheel started creaking but no play or roughness in the bearings. Hunt recommended lubing the spokes where they cross, which funnily enough didn't work. I asked for a technical drawing or manual on how to disassemble and replace the bearings, they were unable to supply this. I tried to remove the rear axle but got scared with the amount of force required. Eventually after months of asking they collected the wheels and replaced the bearings in the freehub which fixed the problem. The wheels ran ok and I sold them this year. I have bought some of their MTB wheels which seem fine, their price point Vs competition is about right for the low end models.
I have Hunt 54 UD and I love the weight look specs etc but the bearings are pretty terrible. They just feel like they grab a lot. I have some wheels built with White Industries T11 hubs and NSK bearings that roll insanely smooth so I was amazed at how the drag almost makes the Hunt feel heavy. In fact it was my search to find bearings that lead me here but Hambini is sold out right now :( .
The 6902 disc side bearing just seized on my Hunt gravel front Wheelset. Since quality NTN 6902s are hard to get, I sprayed it with degreaser, rust washed out, left overnight and now it’s spinning fairly free. I added bearing grease and it’s good. I will replace when good bearings become available. Question: should I be servicing all wheel bearings in this manner at least once every season?
@@Windband1 no. On the contrary I wipe after rides and wash monthly with rain drop type water never directly on bearings. Plus it’s the wife’s bike who rides just weekends.
I have a Hunt wheelset. I don’t remember the exact model, but they are carbon, 650b, hookless wheels that I am running tubeless on a gravel bike. These wheels are very nice, and have not given me a single minute of trouble in 2+ years.
Why not change the bearing in the freehub body while you have it out? Also, this bearing change seems like a pretty straight forward operation that any bike shop could do, replacing with NTN bearings. I do think good quality bearings kept clean and lubricated make a difference, even if you don't race and ride a heavy bike. With good bearings, you keep your momentum.
I have a head scratcher with my front hub.. attempting to refurbish or replace the sealed bearings. The dust cover on one side was removed using 2x 20mm spanners.. the open side revealed the sealed bearings but I am unable to hammer out the axel which is a threaded axel at least on the ends it is for the caps and inside the axel there seems to be splines?? HOW do I get this axel out??
one reason for premature bearing life is aggressive bike washing, solvent based cleaning products are over used. I regularly find hub internals completely dry and sometimes can even smell the cleaner used.
I have a 29 xc wheelset and my gf has the hunt x mason on her Ribble, we have had no issues whatsoever. Especially for the price point which is between a decent upgrade wheel and going full carbon
Ive run a set of SuperDura's for 7 months now. Put close to 3000 miles on them since they were fitted and they have been absolutely fine. Im not sure if its because they were new or just more aero but compared to my old set of wheels which were a hand built DT Swiss RR440 rims with some unknown budget Novatec hubs. These Hunt's roll far more smoother and roll for a lot longer. Im happy with my purchase primarily because i was looking for a wheelset made with Kinlin XR31 rims. Tried for an entire month to find a wheel builder and they were quoting me over over £500 when i found them, so when I saw the Hunt's at what i think was £430 at the time - I jumped on them. They've gone up by £20 now... In any case, Unless ive been caught out in a random rain shower. They've only really been out on the road when its dry (because I have two bikes and i dont put the good wheels on my shit bike...) That might be why they still run so smooth. Ive still got warranty in any case, so im covered should anything bad happen. I understand theres a lot of _'pro-riders'_ that will scoff and turn their nose up pretty hard at the mention of the brand but as someone who is not pro, is looking for something that is half decent, offers decent enough value for money and built close to the spec that I was originally after. I am quite satisfied with what i bought. The only negative thing i can think of is the ratchet system on the rear hub can be quite noisy as fuck but i get that its probably a signature of the brand - At least people will hear me when im out on the road.
Fresh set of trail wide landed today. Look good, prefer the weight and Matt finish over my other Wheelset, they are noticeably lighter in the hand, logos aren’t in ya face, they spin nice, they are loud! I will report back after I’ve got some miles on them
I ride Hunt UD 50 carbon spokes and while it’s only been a few months, they’ve been surprisingly good (and loud). I ride in some terrible urban streets and they’ve held up so far, under load of 500-1,000 watts. Curious if I should expect the hubs to eat crap at some point soon and why?
Excellent customer service, they will schedule a call with a knowledgeable technician to talk to you to resolve any issues. This is not the standard kind of service you would typically get. We resolved the problem and all is now good.
My Hunt wheels are in the shop as we speak for the second time; first time was a spoke issue this time it went in for general maintenance but the hub was so tight it broke upon disassembly. Disappointed
Just got a full refund on mine as front wheel would not seal I replaced the tape it was only a bit better, the bearings in the front wheel gave out at a 160miles they sent out a supposedly new wheel but looked used so thought enough is enough and got my money back
As long as you hammer at multiple points of the bearing alternately, it won't pose any damage to the hub shell. The objective is to let it "walk" out slightly, bit by bit.
Quite funny this.....i have had Hunt aero 40's for over a year with no issues and roll far better than my dt Swiss 240's on my pr1400's....in actual fact the PR's never saw the bike again
Low expectations go hand in hand with the current bike industry at the moment. If you get something that works well for 2 years then count yourself lucky……..
I've got some Hunt 4seasons disc and I also needed to replace the front bearings after one winter as they felt very rough. I replaced them with NTN bearings from Hambini. Since then I haven't had any issues. My freehub looks even worse than the one in the video, it seems the cocks just damage these ceramic freehubs very easily. Some weeks ago my backwheel started to creak in a very strange way and I can't figure out what causes this noise. What is even stranger is that sometimes it's running super smooth and then the creaking just starts out of nowhere. I'm happy for any advise. Apart from that there are great 😉 Thanks for all the interesting and entertaining videos!
@RollinRat Thanks for your answer. The bearing aren't ceramic, they should be stainless steal bearings made by EZO just as the ones Hambini removed from the hunt wheels in the video. I meant the freehub being ceramic at least that is written on it. I'm not sure from what material it is actually made. I have the feeling that the marks in the freehub body could be the problem or the casette, but who knows. I guess I have to replace parts one by one and see how it changes.
