Gear of the week: Hunt 36 UD carbon spoke wheelset £1,379

The CW Tech team ride and rate the latest kit on the market

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Weight 1295g

The Hunt 36 carbon spoke wheelset is one of the brand’s latest releases and packs some intriguing features for the price. The rim brake wheels tested here (they’re also available with discs) feature Hunt’s unidirectional carbon spokes; however, the TaperLock technology means the carbon spokes are held mechanically, rather than bonded to the rim. It offers the best of both worlds, meaning you can treat them much like a steel spoke, but stiffness is increased by up to 30 per cent, according to Hunt.

The 36mm-deep rim hit a sweet spot for us, proving adaptable to the changing conditions and terrain of our rides. A 19mm internal width sat our 25mm tubeless tyres comfortably (tubeless tape comes fitted as standard) and the aluminium hubs feature CeramicSpeed bearings, too.

The wheels hold speed well, but they flourish in acceleration. Combining a stiff rim with a svelte 1,300g weight gives them a responsive kick when you’re accelerating on the flat, up short, sharp climbs, or the final punch at the end of a climb.

Despite many jarring collisions with potholes in the lanes of Kent, the wheels are running as true as ever. However, an inconsistent clicking noise developed after around 1,500km of riding, which eventually turned out to be the carbon spokes rubbing under load. With advice from Hunt I applied some TF2 Cycle Oil to the creaking area and the wheels are back to normal. Hunt says it has since changed its spoke drilling angle, meaning the spokes should no longer touch.