Hunt Journal

GOSSE WINS NATIONAL TROPHY IN SHREWSBURY

We must admit, we were all too aware of our inexperience as 'UCI staff' when working in the pits for Gosse van der Meer yesterday. For a start, it was just Ollie there, as Stan & Dan were both out battling the course and the other riders. You'd think just having a dedicated pit crew, even if just one person, was a pretty special thing (it's certainly something we don't see at the London X League), however Ollie was surrounded by teams with up to 4 pit crew per rider! Paired with the fact that we couldn't get our pressure washer to start, and Ollie was sliding around the washing area in some Adidas Spezials asking to borrow other teams' water... we well and truly took on the role of 'plucky underdog' at the sixth and final round of the National Trophy in Shrewsbury this weekend.

ON THE DROPS WITH ALEX PATON

What a season this man has had! Following winning his debut race for the team at the 2018 PERFS down in Portsmouth, Rosie had his fair share of troubles and shunts through the mid-season. Everything came up trumps when he finished the year off with a memorable Sprints Jersey win at the Tour of Britain.

We caught up with the Aldershot-based rider to find out how he keeps ticking over during the off-season, what his targets are for 2019, and his views on Christmas binging...

"Wild about Argyll" by Steve Bate

It was quite a challenge to convince Ibrahim to head to the south west coast instead of the north west, like we usually do for adventures in Scotland. We’ve shared many outings, climbing and biking in the north west, as it offers endless possibilities for people in search of remote adventures. But heading towards the big city of Glasgow instead of away from it, ran against the grain of our long time adventure history. I’d come across the Bike Packing Scotland website, when they had just released a short film called Wild about Argyll. Apart from getting married on the banks of Loch Lomond six years ago, almost to the day, I hadn’t spent any time in the south west and this little video sparked my interest.

GETTING TO THE HEART OF CYCLOCROSS...

We started working with Gosse almost exactly a year ago, to help us better understand cyclocross as being one of the most demanding disciplines out there on your equipment - especially your wheels! Every sponsorship avenue we explore, must revolve around the principles of innovation and development. Working closely with Gosse is no exception. The fact that he's a super nice guy & a pleasure to be around... well that's just a welcome bonus

LESS THAN 1000KM TO GO IN ROUND-THE-WORLD RECORD

Round-the-world rider Jenny Graham is edging nearer to her final destination in Berlin. With less than 1000km to go, the Adventure Syndicate at the time of writing is crossing the Belgian/Dutch border. After putting in some huge miles, including a huge day which clocked in at over 300km with only 5 hours sleep, Jenny is determined to reach Berlin and smash the world record of 144 days.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SET OF WINTER WHEELS

When selecting a wheelset to get you through the darker, colder and wetter months, it is essential to look past whether you have rim or disc brakes. At Hunt, we relish in smashing through the winter miles. If this is a morning commute to work, an hour jaunt early on Saturday or an all-day winter epic on Sunday – getting a wheelset to match your needs will make those miles pass by more easily (and save trashing your good wheels come summer).

STAGE RACE RECAP: RICH'S GILES REES MEMORIAL STAGE RACE

Rich is an incredibly fast rider. He's partial to the occasional hill climb and loves to get out and about on his beloved Argon 18. Recently, he did the Giles Rees Memorial Stage Race. Consisting of four stages over three days he said it was just like the Tour de France... but in Kent... and a lot shorter... and not as quick

RED JERSEY SUCCESS AT THE TOUR OF BRITAIN

Alex Paton displayed his pure grit & determination to come away from the Tour of Britain with the red sprinter's jersey. After a thrilling finale on the final day in London, the 28-year-old won the final intermediate sprint of the eight-day race ahead of Matt Holmes, who fought him all week.

The fight for the jersey ended with a long 1km sprint with Paton going deep into his reserves to respond with a perfectly timed response to Holmes' long attack, which would have seen him take the jersey had Alex not taken any points. We might be biased, but we like to think Paton's forward-thinking approach to wheels & tyres (big fan of tubeless, and races on 60-65psi!) contributed to his ability to tie up the jersey.

GOSSE IS NUTS! CATCHING UP WITH THE CRAZY DUTCHMAN

When you read "last year I got hypothermia during that race... but it was fun" you know there must be a few screws missing. But for Gosse Van Der Meer it is this craziness which makes him great! A lot has happen over the past year for the Dutch native after he announced he was going out alone with support from Bombtrack bikes and Hunt Wheels. As he puts it, he is "finding (his) own way in professional cyclocross". This means bulk 30hour weeks, motor pacing, solo training camps, hypothermia, racing in 38 degree heat and broken knee caps - we are in total awe of how hungry Gosse wants it!

READER'S RIDES: TRANSCONTINENTAL RACE NO.6 SETUPS

This is a first for Reader's Ride - we are featuring all of the wheels currently out there taking on the Transcontinental Race. On dispatch out at the start in Geraardsbergen, Belgium, 2015 Winner and Hunt team member Josh Ibbett was there to check out the brave souls taking on the epic race to Meteroa, Greece.

BRITISH REIGNING HILL CLIMB CHAMP: ON THE DROPS INTERVIEW WITH DAN EVANS

There are few riders better to pilot prototype Hill Climb Specific wheels under than Dan Evans. As the reigning UK Hill Climb Champ, when it comes to getting from point A to B with a massive incline, then this is the guy many will point to as being the fastest. As a rider who revels as the sight of double-digit incline percentages and relentless gradients, Dan Evans is simply put... bloody rapid!

READER'S RIDES: Dan's Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hill Climb Machine

This is Dan Evan's current hill climb bike and first impressions show that this is not far from what you or I will call a standard road bike. There is bar tape; a padded saddle; brakes front and rear; the handlebar drops have not been taken to with a hacksaw and there is no visible drillium action going on. He even has Bottle cages! So what makes this a hill climb bike...?

Journal | Hunt Bike Wheels