Journal | Hunt Bike Wheels

After much testing and analysis, here is the first release of data following our recent trip to the GST (Gesellschaft für Strömungsmeßtechnik mbH) as used by Canyon, in Southern Germany. Read on to find out how the Hunt 50 Carbon Aero Disc wheels with a 25c Schwalbe Pro One tyre produced the lowest drag on test!

In partnership with the expertise of engineers from Schwalbe, and the experience of our in-house aero-genius Luisa Grappone, we are in the process of designing a wheelset that maximises aerodynamic performance specifically optimised for 28c tyres… The ultimate modern aero road wheelset. 

Aerodynamics has long been something considered inaccessible to many riders. We want to change that. Up until now, only very few have released results yielded from wind tunnel testing. After travelling back from the GST Gesellschaft für Strömungsmeßtechnik mbH (more commonly known as the Airbus Wind Tunnel as used by Canyon) in Southern Germany, Luisa has since reviewed the results marking the next step forward. Now she explains exactly what happens.

There are many secrets behind aerodynamic testing, but there is also one major oversight made when searching for those elusive #aero gains. That is, what songs are scientifically proven to be more aerodynamic than others. That's right, you heard it here first...

It is widely known that disc-brake aerodynamic testing hasn't received anywhere near the same amount of attention that rim-brake wheels have, owing to their only-recent rise in popularity and acceptance in racing. Many leading disc-brake wheelsets still possess the same profiles as their rim-brake counterparts. This presents a great opportunity to develop world-leading disc-brake wheels, by unleashing the restraints on rim profiling usually imposed by rim brakes. There are many interesting points of discussion, with one of the key points surrounding tyre choice and its importance. The tyre is of great significance in shaping airflow around the wheels, and the fact that changing tyres can actually completely reshuffle the order of the most aerodynamic wheels available today. 

We've looked to the industry-leading Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless-Ready tyre as the ultimate option for riders wanting to go fast & tubeless. We are drawing on the expertise and assistance of their engineers, and designing a wheelset optimised for this tyre in 28c width, to offer the ultimate aerodynamic package for the modern rider. And so, we'll be in Southern Germany at GST Gesellschaft für Strömungsmeßtechnik mbH (more commonly known as the Airbus Wind Tunnel as used by Canyon) from the start of next week, commencing the first round of wind tunnel testing for this project.

We first introduced Luisa to you last week but finally got the chance to catch her for the dreaded On The Drops interview. Here is a quick refresher on what Luisa will be doing here at Hunt: 

Luisa Grappone hails from the motherland of cycling, pink jerseys and big mountain climbing (aka Italy), but has made the move to Sussex to further strengthen the Hunt wheel development team as our as our full time in-house wheel engineer. With an MSc in Aerospace Enigneering Luisa has a wealth of experience in the bicycle industry and materials engineering, with many years misspent sweating over hot CAD drawings, carbon fibre lay-ups and crunching wind tunnel data.

So here is our latest On The Drops with Luisa. Please Enjoy!