I have 8 sets of Hunts of different types including 650b dynamos. They seem OK, have done loads of miles and I've not had any problems. I used to run Mavics but found them too harsh. Horses for course I suppose but will watch the reaming with interest......
@@RobinHood-yk8og They are on three of my bikes, a set on each on both of my daughters's bikes and my wife's bike. The remaining ones have different tyres on for my bikes because I'm too lazy to change tyres and blocks. Some are nearly six years old and have toured through France and a couple, including my wife's have done the Mallorca 312 several times including the training etc. If I was to hazard a guess across all four family riders, we've done well over 30,000+ miles on them. My original Four Seasons have done 7000+ miles and are still going strong. They are also a mix of thru axle and QR. However, I will say all the free hubs are marked. As for Hunt's service, I'm impressed. Really easy to deal with and you get a great kit including spare spokes when you buy them. And no, I'm not connected to them in anyway.
Hello, looking for advice on how to remove the bearings on my enduro wide 29er front hub? I've remove the end caps but seems to be another cap that won't come off to see the bearings?
As a bike mechanic it was a little painful watching the first part of the video. I’m not sure why people are sending random wheels to you when the local bike shop probably has a better tool set to do that job?
@@Hambini Well, my father who is also an engineer used to say “if you need to hit something with a hammer then you are doing something wrong…” I don’t fully agree with him in every situation however in this video it might be good advice. Using a pin punch and hammer to “tap” the bearing out is not the best method. You are applying force to a small area and that can cause damage to the softer aluminium hub via gouging, scraping or denting the shell of the hub. The bearing can twist or jam on its way out. Also by placing the hub on a table and hitting it (even on a princess blanket) you run the risk of bending the thin aluminium lips of the outer part of the hub. Good Bike shops normally use a drift made by the manufacturers or other after market company to apply the force equally or one of many types of bearing puller or press. However, I will concede they probably wouldn’t fit bearings with such fine tolerance as you do.
I have some trailwides on a Whyte full suss I bought. The rear is a little draggy on the freehub and I popped a couple of spokes on a hit. After emailing them about sizes they sent me out spokes free of charge for wheels I never bought from them. I keep meaning to see if I can do anything about the rear drag but meh. Seems a company that offers good service for ok kit for a reasonable price?
Finally, a *review*. When I was choosing my new mtb wheels I hovered the Hunt set but after being bombarded with targeted ads and seeing almost zero comments on their posts on social media or even detailed feedback on reddit I gave up and just went the DT Swiss way. It's weird, a brand with such marketing and online presence but with almost no "real" feedback.
Most wheels aren't made with longevity in mind, thats no way to run a business 😂 you buy what you can afford and look after them, but, most riders don't, then the panic sets in with trashed freehub or bearings, personally I look after mine and have very little trouble, mostly grit after winter, strip it, clean it, reassemble it, isn't difficult and saves money, especially now Dick Turpin is running the bike industry 😉
I have a set of HUNT 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc for about an year, so won’t comment on the longevity. Yes the hub is loud AF for sure, but so was the one on the wheels that came with the bike (syncros on a Scott Addict), I did not notice great difference in that regard. So far the wheels have not disappointed 🤞🏻
I have been riding my Hunt Gravel Race aluminium, 700c, tubeless for more than one year on gravel, not sparing them bad treatments and they are just fine. They are light and sufficiently stiff, in particular for the price paid. The only thing I dislike is the loud noise of the rear hub. If anyone can suggest a less noisy one with the same dimensions, I would be interested.
@@lossantoscity3249 thank you, this was one option, but I found that Hunt is aware of the issues and now they sell quieter hubs as spare parts. Got one, hope it makes a difference.
@@stefde9781 I Just Remove all the grease with on my freehub with acetone and put some dumond tech freehub oil. My my! You'll hear me from 100 feet away Buddy! Loud and Proud as they say.
Do you mean the freehub splines on which the cassette fits? If so it's a material problem. Aluminum can't handle HG splines. Shimano only uses steel or titanium for HG, and when they went for alu in microspline they roughly doubled the spline count.
Great video, helping me understand bearing replacement steps. I noticed you didn't put any grease on the axle's or on top of the seated bearings before the endcaps were added. Is it not necessary to put grease on the axle where it contacts the bearings?
@@dscoduc For a sliding surface then I can understand the application of grease. The counter argument is grease attracts dirt so once you get past the initial installation, you've created grinding paste. So my personal preference is to go for clean surfaces if the lubricant for installation is not required.
@Hambini thanks for another interesting analysis. - two questions after watching this. 1. Why not check the freehub bearing? 2. Personally I like Phil Woods Tenacious Oil for the pawls etc as it seems a sweet spot between grease and oil. Also always hoping you do a tear down / analysis of Chris King hubs as they seem to check all your boxes and have a little bling too.
Gotta love that "Fred Flintstone" hammer, eh? In the shops I've worked in, we NEVER had hammers like that - if something needs pounding-on to that extent, something is very, very wrong. Check again before you start pounding!!! A dead-blow and a small ball pein hammer were all we had in the shop..on purpose!
If you have a set of wheels designed and engineered by K.HUNT engineering, please do comment below.
I do not.
Greetings, your hairdresser
I used an nlgi 2 for the pawls of my hub. Though i used just a tiny bit.
Its hard to buy a small amount of nlgi lower than 2 here in my country. Most shops sell nlgi 2 or nlgi 3 for automotive use.
Its not K its M, M for Mike Hunt.
@@jasontonge8627 An intended pun for sure 😁
I do and I am afraid to watch this video.
Seems like the majority of people are actually pretty happy with their Hunts.
From my experience with Hunt, no individual component for most of their wheels (hub, rim, spokes or bearings) is remarkable on their own. But that's kind of the point, Hunt are kind of the min-max of wheelsets (spend the money where it matters) and build relatively sensible wheels (e.g. they actually spec brass nipples on their 4Season wheels, they lace 28H spokes on the gravel wheels and 36H spokes on their eBike wheels and use proper wide widths, tubeless well with the 10 different manufacturers I've tried). They also offer a lifetime warranty crash replacement for a small cost (which puts in in the same realm as Reserve and Zipp's policies). Their customer service is actually fantastic and considering they cost the same as a pair of Farsport wheels, which don't have the same warranty of aftercare. Know about half a dozen people with Hunt v2 hubs and they've lasted well (no unusually early bearing changes).
