Hunt rolls out sustainable wheels, PRO debuts aero gravel bars, Santini x Pirelli collab and Hexis serves up a feast of new features

As cyclists we’re always looking to improve. This advancement can, of course, take many forms. The competitive among us might view progress through the prism of results, be it a spot on the podium or faster times over familiar training roads. For others improvements to the cycling life may be more holistic - a comfortable set of bibs here, an environmentally-friendly bit of kit there, all adding up to a more fulfilled and enjoyable experience.

We have both bases covered this week. We look at Hunt’s new sustainable wheel range that uses recycled materials and improved production methods to reduce their footprint. Meanwhile, Santini’s new clothing collection celebrates the Sport Club Pirelli, a club founded by the Italian tire giant to encourage its workers to pursue and enjoy healthy, athletic pastimes.

Then there's PRO’s new aero gravel bars and Hexis’ additions to its nutrition-based training app; both are performance-focused, intending to help you gain ground via technological insights, be it wind tunnel-approved shapes or personalized meal plans.

Hunt introduces rims using recycled material

How do you make a bicycle wheel more environmentally friendly while still maintaining its performance attributes? It’s a question that Hunt Wheels has chosen to address with its Sustain Phase One range.

Rather than designing an entirely new wheel, Hunt has reimagined three of its popular existing wheelsets - the 42 Carbon Disc, the 4 Season All-Road Disc and the Trail Wide 29. Here the latter two feature aluminum rims made using 75% recycled materials, 30% of which is sourced from recycled post-consumer alloy, with the other 45% made of recycled content from the industrial sector.

The 42 Carbon Disc rims feature less recycled material, with 10% sourced from what Hunt says are “specialist European recycled composites suppliers” and “offcuts from carbon fiber rim production”. While the lower percentage may not strike you as overly significant, it’s worth noting that Hunt believes it's the only wheel manufacturer in the world that is currently making rims with partially recycled carbon content. Additionally, the rims are molded with a wax core mandrel that can be melted and reused more than 20 times, rather than the single-use silicone or EPS versions.

The spokes and nipples - Sapim CX-Ray on the 42 Carbon and Sapim D-light on the 4 Season and Trail Wide - are Zero Coat models, which saves energy and chemical usage associated with the anodizing process. The 42 Carbon wheels feature Hunt’s Europa H_Ratchet Ti model hub; CNC machined and assembled in Belgium it uses a titanium one-piece ratchet and freehub body, which should add longevity and thus reduce the need for replacement parts.

Prices for the wheelsets range from £449/$549 for the 4 Season All-Road Disc to £1,149/$1,449 for the 42 Carbon Disc.

PRO aero gravel bars debut at Unbound

The continued growth of gravel racing has seen many in the sport seek the same aerodynamic advantages as their road counterparts. At the sharp end of the races at least, riders are now using frames and wheelsets that while able to handle the rigours of the terrain, also help to reduce drag. PRO, Shimano’s component brand, is continuing the pursuit of saving watts while racing off-road with its new Discover Aero carbon handlebar and Stem 10.

The cockpit, which is being used by Laurens ten Dam at the upcoming Unbound race , cuts an interesting figure. It combines a short 72mm reach with a compact drop of just 100mm, along with 12 degrees of flare. However, it’s the aero tops that are likely to catch the eye. They include a downslope for what PRO calls ‘neutral hand support’ as well as a 4-degree forward sweep to help the rider into a more aerodynamically advantageous position.

Made from UD T700 carbon, PRO says Dyneema fibers have been “strategically placed” to add compliance and reduce vibrations. Given that Ten Dam will be racing over a 200-mile distance in Emporia, Kansas, the reduction in fatigue that these fibers are said to deliver could prove crucial to his efforts.

The bars can be matched with the new Discover Stem 10 to create a semi-integrated cockpit. Made from 7075 aluminium, it features a flippable 10-degree angle and is offered in seven lengths ranging from 60mm to 120mm.

Santini and Pirelli collaborate

Santini and Pirelli are likely bedfellows. They are Italian of course; one makes clothing, the other bicycle tires. And while Pirelli, founded in 1872, has about ninety years on Santini, both are venerable marques in a country that cherishes heritage as much as it adores cycling. In this capsule collection, it all combines to create something that looks pretty darn cool.

The result, a range of cycling kit that includes jerseys, bib shorts, a packable jacket, vest, caps and socks, centres around the new logo of the Sport Club Pirelli, established in 1922 to “promote employee well-being through physical activity.” Indeed, each of the two available jerseys features a sewn label detailing the club’s history.

Said jerseys are made from Polartec Power Stretch fabric, which is used for its combination of comfort and breathability, and feature a slim fit, full zip and three rear pockets. The two designs both feature the Sport Club logo; one as an all-over print, the other on the chest.

Other standout items include the aforementioned wind jacket, which is designed to fit inside its own pocket for easy storage, a baselayer that too features the all-over design, and a t-shirt and sweatshirt that enable you to wear the logo off the bike as well as on it.

Hexis adds new fuel-planning features

I’ve no idea if the French lawyer and culinary enthusiast Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was a cyclist, but he was the likely originator of the phrase ‘you are what you eat’. In 1926 he wrote, ‘Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are’. It’s certainly a belief that most athletes subscribe to today, with nutrition one of the accepted pillars of success. And Hexis, the intelligent personalised fuel planner app, that works closely with WorldTour teams, has announced a slew of new features that have Brillat-Savarin’s prescient saying at their core.

The features use Hexis’ Carb Coding system. This considers millions of variables to calculate a personalised carbohydrate and energy requirement plan on the fly, designed to enable riders to better predict and manage their day-to-day and intra-ride fuelling. New additions include unlimited daily workouts, where you can now plan and log as many workouts as you require to inform your fuel plan. Hexis can also be synced with TrainingPeaks and wearables, such as smartwatches.

The new release also considers power data, and features a new 100-point intensity scale that’s been created to provide a gauge of both your workout effort and the necessary energy requirements. Daily meal patterns are now more flexible, and have been introduced alongside editable meal timings to allow users to plan around their own schedule.