Hunt All-Mountain Carbon H_Impact wheelset review

Hunt’s first carbon mountain bike wheelset, the Hunt All-Mountain Carbon H_Impact, is one of the cheapest composite options out there.

• What are 29er mountain bike wheels?
• Best mountain bike upgrades

My 29er set with a SRAM XD freehub plus tape and valves weighs 1,936g – roughly the same weight as similarly-priced alloy wheels. Formula’s Linea 3s, for example, cost £780 and weigh 1,870g in the same configuration.

With 28mm rims (internal, measured), they’re fractionally narrower than most trail/enduro wheelsets these days (where 30mm has become the standard), but you’d be hard-pressed to notice the difference on the trail.

There are 28 spokes up front and 32 out back. The front rim is also lighter than the rear because the latter needs more strength.

You get quick 3-degree engagement from the freehub and a moderately loud coasting whir.

Despite the lightly-built front wheel (833g), I didn’t notice any increased compliance and/or reduced hand-pain over rocky trails compared to competitor wheels, but the H_Impacts remain quiet in the rough and have stood up to heavy use well.

After three months of testing, I’ve had no issues. The rims are true and damage-free, the spokes evenly tensioned and the hubs haven’t missed a beat.

The tubeless tape was slightly leaky at first and has started to pull away after about 10 tyre swaps, but that’s easy enough to fix and no real concern.