I was very skeptical about Hunt (wanted to dislike them as another pop-up dressed up catalogue wheel company) in the early days but having seen a few in the wild and after having given their v2 wheelsets a go (too many stories regarding their V1 hubs being middle-road or their Enduro V1 rims being a bit soft), they appear to have grown their capital to a point where they have significantly more control over their components (e.g. don't have to resort to using rebadged Novatec hubs, are choosing their own suppliers for each component now).
Are they my favorite wheels ever? No. But they offered specs I needed (gravel wheels that hold up to proper hard riding, most other gravel wheels are too geared towards featherweight roadies) at a reasonable price at good all-round specs with decent durability with great customer service and a lifetime crash replacement warranty.
Great comment. I agree. They are far better than a 'entry level' upgrade, but not far off a carbon upgrade, for substantially less. Great value:performance ratio in my experience
I agree too, had no issues with mine so far
Yeah, they're definitely still using Novatec hubs. They're just custom spec Novatec hubs rather than a rebadged off the shelf hub, which they never used in the first place. They've downgraded their hubsto 5* on the MTB side for no other reason than their 3* engagement hubs were blowing up all the time. That's not engineering or designing a better 3* hub, that's just choosing less engagement for bigger teeth.
Also agree. No idea why I hear a few moans here and there - I've had mine for about 6 years now and absolutely ZERO issues. My mechanic even said they're fantastic.
Perfectly satisfied Hunt owner, with 3 sets of wheels, 0 problems since 2016.
I’m not a mechanical engineer. But I’ve had two Hunt wheel sets for a while and they’ve been fine. And their customer service is excellent.
Their customer service needs to be excellent since so many of them go wrong
I have one set and they are crap... Bearing is worn after 3k off light endurance summer riding.
Same experience here. Great customer service but bearings worn. The company have supplied replacement bearings. But getting them out is beyond me.
I’ve had several sets of Hunts over the years on my own bikes & on customers bikes and not had a problem with any of them other than replacing the odd bearing & these are consumable parts.
I am a professional cycle mechanic so see many different wheels from various manufacturers & personally think that Hunt wheels are good value & well made. The customer service is also very good & UK based.
I also use the correct tools!!!!!!
I've been buying Hunt MTB wheels for custom builds and for our demo bikes for two years. So far nothing but a positive experience, especially for the price.
No problems with my 5 sets of Hunt wheels (2x MTB, 2x gravel/CX and 1 road) - are we saying that a bad bearing or hub got into the wild and hence all the product line is awful? On a sample size of 1 that's not a valid conclusion.
What a load of tosh. I own 3 Hunt wheelsets, all have been excellent and the customer service is spot on.
Two sets of hunt carbon rimmed wheels here. Set on my gravel bike has seen zero issues in 4 years. Set on my full susser has had 2 broken spokes in 3 years, both recently riding very rough ground. My all mountain carbons have lifetime free crash replacement and the hub engages really quickly. Excellent CS and good instruction videos. Can easily recommend.
I have to say though I've had 4 seasons for the last 4 winters and they are the most bullet proof wheels I've ever owned.still on the same set of crap bearings. They've had plenty of crappy British winter road abuse
Same experience here. I have some early Mason x Michael Hunts 4 seasons (I think perhaps when they used rebranded Novatec hubs!?) and they have been solid for years now, they have taken a battering and I've never needed to do a thing to them.
Same
Been great in Cambodia where I live. Conditions are bad but they are doing fine
I've been running the Hunt Aero wheelset on the road for about 4000 miles. I did have an odd clicking sound from the rear hub which they warrantied and haven't had any other issues since. I also put a set of their 4 Season wheels on a gravel build which are super loud but have been real solid and trouble-free for 1000+ miles. Can't say these are the greatest wheels ever, but I do think you get more (tubeless ready, light weight, customer service) than you would from other brands for the same price.
My son and i both ride Hunts and have been for a couple of years now. He's on the alloy Gravel Race and mine are the alloy 4 Season/ All Road. Those wheels have seen about 5k miles each, including at least a dozen gravel races. My son's set have carried him to around eight podium finishes. They are as true and spin as well as the day we got them. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another set.
I purchased a pair of Hunt wheels about 5 months ago, they were horrible from the start. The freehub (XDR) has so much preload applied when the wheel was built, that the bearings would hardly turn. The shaft between the bearings was so tightly pressed between the bearings that I couldn't even move it out of the way to push out the bearings. Hunt supplied me with a new freehub so I thought things would be fine. The odd thing is that the bearings never felt smooth, not even in the new one. I eventually removed the bearings from the original freehub, which they allowed me to keep, and installed new bearings. To my surprise, they felt horrible when they were installed. They were new bearings and rolled smoothly until I put them in freehub then they were horrible.
The worst part was that the freehub would skip like the pawls would not engage properly. I would go to put force on the pedals and...pop...it would skip. It wouldn't do it every time, perhaps 1 in 50 times but It was very disconcerting. I had two freehubs and the problem existed on both and I couldn't see any problems with the teeth in the freehub. I tried it with no lube on the pawls and with a light freehub-specific grease with the same results.
All this happened within the 90-day return window so I eventually returned them, lesson learned.
curious if in this whole debacle you ever replaced the spacer between the freehub and the pawls, or the spacer inside the freehub body. I think most hubs use Novatech as their supplier and I've had this issue in the past. They were especially prone to damage from an overtightened skewer. A well designed hub should be able to deal with any skewer in my opinion and these weren't that.
I have exactly the same wheels and my mechanic replaced all the bearings including free hub earlier this year. I reckon I had done about 7000 miles on the original ones, he swapped them out for Enduro bearings and the result was much smoother and a quieter free hub compared to the old bearings.
Wasn't the whole thing about Hunt being generic open-mold Chinese rims being sold by a western company that can offer warranty? Not sure how or why anyone thinks they'd be getting anything more.
Skip the middle man shit, buy direct from china dumbass
Because they market them as if they're something bespoke. Like a lot of wheel and bike companies they're just a marketing front.
