Recyclable carbon wheels have been round for a number of years. Nonetheless, till HUNT’s H-Cyclo, they differed in development and bodily properties relative to conventional carbon bicycle wheels, frames, and forks.
HUNT Bike Wheel has seemingly solved the Rubik’s dice, permitting the model to recycle conventional thermoset carbon wheels again into supplies that may kind different carbon elements. The British model flexes this new expertise with two gravel-oriented fashions, the HUNT 40 Carbon Gravel Race H_Cyclo and the HUNT Carbon Gravel Dynamo H_Cyclo. The latter has a generator within the entrance hub for powering lights.
Thermoset vs. Thermoplastic Carbon Bike Elements
To grasp why HUNT H_Cyclo is a major improvement in biking, a bit backstory is important.
Conventional thermoset carbon development makes use of “prepreg” carbon materials. Carbon fiber producers pre-impregnate materials with uncured epoxy resin. Wheel producers reduce and lay these items in accordance with a posh layup schedule into molds. Baking these molds in ovens cures the epoxy resin, turning the versatile material into the extremely stiff, robust, and light-weight carbon elements that cyclists recognize.
Earlier than HUNT H_Cyclo, recyclable wheels utilized long-chain polymers (thermoplastic) as a substitute of epoxy resin because the bonding agent for the carbon fiber. Materials model FusionFiber provides names like Revel Bikes, Forge + Bond, Chris King, and others to be used in recyclable wheels. FusionFiber claims its thermoplastic materials has a number of benefits: much less power to provide, much less end work, zero toxins, and automatic manufacturing steps, amongst others.
In my expertise, the bodily properties of FusionFiber wheels additionally differ from thermoset fashions. Thermoplastic wheels perceptibly really feel “softer,” damping vibrations and the jolts from sq. edges extra successfully. However this isn’t essentially fascinating in all circumstances. Thermoset carbon has the stiffness that cyclists demand, particularly in racing.
Thermoset carbon manufacturing strategies are probably the most mature; producers in numerous industries have labored out a lot of the kinks at this level. And this confirmed methodology typically produces the best strength-to-weight ratios ultimately merchandise, in accordance with HUNT.
How HUNT’s H_Cyclo Bike Wheels Crack the Code
HUNT borrowed expertise from the carbon wind turbine blade business, leveraging chemical reactions to revert the epoxy resin to its unique kind, liberating up the carbon fiber. Each of those can then be used once more to provide carbon fiber merchandise.
HUNT produces its H_Cyclo wheels utilizing the time-tested thermoset methodology the biking business has used for many years. As a substitute of utilizing warmth to scale back the top product, HUNT employs a chemical answer known as CleaVER. This, mixed with agitation and warmth, separates the resin from the carbon for reuse.
Amazingly, the epoxy resin could be reused as much as 20 instances. Moreover, HUNT can reprocess the CleaVER answer for continued use.
HUNT defined to me that, much like thermoplastics, the unique wheel must be considerably damaged down earlier than resin extraction. This implies the merchandise comprised of the extracted carbon have to be smaller.
HUNT steered carbon fiber soles for biking footwear, elements like stems and seatposts, laptop mounts, and, once more, tire levers are potential output merchandise. This is similar situation with thermoplastic recyclable wheels.
How Do I Get Some HUNT H_Cyclo Wheels of My Personal?
Each the 40 Carbon Gravel Race and 40 Carbon Gravel Dynamo wheelsets can be found now for an MSRP of $1,399 and $1,849, respectively. And on the finish of the wheels’ life cycle, HUNT will cowl all the prices associated to assortment and recycling, even when the wheels meet their demise in a crash. The wheels include HUNT’s customary 3-year guarantee in opposition to materials or workmanship defects.
The 2 H_Cyclo wheels be part of HUNT’s “Maintain Part One” venture, which goals to enhance sustainability throughout all its merchandise. Present wheels inside this lineup embody carbon variations that use 10% recycled carbon fiber and 75% recycled aluminum, amongst different efforts. HUNT additionally sells frivolously used wheelsets at a financial savings of as much as 50% in its RE:NEW program.
HUNT Bike Wheels slated a set of H_Cyclo wheels for GearJunkie, and we’ll report again as quickly as potential.
