Hunt H_Cyclo Brings Fully Recyclable Carbon Tech to New & Updated Gravel Race Wheels - Bikerumor

Oct 14, 2024

Hunt takes their wheel sustainability one step further with the launch of fully recyclable H_Cyclo carbon wheel tech. The secret is a unique resin that can be chemically broken down and separated from the carbon fibers. Then both the used carbon AND resin can be made back into new products afterward.

And to launch the new recyclable carbon, Hunt updated one of their most popular gravel wheels – the 40 CGR 40mm deep Carbon Gravel Race – and added an all-new 40 CGR D version that gets a dynamo front hub for ultra-distance racing.

Hunt already teased a desire to build more eco-friendly wheels with their Hunt Sustain wheels this past spring. There they added 10% recycled content into carbon rims, 75% recycled content in alloy rims, and built wheels without harmful aesthetic-only spoke & nipple coatings.

Now, H_Cyclo carbon takes it a bit of a step further.

This new recyclable carbon fiber tech revolves around a new thermoset resin developed by Taiwanese composites company Swancor. They actually developed it to make massive wind turbine blades more eco-friendly. And the secret comes down to the EzCiclo thermoset epoxy resin that is chemically broken down by adding the CleaVER solution with heat & agitation to separate the carbon and resin. And yet, it still performs just like a conventional 2-part thermoset epoxy resin, that up-to-now had hardened in a 1-time chemical reaction that could not be broken down and used again.

What’s really interesting here is that both the resin and fibers can be extracted and used again.

The carbon fibers themselves are cut shorter – as the rim is cut into smaller pieces to put into the CleaVER reactor. So they’ll end up in other products than Hunt wheels. Think: injection-molded carbon-reinforced composites like you might see in shoe soles, for example. But the shorter chain oligomer (as opposed to longer-chain polymers) that come out of the resin breakdown process can go directly back into the next generation of EzCiclo resins that Hunt’s next H_Cyclo wheels will be made from.

“The implementation of recyclable H_Cyclo resin has no impact on the structural integrity or strength-to-weight attributes of the carbon layup, making the technology ideal for precision, high-performance rims.”

For the new wheels, Hunt “will offer free recycling collection service for all H_Cyclo wheels at end of life, or in the event of accident or crash replacement”. And Hunt will give riders a £250 credit towards a new set of wheels when they recycle an old H_Cyclo wheelset.

Those recyclable H_Cyclo carbon will eventually get processed in 1 of 3 recycling facilities within the next two years – two in Asia, one in Europe. It’s all new tech though, so in the meantime, Hunt will store all the end-of-life carbon until those facilities are up and running.

Now, Hunt is introducing H_Cyclo tech on just two gravel wheelsets, both sharing the same 40mm deep carbon rim. But they say this is a direction the brand is moving in. And they are moving forward with plans to implement this unique new resin “across more of the carbon range over time”.

The lightweight and popular 40 CGR gravel bike wheelset seemed a perfect fit to implement the new H_Cyclo technology. And Hunt saw it as a good way to start to reduce the environmental impact or one of their best-selling wheels. Designed for 29-60mm tires, the 40 CGR is a versatile gravel wheel platform.

This new version is 48g heavier than before (claimed). But that’s not just about different carbon. This new generation of CGR now features an updated hubset with improved durability, too. The new wheels get a next-gen Hunt H_Ratchet hub optimized for road & gravel – with a pair of 40-tooth ratchet rings for quick 9° freehub engagement.

New to the CGR family is a Dynamo hub version, too. Hunt has been one of few reliable options for pre-built wheels with dynamo generator front hubs for many years – powering & lighting the way for plenty of ultra-distance racers. And also for riders like us, we just love having lights on, powered up as you pedal. Adding a recyclable Hunt carbon x SON dynamo option just seemed like a logical fit.

The front Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Dynamo H_Cyclo wheel will also be available separately for riders looking to upgrade their current setup.

Both Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race H_Cyclo & Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Dynamo H_Cyclo wheels:

40 CGR H_Cyclo wheels:

40 CGR D H_Cyclo wheels:

To get the new recyclable Hunt H_Cyclo carbon tech, you can now pick from two different wheelsets:

The Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race H_Cyclo replaces the original 40 CGR that launched two summers ago. It updates those wheels with this more eco-friendly carbon. These new 40 CGR H_Cyclo wheels sell for £1100 / $1400 / 1400€ and weigh a claimed 1431g.

The 40 CGR D H_Cyclo wheels in the new hub generator version with a SON 28 dynamo in the front wheel sell for £1490 / $1850 / 1850€.

Both share the same recyclable carbon rim and 40 POE ratchet rear hub, with Shimano HG, MicroSpline, SRAM XDR & Campagnolo N3W freehubs available. The standard wheels are available in stock now in limited numbers direct from Hunt. The first new dynamo wheelsets ship out before the end of this month.

HuntBikeWheels.com