Yes, their rims and hubs are outsourced. I'm not too sure who manufactures their rims, but I do know one of the hub brands they use: Hubsmith from Taiwan.
Because gullible people buy into loads of marketing BS in the cycling industry, Hunt Wheels,, CeramicSpeed, etc… Just a few of many such examples. 😀😀
@@ivanboesky1520 gullible is almost every herd cyclist middle name... 🙄
Perhaps you should give wheels a mark out of 10 (for weight, aero, engineering etc) then plot them on a chart by price.
You could call it the Hambini score, and present it on a colourful Excel spreadsheet.
I have a 50/65 set, no problems yet, they ride nice 👍🏼. Love the video will help me service them myself. Thanks a million 🙏
Never had a problem with any of my Hunts. I have got them on my gravel, road and MTB. The oldest set is from 2018. Have not even had to think about changing the bearings on any of them yet. I do go in there to have a look and regrease. Given what they cost I would be happy with them anyway. Even if I did have to change the bearings every 2 or 3 years. Maybe the older stuff was better than the current batches? Shrinkflation and all that, companies trying to keep the margins good. Thanks for the video. Will use if things do go pear shaped and surgery is required.
I got the c50 rim brake and used them 32 000 km. The freehub body got an reinforced spline so it is not much dented.
I have changed the bearings in the freehub body to SKF, but it was nothing wrong with the old Ezo bearing. Got a set of SKF bearings for the wheels, just in case.
I’m 80 kg and averaging around 40 km/h solo on a 50 km long loop. My experience with the C50 is much better than with my Specialized and Dtswiss wheels.
Im happy with Hunt 2 carbon sets of wheels, 0 problems since 2019.
I own the Hunt 50 Aerodynamicist wheels and they're pretty good. Yes you can buy similar/better wheels for around the same money or less but you won't get crash replacement. If you race crits or just generally are careless with your stuff it's not a bad purchase for what you get. They look good and perform well up to a point.
Have you had any water ingress issues? Thanks
Got two sets, one for my MTB and one for my road. I rate them primarily for the price, weight and robustness. But mainly coz they're not covered in garish graphics
I've been hammering a set of all mountain carbon h-impacts for a few years now and they've been amazing. I managed to crack a rear rim a week before going on holiday with my bike and they repaired it via their crash repair scheme in time for my holiday. The wheels ride great, have stayed true and have simply been a dream. I'm starting to think you're being controversial simply for clickbait, shame on you.
Using a set of Trail Wide 29's with the V2 hub on my Stumpjumper FSR. They've maintained their trueness, survived some sharp hits with pressures in the high teens psi with tubeless set-up. There is some scoring from the cassette on the HG freehub despite the advertised "Ceramik" freehub being harder to prevent such a damage. The ratcheting mechanism is louder and buzzier than I prefer, but the resulting prompt engagement is nice. I'm a fan of the simple, rounded design of the rim as well as the minimalist logo on the rim--saves me time and elbow grease not to have to remove first thing ridiculously large stickers whose colorway doesn't match the bike or my taste. Bearings are still smooth but only 1/2 a season on them so far. We'll see how winter treats them. I miss the satisfaction of getting a QR, loose ball hub set up perfect: pendulums to a stop when secured in the dropouts, yet no hint of a wiggle when checked for play. Good times.
Anyway, the Trail Wide V2's have passed muster so far, and if they maintain the durability they'll represent a great value compared to Stan's or the like.
out of curiosity why the crazy low pressures? i run that kind of pressures on my hardtail because hardtail.
@@0xsergy Better grip on the single track. Wide variety of conditions from dirt, sand, bedrock, loose rock over hardpack, grass...you name it, it's likely to be encountered on a single ride. North Central Midwest, USA. Around 20 psi for tubeless MTB tires is reasonable. My rear I'll inflate to 23-25psi and let it dwindle down over a few weeks to 17-18psi. That starts to feel a little too low on hardpack and the streets, so I go back to nearing 25. More than that, it feels like a brick and there is noticable loss of traction in both climbs and corners. The higher psi tire just breaks loose much easier. The front is most comfortable for me at 18-20. 25psi in front seems to make the handling a little squirrelly. The traction simply isn't there. My ride weight is 190-195# and I run my suspension with 20-22% sag in front, and 25% sag in the rear shock. Both air sprung, open mode compression with some additional low speed compression dialed in. Rebound setting midway to midway plus a couple clicks in (more rebound damping).
@@jeffhargis8017 i read that running a too large frame can also have the front being light and squirrely. i'm with you on the psi, just felt super low for an average adults weight.
@@0xsergy Could be. Lots of issues with a too large of a bike most related to diminished control, even if that means it's just "less playful." Regarding the pressures, i, too, didn't believe some of the stuff I was reading when I went tubeless. Pressures in the teens people were saying gave them the best handling. I scoffed and started out at 30psi with my first tubeless set up. Then tried 25. My hard head would've kept it there despite the anecdotal evidence I was reading about lower pressures. However, after a particularly good ride, and thinking my technique was really coming around, I noted the front tire was perhaps a little squishy on the street ride home. When I checked the pressure, it was down to 17 or 18. That opened my mind a bit to the idea of lower pressures. Next ride I experimented and there was such a world of difference in a 25 psi tire compared to 18. So I started doing what others were advocating in my readings: ridiculously low pressures.
@@jeffhargis8017 ye, i run 10 psi on my tubed front tire for that reason. Its just so grippy. But im skinny af. Just arent allowed any hard front impacts for tubed reasons.
I run my Hunt wheels for 15000km with stock bearings...still no problems yet. 👍
I didnt even had to true them.
btw I serviced them last week.
Vision team 35 wheelset: had to replace the freehub bearings twice after 10.000km 🖕
Zipp303s: are fine after 9500km 👍
Yoeleo C50/50 pro: hold up for 50km and then the front rim simply exploded 🤮
I have 2 set now of the Hunt Trail Wide. The first set has over 700 miles and that includes Bike parks and rocky trails. The rear had some loose spokes just now and the jumps with whip landings don't do well on them. They are true again and have no issues so I bought a set for the 2nd bike. We shall see how they go but its been good so far.
