Hunt Bike Wheels has collaborated with German dynamo maker SON to develop the Hunt Superdura Dynamo Disc wheelset, incorporating the SONdelux dynamo into the front hub.
Hunt says it chose SON for its durability, efficiency and performance. When switched off, the SON hub draws just 0.4 Watts of rider power more than a normal sealed bearing hub, so there’s low additional rolling resistance.
Switch the light on and the SON hub is 65% efficient. This is significantly higher and results in considerably less additional power being required than for some of its competitors. At 25kph, it equates to around 5.5 Watts of power drawn off. You can also use the dynamo to charge up your phone or Garmin.
At the heart of the wheelset is the SONdelux dynamo front hub
Hunt says that another advantage of the SON dynamo is its pressure compensation system. When in use, a dynamo hub will heat up slightly, warming the air inside the hub and forcing some out. Once the hub cools down after a ride, the air inside contracts, pulling damp cold air in from outside along with any damp that has got on the hub outer surface. Over time this can degrade the hub bearings.
But SON includes a pressure compensation system. A port in the axle cap and an air reservoir tube eliminate the problem, with Hunt claiming an extension of bearing life to between 50,000 and 100,000km. it’s backed up with a five year warranty.
The new dynamo hub is built into Hunt SuperDura wheels. With an asymmetric 25mm external/20mm internal width tubeless ready alloy rim and 32 spokes, it has a 120kg rider weight limit.
The wheelset is adaptable between 12mm thru-axle and quick release formats but not 15mm front thru-axle. Hunt says that the dynamo hub weights around 395 grams. But the smaller light units save around 100 grams over the weight of a high output battery powered LED lamp.
Hunt says it is taking preorders for the wheelset, with delivery in mid-June, giving you plenty of time to get your new wheels bedded in before you need your lights in anger. Overall wheelset weight is 1939g (1029 front, 910 rear) and price is £499 for the pair or £329 for the dynamo front wheel only. You can also buy the wheelset with an Exposure Revo 800 lumen dynamo front light for £685.20, saving you £50 over the separate retail price.
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Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.
He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.
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