Hunt launches new Hill Climb SL Disc wheelset weighing just 963 grams

Hunt is no stranger to developing ultra-light wheelsets, having introduced the Hill Climb SL 991g brake wheels in 2018. To keep up with modern trends as well as the standardization of disc brake actuation on all new road bikes, the British brand has today launched the Hunt Hill Climb SL Disc – a tubular wheelset designed exclusively for British hillclimbers, weighing just 963g per pair and priced at £1,299.

While rim-brake-specific bikes are still the popular choice among die-hard hillclimbers due to their winged frames, there has been an increase in disc brake bikes at events thanks to lightweight models like the Specialized Aethos and Canyon Ultimate CFR. These new rims from Hunt will allow riders to make their bike up to 300 grams lighter (depending on tire choice and current wheel setup), bringing disc brake bikes closer to the average climb rim brake weight.

Let’s take a closer look at the details.

Mass reduction weapons

The cool name Andrew Feather tests out his feathery new rims

The development of the Hunt Hill Climb SL Disc wheelset was inspired by the passionate hill climbing community and brought to life through the involvement of current British Hill Climb Champion Andrew Feather. The result is one of the lightest disc brake wheelsets available right now, tipping the scales at 963g for the set. Independently weighed on the Park Tool scale, we returned an even lighter 950g (420g front/530g rear).

The secret comes from the special unidirectional carbon fiber recipe, which uses a 30mm deep profile combined with an internal rim width of 26mm. According to Hunt, the wheels have been optimized around the tubular tire shape and will play nicely with widths ranging from 23-28mm. Of course, the use of Hunt’s UD TaperLock carbon spokes was critical to further eliminating weight. Most important here, however, is the ease of maintenance and the ability to make and replace individual spokes, thanks to the introduction of aluminum steel mandrels placed at each end of the carbon spoke attachment points – no glued resin needed here.

Other technological advantages include the H_Ratchet UD SL hubs, which feature a lightweight CMC heat-treated 6066-T6 aluminum body. The freehub uses a 40T ratchet with nine degrees of engagement. It can be selected with most of the current freehub body standards, such as Shimano/SRAM 8/9/10/11 speed, SRAM XD/XDR, Campagnolo 8/9/10/11/12 speed and Campagnolo EKAR. Shimano’s new 12-speed cassettes are backwards compatible with 11-speed hubs, so no problems here.

Here are the full specs:

Price: £1,299 / $1,699 / €1,699
Material: Carbon
Depth: 30mm
Brake type: Disc brake
Tires: Tubular
Rim width: 26mm (inner)
Number of spokes: 18/20 front/rear
Weight: 950g (actual)
UD carbon TaperLock spokes

Pricing and availability

The Hunt Hill Climb SL Disc is available for pre-order on Hunt’s website with first deliveries expected in the second week of September. In terms of pricing, the wheelset will set you back £1,299 / $1,699 / €1,699, which is neither particularly cheap nor very expensive, and as far as we know, there’s no disc brake wheelset without this light anywhere near that price point or any price point for that matter.

The only downside to the Hill Climb SL Disc seems to be the tubular-only functionality, which isn’t as popular as it used to be. Aside from the prep and gluing process which can take a day or two, the wheels are easy to install out of the box. We’ll be reviewing these as the UK hillclimbing season kicks off in the coming weeks, so be sure to look out for the full review soon.