The hubs look like they're made by Novatec in Taiwan. It's even possible the complete wheel is made by Novatec. So, if you're a lazy wheel "engineer" or product manager, it's just a matter of placing your company order on their website, and then wait about four months for the container to arrive. You can opt to have Novatec's name on the product or have your own; it's just a matter of placing your PO with sufficient $$$ up front and MOQ. No magic here when somebody else has done the thinking for you. And Novatec, I suspect, not only make hubs and wheels for bottom-feeders like Hunt, but the big names at the top of the ladder as well.
That's what I understand, with Novatec branded ones being the best...
@@joehart3826 Like any other bike industry vendor, Novatec has a range of hubs and wheels to suit various budgets and needs, from cheap to relatively pricey. Thing is, at least to me, there's not much difference in appearance and features between some of their lower-priced products than what's offered by, say Zip or others like them. The only major difference is the pricing for what appears to be the same thing, such as freehubs.
I bought Chinese plus bike wheels when the WTB ones died a premature death. I actually was happy that I could find ones with Novatec hubs. They have been 100% more reliable than my Hunt wheels so far.
Wait, what? You've just described 70 % (or more?) of the bike biz. But that won't stop endless arguments over which decal on the same crap is superior, right?
@@larryt.atcycleitalia5786 You're correct. It's like having snobs taste test mineral water and in the end they not only can't tell the difference between the cheapest and most expensive brands, but they pick water out of the tap as the best.
I’ve Hunt carbon gravel 30s on a synapse. I’m a 100k ex back row rugby player and OE wheels - including the Cannondale’s - are way inadequate. The Hunts? 12k miles in and I’ve replaced both sets of bearings and the freehub. Other than that nothing to report other than they’ve been excellent and have survived countless gravel runs and winter rides.
I have the Hunt 4 season rim brake version from 2019, to be honest they've served me well. The rear hub isn't great, but otherwise they've seen me over 15000 miles with little complaint. Their marketing bollox does set alarm bells ringing though!
Had some hunt 4 season gravel wheels for 5 years now, been great wheels, and customer support has be superb. One thing that's great is the adaptability of the hubs, managed to swap these wheels throughout my bikes with ease, QR, thru axle, doesn't matter just fit the hunt adapters and away you go.
Hi, Hambini I have the Aero disk ones in your vid got them in 2017 and have never missed a beat I have changed all 4 hub bearings after 2 years same with free hub ones for better ones nothing wrong with them just swapped them out for new ones not had any issues with the wheelset overall that time spokes are still nice and tight and true. just maybe I'm a lucky one keep up the good work. oh and set up tubeless no leaking using a track pump.
Iv got a few sets of Hunt wheels. My aero 50s that use the sprint hubs have failed twice. Both times in less than 6 months the free hub body has cracked around the area where the pawls are held in. Both times I found the spacer in that area had disintergrated. I have pictures if you want to see.
To be fair to hunt they replaced the free hub both times and took the wheels back for inspection second time. Not sure what the solution will be when it happens again.
Hi there! I m as well A/C engineer and i DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS cause i love them and understand as well....funny is cycling world arround. Don't stop and keep funny but pertinent analysis and comments!
My winter bike/ commuter has survived 2 years with hunts cheapest alloy wheels. My new set of aerodynamicist wheels are an improvement on the 50mm aero wide wheel I had from them but of course there is better out there but they also cost more than £800
If you unlock both sides at the rear, of course it's going to come out as one unit.
Wouldn't let you anywhere near my wheelsets, if you don't even know that.
Butchered the whole process as well.
Hardly overpriced when the current equivalent of these retail for less than £400, with others available for £300. Suggest some alternatives that would get me better hubs for a similar price vs. weight vs. level of UK-based customer service?
Scribe, DCR, Spa, Superstar Components, and a feck load of others?
@@saltycycling Scribe, super value
@@alexyounghunlee holy fuck I could get three hunt wheelsets for that price
@@alexyounghunlee Hunt alloy gravel wheels are 25% cheaper (and 10% lighter) than Scribe and weigh less with the same dimensions, same spokes and brass nipple as Scribe. Scribe make nice wheels too, but 25% across the board is notable.
I have 2 sets of 4 season wheels, they are some of the best wheels I've had, not a single problem in 5 years / 20,000 miles, using a little (just a little) of Phil's Tenacious Oil sorts the noise.
Like many engineers, Hambini really is a shitey, ham-fisted, clumsy, pikey mechanic. I really do not see much wrong with these hubs although the bearings could be better quality from the start. Now you know you can refresh them easily with better bearings since you've just seen an unskilled wrench have a successful go at it!
Agreed. Bearings are really not expensive.
Without having the experience of riding different wheels, it is difficult for me to know how one is better than another (and 'better' will mean different things to different people). I have two sets of the MasonXHunt wheels (700C and 650B) and have found HUNT's customer service to be excellent. When a large screw went right through my rear tyre and rim, I was able to complete the ride and then HUNT repaired the wheel at very reasonable cost. When I bought the 650Bs I opted for the lifetime guarantee. A friend has the carbon wheels with carbon spokes. He went head-over-heels and the wheels were fine. I don't have the expertise to comment on the quality compared with other suppliers, but I do have experience of their customer service and it is excellent.
I have a set of Hunt wheels and to be fare they transformed my sonder Camino. But the bearings fucked up very quickly as they did on the standard sonder love mud wheels. Imagine my shock to find the hunt wheels used the same hubs as sonder with the same POS bearings aka Revo cream. Binded the bearings for a set of enduro bearings job done no further issues
Mine have been fine…3 sets one rim 2 disc. Hunt are easy to get in touch with ref spares and questions. You can’t say they are premium - for me they sit in between Chinese-Prime/Hunt-Premium (Roval, DT etc).
Hunts carbon spoke wheels are from the same Chinese factory as the Winspace Hypers. Same spokes, same filament wound rims and the hubs are also similar if not the same.
