Finding a better way

By 2015, cycling was changing quickly. Disc brakes, tubeless tyres and wider rims were creating new possibilities, but many wheelsets had not caught up. They were often heavy, expensive or built using components that had not been considered as one complete system.

Tom and Pete saw an opportunity to approach things differently.

HUNT was founded in West Sussex with a clear purpose: to create wheels that delivered meaningful performance, without losing sight of reliability, service or value. The aim was not to add another logo to an existing product. It was to examine every part of the wheel, understand what it contributed and find the best possible solution for the rider.

The first HUNT wheels were developed around the realities of riding in the UK. They needed to be light enough to feel fast, strong enough for difficult roads and dependable enough to ride throughout the year.

It was practical innovation, driven by experience rather than convention.

Humble beginnings

The early days were hands-on in every sense.

Wheel building, product development, customer calls, website updates and packing orders all happened close together. Tom and Pete were learning how to run a business while continuing to learn everything they could about wheels.

There was no large team or established infrastructure. Every decision mattered, and every rider who chose HUNT mattered too.
Josh joined as the first full time employee, along with Pete, Tom and existing part time team members Sarah and Shirley, helping to build wheels and establish the processes that would allow the company to grow.

Those early years created a culture where job titles mattered less than getting the work done properly. When something needed doing, the team worked it out together.

That willingness to learn became one of HUNT’s most important strengths.

The company did not grow because it had the largest advertising budget. It grew through recommendations, conversations at cycling clubs, positive reviews and riders telling other riders that their wheels had delivered.

Good products started those conversations, but good service sustained them.

Built around riders

Selling directly to riders created a relationship that went beyond a transaction.

Feedback did not have to pass through several layers before reaching the people responsible for the product. The team could hear directly about the roads riders used, the events they were preparing for and the problems they needed their equipment to solve.

Those conversations influenced new products and helped improve existing ones.

The same principle shaped HUNT’s approach to rider support. Wheels are working components that are used in rain, mud, heat, races, commutes and long days far from home. Supporting the rider after the purchase was therefore treated as part of the product itself.
The thousands of five-star reviews HUNT has received are not simply a measure of sales. They reflect the trust created when performance, reliability and human support come together.

Engineering the next generation

As HUNT grew, so did its ability to develop more of its technology in-house.

John’s engineering experience became an increasingly important part of the story, helping the team move from selecting and refining components to designing complete wheel systems from the ground up. Then Luisa Grappone led the engineering team to develop and launch it's first ground breaking Limitless patented aero wheelsets.

The development process became more advanced, but the central question remained the same: will this make the riding experience better?

Today, that process can begin with thousands of virtual rim profiles assessed through computational fluid dynamics. The strongest concepts move into physical prototyping, wheel-only wind tunnel testing, complete bike testing, testing with a pedalling rider and, finally, validation outside the laboratory using real-world sensors.
Front and rear wheels are considered independently because they operate in different environments. Rim profiles are developed around modern tyre widths, handling, system weight and the turbulent airflow created by the bike and rider.

The tools have become more sophisticated, but they serve the same instinct that started HUNT: question what already exists, test the alternatives and keep searching for a better solution.

Proving it at the highest level

Working with professional athletes brought a new level of pressure and learning.

At WorldTour level, there is nowhere for a product to hide. Equipment must perform under some of the hardest conditions in cycling, while feedback from riders and mechanics is direct, detailed and immediate.

HUNT’s partnership with Team Qhubeka ASSOS represented an important step. It was a relationship built around more than visibility. The team worked closely with HUNT’s engineers, helping refine products and prove that the wheels could compete at the highest level.

In 2021, Mauro Schmid won Stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia on HUNT’s 50 Carbon Aero Disc wheels, racing across the race’s white gravel roads. Victor Campenaerts followed with victory on Stage 15 using the 48 Limitless Aero Disc. These were defining results, not only because HUNT wheels had won at a Grand Tour, but because they validated years of work by a relatively small team from Sussex.

The partnership also connected HUNT with Qhubeka’s wider purpose. The charity uses bicycles to improve access to education, employment and essential services in communities across South Africa. It was an example of how racing, engineering and the wider impact of cycling could come together.

The journey continues

As we keep growing, our heritage grows with us, each wheel, each decision is driven by our engineers, our athletes and you our riders.
It is the experience carried into every new project. It is the lessons learned from early wheel builds, customer conversations, difficult tests and victories on cycling’s biggest stages. It is a foundation for continuing to move forward and bring you our riders the best wheels for your next ride.