I’ve seen a set of their gravel wheels fail after 800ish miles and less than a year of ownership. The rider was riding average gravel but wasn’t super rough on the wheels. The front bearings were already worn out and developed serious play so much so you could see the front wheel wobble back and forth despite the thru axle being torqued. His rear wheel had cracks and several spokes were about to pull out from the rim. They warrantied him a new wheelset but he could have been seriously hurt if he rode on that rear wheel, that thing was a few good rocks and roots from folding… He had nice tubeless tires too…
I’ve been running the Enduro wide. MTBs for 4 years Zero issues with standard maintenance the engagement points are decent better than DTSwiss . Do a tear down on the Bottom bracket of one of their Privateer Bikes . I kind of like the Company but I do listen to the Great Habini
Have set Hunts 40/50 after 3 years still going strong, the hub is a bit noisy but over all good.
I had some hunt areo 34 with there newer sprint hubs and I was going through rear bearings at and alarming rate. The actual free hub bearings where so small and wouldn’t last more than one or 2 rides before they went notchy. Front hub ran smooth through its entire time. The scoring on the hub is largely dependent on weather the lock is torqued correctly. So I think it unfair it for you to mention it, having said that, that’s not bad at all.
Rim wise the anodising was thin and just gentle cleaning would wear through it quite easily.
Upside hunt is the apple of wheel world and seem to keep there value on the second market so I got rid and lost very little money
When I saw that wear I immediately assumed the seized bearing had spun. I’ll bet the bearing turned(poorly) under rider weight but not in hand. Any intermittent lockup would spin the inner race on the soft axle. It might appear to be just aesthetic but when it comes to bearing surface it can’t be allowed to move like that. It would eventually, maybe quite soon, become unusable particularly with a failed bearing.
4 sets now. All good, fast as hell and upgrade/adaptable.
Interesting to read the comments here are mostly positive about owners wheelsets. I think I’m up to seven sets so far of road/TT/cx/gravel/mtb. Being a fat f*cker, I’ve found that that are bomb/blob proof.
Looking forward to the 5yr olds attempt at reaming 👍
This is why I don't watch the hambini channel (except Thai because im looking for hunt Ud and I see this video). He gets one of thousands and then bashes the whole brands if all they make is junk. It's not fair. Watch MAPDEC cycle instead. He's honest but provides some perspective and context.
I'm a big unit and ride the Aero Superduras. Compared to any other wheels I've had they are basically indestructible, and the bearing life has been outstanding. I'm also a bike mechanic and have seen no issues with any Hunts I've had through the workshop.
If you want bad wheels with bearings that last 4 seconds, I'd suggest Fulcrums.
I think for fairness the model and age of the wheel / hub should have been noted, in case these issues may have been caught and resolved in later iterations.
Of course, YMMV and I guess Hambini will always see the very worst case scenario for any equipment.
Wondering if this also re-ignites the "to grease or not to grease when installing bearings" debate...
Love my Mason Hunt 4 Seasons. Excellent hub.
I have the 50 40 aero wheels on my road bike and they are brilliant. On the other hand, I have binned a set of the enduro wide v2 mtb wheels after less than a year - 2 sets of bearings, clogged tubeless valves, jammed freehub, absolute d0g 5h1te.
I bought some Hunt road wheels and 2019, 2020 the rear wheel started creaking but no play or roughness in the bearings. Hunt recommended lubing the spokes where they cross, which funnily enough didn't work. I asked for a technical drawing or manual on how to disassemble and replace the bearings, they were unable to supply this. I tried to remove the rear axle but got scared with the amount of force required. Eventually after months of asking they collected the wheels and replaced the bearings in the freehub which fixed the problem. The wheels ran ok and I sold them this year. I have bought some of their MTB wheels which seem fine, their price point Vs competition is about right for the low end models.
I sent mine back even before a ride. I thought they would be an upgrade on my Condor made wheels. How wrong I was!
the power of marketing alas
I have Hunt 54 UD and I love the weight look specs etc but the bearings are pretty terrible. They just feel like they grab a lot. I have some wheels built with White Industries T11 hubs and NSK bearings that roll insanely smooth so I was amazed at how the drag almost makes the Hunt feel heavy. In fact it was my search to find bearings that lead me here but Hambini is sold out right now :( .
The 6902 disc side bearing just seized on my Hunt gravel front Wheelset. Since quality NTN 6902s are hard to get, I sprayed it with degreaser, rust washed out, left overnight and now it’s spinning fairly free. I added bearing grease and it’s good. I will replace when good bearings become available. Question: should I be servicing all wheel bearings in this manner at least once every season?
That seems like a lot. Are you spraying with a pressure washer? Do you ride in lots of rain and mud?
@@Windband1 no. On the contrary I wipe after rides and wash monthly with rain drop type water never directly on bearings. Plus it’s the wife’s bike who rides just weekends.
@@MokaBoucha Okay, that's good. Strange about the bearings though. You gave it the right fix though, so just keep an eye on them. Cheers.
@@Windband1 I replace 4 bearings with NTN
I have a set of hunt wheels on a gravel bike and a set of 29” trail wides on a mountain bike both have been perfect.
I have a Hunt wheelset. I don’t remember the exact model, but they are carbon, 650b, hookless wheels that I am running tubeless on a gravel bike. These wheels are very nice, and have not given me a single minute of trouble in 2+ years.
Why not change the bearing in the freehub body while you have it out?
Also, this bearing change seems like a pretty straight forward operation that any bike shop could do, replacing with NTN bearings.
I do think good quality bearings kept clean and lubricated make a difference, even if you don't race and ride a heavy bike. With good bearings, you keep your momentum.
my hunt 4 season wheels running perfect for thousands of kilometers now. and i ride a lot of rough stuff and in the mud
I have a head scratcher with my front hub.. attempting to refurbish or replace the sealed bearings.
The dust cover on one side was removed using 2x 20mm spanners.. the open side revealed the sealed bearings but I am unable to hammer out the axel which is a threaded axel at least on the ends it is for the caps and inside the axel there seems to be splines??
HOW do I get this axel out??
And once more, age 5 Hambini destroying marketing departments 😄
Thank you.
Watching your videos has been a learning experience and a relearning experience.
Thanks again. Keep up the good work.
Had hunt 4454 for a year. Running lovely
one reason for premature bearing life is aggressive bike washing, solvent based cleaning products are over used.
I regularly find hub internals completely dry and sometimes can even smell the cleaner used.
I have a 29 xc wheelset and my gf has the hunt x mason on her Ribble, we have had no issues whatsoever. Especially for the price point which is between a decent upgrade wheel and going full carbon
Ive run a set of SuperDura's for 7 months now. Put close to 3000 miles on them since they were fitted and they have been absolutely fine. Im not sure if its because they were new or just more aero but compared to my old set of wheels which were a hand built DT Swiss RR440 rims with some unknown budget Novatec hubs. These Hunt's roll far more smoother and roll for a lot longer.
Im happy with my purchase primarily because i was looking for a wheelset made with Kinlin XR31 rims. Tried for an entire month to find a wheel builder and they were quoting me over over £500 when i found them, so when I saw the Hunt's at what i think was £430 at the time - I jumped on them. They've gone up by £20 now...
In any case, Unless ive been caught out in a random rain shower. They've only really been out on the road when its dry (because I have two bikes and i dont put the good wheels on my shit bike...) That might be why they still run so smooth.
Ive still got warranty in any case, so im covered should anything bad happen.
I understand theres a lot of _'pro-riders'_ that will scoff and turn their nose up pretty hard at the mention of the brand but as someone who is not pro, is looking for something that is half decent, offers decent enough value for money and built close to the spec that I was originally after. I am quite satisfied with what i bought.
The only negative thing i can think of is the ratchet system on the rear hub can be quite noisy as fuck but i get that its probably a signature of the brand - At least people will hear me when im out on the road.
Hambini´s got the gift. Everything he touches turns to gold... Sorry, that should read "crap".. Rgr
Already watched four Hambini videos earlier today, guess we're adding a fifth.
Fresh set of trail wide landed today. Look good, prefer the weight and Matt finish over my other Wheelset, they are noticeably lighter in the hand, logos aren’t in ya face, they spin nice, they are loud! I will report back after I’ve got some miles on them
I ride Hunt UD 50 carbon spokes and while it’s only been a few months, they’ve been surprisingly good (and loud). I ride in some terrible urban streets and they’ve held up so far, under load of 500-1,000 watts. Curious if I should expect the hubs to eat crap at some point soon and why?
Let’s assume C=H. This guy I used to ride with is now sponsored by hunt, he’s a hunt on social media and in real life so it’s a match made in heaven
Excellent customer service, they will schedule a call with a knowledgeable technician to talk to you to resolve any issues. This is not the standard kind of service you would typically get. We resolved the problem and all is now good.
My Hunt wheels are in the shop as we speak for the second time; first time was a spoke issue this time it went in for general maintenance but the hub was so tight it broke upon disassembly. Disappointed
Just got a full refund on mine as front wheel would not seal I replaced the tape it was only a bit better, the bearings in the front wheel gave out at a 160miles they sent out a supposedly new wheel but looked used so thought enough is enough and got my money back
why wouldn't you used a bearing puller to get the bearings out? cant you damage the hub shell when hammering them out like that?
As long as you hammer at multiple points of the bearing alternately, it won't pose any damage to the hub shell. The objective is to let it "walk" out slightly, bit by bit.
How did you get the bearing off the axle??
Quite funny this.....i have had Hunt aero 40's for over a year with no issues and roll far better than my dt Swiss 240's on my pr1400's....in actual fact the PR's never saw the bike again
I dont get the hype this wheels get. Its basically a low-end chinese wheelset with "hunt" decals on it and priced at a premium
Just good marketing
Priced at a premium? Personally I can’t see you being able to call their wheels any more than budget to mid price point 🤷🏼♂️
They aren’t premium price at all. Anyone can see this from the prices on their website.
@@NeilXDavis so basically £1200 quid for a set of their wheels isn’t getting into premium bracket??
They are the £350 alloy wheels hardly premium
I feel like people have pretty low expectations of wheels to get excited by a year or two of use without problems. Of course you should.
Low expectations go hand in hand with the current bike industry at the moment. If you get something that works well for 2 years then count yourself lucky……..
@@jasonblundell5059 I have no problems doing that but I don't buy wheelsets like this. I would have a wheelset built with selected hubs and rims
I've got some Hunt 4seasons disc and I also needed to replace the front bearings after one winter as they felt very rough. I replaced them with NTN bearings from Hambini. Since then I haven't had any issues.
My freehub looks even worse than the one in the video, it seems the cocks just damage these ceramic freehubs very easily. Some weeks ago my backwheel started to creak in a very strange way and I can't figure out what causes this noise. What is even stranger is that sometimes it's running super smooth and then the creaking just starts out of nowhere. I'm happy for any advise.
Apart from that there are great 😉 Thanks for all the interesting and entertaining videos!
@RollinRat Thanks for your answer. The bearing aren't ceramic, they should be stainless steal bearings made by EZO just as the ones Hambini removed from the hunt wheels in the video. I meant the freehub being ceramic at least that is written on it. I'm not sure from what material it is actually made. I have the feeling that the marks in the freehub body could be the problem or the casette, but who knows. I guess I have to replace parts one by one and see how it changes.
@RollinRat Thanks a lot for this long explanation. I hope I can figure it out
@RollinRat Thanks for sharing your experience
came for the reaming, stayed for the banter.
I have 8 sets of Hunts of different types including 650b dynamos. They seem OK, have done loads of miles and I've not had any problems. I used to run Mavics but found them too harsh. Horses for course I suppose but will watch the reaming with interest......
8 sets ? ! ? ! ? !
How many miles do you run that any of those sets could have been used over 'loads of miles'?
@@RobinHood-yk8og They are on three of my bikes, a set on each on both of my daughters's bikes and my wife's bike. The remaining ones have different tyres on for my bikes because I'm too lazy to change tyres and blocks. Some are nearly six years old and have toured through France and a couple, including my wife's have done the Mallorca 312 several times including the training etc. If I was to hazard a guess across all four family riders, we've done well over 30,000+ miles on them. My original Four Seasons have done 7000+ miles and are still going strong. They are also a mix of thru axle and QR. However, I will say all the free hubs are marked. As for Hunt's service, I'm impressed. Really easy to deal with and you get a great kit including spare spokes when you buy them. And no, I'm not connected to them in anyway.
@@RobinHood-yk8og roasted 😂
Hello, looking for advice on how to remove the bearings on my enduro wide 29er front hub? I've remove the end caps but seems to be another cap that won't come off to see the bearings?
As a bike mechanic it was a little painful watching the first part of the video. I’m not sure why people are sending random wheels to you when the local bike shop probably has a better tool set to do that job?
This is a learning channel, so if I've done something wrong then please chime in!
Bit of a stretch to call yourself a bike mechanic when you clearly sound like a 15 year old twat that got his first job at a local shop
for review
Nah best to avoid the wankers at the LBS.
@@Hambini Well, my father who is also an engineer used to say “if you need to hit something with a hammer then you are doing something wrong…” I don’t fully agree with him in every situation however in this video it might be good advice.
Using a pin punch and hammer to “tap” the bearing out is not the best method. You are applying force to a small area and that can cause damage to the softer aluminium hub via gouging, scraping or denting the shell of the hub. The bearing can twist or jam on its way out. Also by placing the hub on a table and hitting it (even on a princess blanket) you run the risk of bending the thin aluminium lips of the outer part of the hub.
Good Bike shops normally use a drift made by the manufacturers or other after market company to apply the force equally or one of many types of bearing puller or press.
However, I will concede they probably wouldn’t fit bearings with such fine tolerance as you do.
Are therea any good wheels on the market?
I concur ...Hunt wheels are poor quality but they did refund me quickly
I have some trailwides on a Whyte full suss I bought. The rear is a little draggy on the freehub and I popped a couple of spokes on a hit.
After emailing them about sizes they sent me out spokes free of charge for wheels I never bought from them.
I keep meaning to see if I can do anything about the rear drag but meh. Seems a company that offers good service for ok kit for a reasonable price?
Finally, a *review*. When I was choosing my new mtb wheels I hovered the Hunt set but after being bombarded with targeted ads and seeing almost zero comments on their posts on social media or even detailed feedback on reddit I gave up and just went the DT Swiss way. It's weird, a brand with such marketing and online presence but with almost no "real" feedback.
The difference is Dt Swiss is a manufacturer where as Hunt are a Brand
One can never go wrong with DT Swiss in my experience.
@rollinrat I was so intrigued by your passion and your experience. if I wanted to buy a pair of MTB wheels, what would you recommend?
Most wheels aren't made with longevity in mind, thats no way to run a business 😂 you buy what you can afford and look after them, but, most riders don't, then the panic sets in with trashed freehub or bearings, personally I look after mine and have very little trouble, mostly grit after winter, strip it, clean it, reassemble it, isn't difficult and saves money, especially now Dick Turpin is running the bike industry 😉
I have a set of HUNT 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc for about an year, so won’t comment on the longevity. Yes the hub is loud AF for sure, but so was the one on the wheels that came with the bike (syncros on a Scott Addict), I did not notice great difference in that regard. So far the wheels have not disappointed 🤞🏻
I love the loud hubs. Eliminates the need for a bell. 44s will prob be my next purchase
I have been riding my Hunt Gravel Race aluminium, 700c, tubeless for more than one year on gravel, not sparing them bad treatments and they are just fine. They are light and sufficiently stiff, in particular for the price paid. The only thing I dislike is the loud noise of the rear hub. If anyone can suggest a less noisy one with the same dimensions, I would be interested.
Go to a bike shop and ask them to put lube in it. Even the loudest Pro-4 turns silent with grease.
@@lossantoscity3249 thank you, this was one option, but I found that Hunt is aware of the issues and now they sell quieter hubs as spare parts. Got one, hope it makes a difference.
Hunt now sells a quiet freewheel mechanism as spare part. I installed it and indeed, it is noticeably more silent.
@@stefde9781 I Just Remove all the grease with on my freehub with acetone and put some dumond tech freehub oil. My my! You'll hear me from 100 feet away Buddy! Loud and Proud as they say.
I am running factory Formula DC20 front and DC22 rear hubs on my XC bike. Interested to see how they do, they are about 50 miles in so far.
what you think about Giant SLR 1 or SLR 0 hooked version?
Every wheel I've ever had gets bite marks in the driver, is this not normal? Could it be low engagement hubs causing it?
Do you mean the freehub splines on which the cassette fits? If so it's a material problem. Aluminum can't handle HG splines. Shimano only uses steel or titanium for HG, and when they went for alu in microspline they roughly doubled the spline count.
@@dmrfnk thanks!
Aluminum is soft and gets scarred.
@@Windband1 it gets more than scared. I've had 2mm gouges in the aluminium splines making the cassette hard to remove. Steel drivers are fantastic.
@@MrUnl0rd Yeah, I wish everyone used steel.
So which Hunt wheels are they?!
Great video, helping me understand bearing replacement steps. I noticed you didn't put any grease on the axle's or on top of the seated bearings before the endcaps were added. Is it not necessary to put grease on the axle where it contacts the bearings?
It can be used as an assembly aid but it serves no other purpose in this scenario
@@Hambini I always thought/assumed that grease was recommended for any metal to metal contact...
@@dscoduc For a sliding surface then I can understand the application of grease. The counter argument is grease attracts dirt so once you get past the initial installation, you've created grinding paste. So my personal preference is to go for clean surfaces if the lubricant for installation is not required.
@Hambini thanks for another interesting analysis. - two questions after watching this. 1. Why not check the freehub bearing? 2. Personally I like Phil Woods Tenacious Oil for the pawls etc as it seems a sweet spot between grease and oil. Also always hoping you do a tear down / analysis of Chris King hubs as they seem to check all your boxes and have a little bling too.
@@Hambini Surely it can help stop water ingress… there’s chuff all else to do that on those hubs.
i like how you change the type of grease you use based on the fit of the cartridge. i've never seen anyone do that
I love that . Big thanks Hambaini
I can't wait for the reaming.😀 Enter C=Hunt Fanboys
Gotta love that "Fred Flintstone" hammer, eh? In the shops I've worked in, we NEVER had hammers like that - if something needs pounding-on to that extent, something is very, very wrong. Check again before you start pounding!!! A dead-blow and a small ball pein hammer were all we had in the shop..on purpose!