For many cyclists, climbing Ventoux is a dream. The mythical status it holds in cycling and its moon like landscape means that it is more than just any old climb. It has been the scene of huge triumphs in cycling like Contador cementing his victory in the 2009 tour, as well as many tragedies like the death of Tom Simpsons during 1967 edition of the same race.

Out of the thousands, if not tens of thousands of people who ride the peak every year, it is almost undeniable that Will Johnson is taking on this monumental climb which previous to a year ago it would have been thought of as impossible for Will due to his heart condition.

Read about Will's story here.

The Vatternrundan is a 300km race around the second largest lake in Sweden, on or near the longest day of the year. Riders go off in groups of about 60 at a time, in 2 minute intervals and this year nearly 23,000 rolled up to the start line between 8pm to 8am to follow the midnight sun.

The Swedes do make something of a thing of midsummer. They celebrate it as a national holiday and general excuse to eat herring and drink lots of Akvavit (Scandinavian spirit).

300km of Swedish Madness.

You may be more familiar with Will Johnson from his exploits on the pro rugby pitch, and rightly so... as  a long-standing former member of Leicester Tigers first 15 and now, we're honoured, he is on the Hunt OpenDev Team. Will is a truly high appreciated contributor as he provides invaluable feedback on prototypes as well as where we can improve wheels designed for the most powerful riders. So with his input we designed the new Race Aero SuperDura wheels.

Like most of us who ride in day-in-day-out, Will may never be lining up for the Tour, a Monument or pull on a Polka-dot Jersey... and that is completely fine. Cycling allows us all to enjoy and push as hard or as little as possible. In this article, Will definitely found his limits and it can even be said he pushed a little beyond them. Sometimes, we need to step out of our comfort zone and see what we are made of, not matter if its a Sunday century or lining up for a national championship.

“Grinduro is a ridiculous event. Nothing about it makes sense. Thanks for blowing it... I’ll be back..."

Adam Craig

When you read something like this the day before you set out for a race, how should you feel? This 'ridiculous event' was exactly where I was heading... not exactly confidence building. 

There has been an explosion in the popularity of gravel riding. Once existing on the fringes with gruelling events like the Dirty Kanza 100 and the Rouge Roubaix, gravel has now become its own and developed well beyond the days of riders modifying their 'cross machines or mountain bikes. And gravel events are no different. Grinduro has been a product of this hype and caught the mixed surface, drop bar, wide tyre fever. Combining the format of enduro mountain biking but on a course suited to this new breed of go anywhere bikes... the race is only a small percentage of the course. The rest is a trip around a spectacular route.

For the first time, Grinduro has stepped out of its birthplace and taken to the Isle of Arran off the west coast of Scotland. The event provided the perfect stage for the HUNT Team to test out different wheel combinations, gain insight into wheel technology in this emerging category and put the wheels through some seriously muddy conditions. 

While race reports provide great information and insight into the race, I am sure there are many, many more out there telling a very similar story... so here you are, the "Doodle Do's & Don'ts" of Grinduro Scotland.   

The Team. Post Grinduro, caked in mud, wet and cold but still smiling! Top Effort.

The BIKEChannel Canyon team were pushing hard at one of the largest meetings on the British domestic racing calendar The Road Race National Championships. Thursday included a individual time trial looping from St Johns to Kirk Michael. Harry Tanfield finished with a 5th place in the elite TT, even managing to finish ahead of a number of world tour pro from Sky and was very close to the lead testers Alex Dowsett of Movistar and creditable winner Steve Cumming from Dimension Data.

There is no shame in us admitting that a good proportion of us here at HUNT | TheRiderFirm and you the HUNT riders/customers are suckers for road racing. With the Tour starting tomorrow and the British Road Champs just passed, it is no coincidence that we'll all be pouring over stage profiles and making office predictions before each stage. We were also at the British National Champs with the BIKE Channel Canyon Team to work closely with them on new wheel ideas, feedback and do our soigneur duties with bottles & gel hand-ups at the feed zone.

Sunday was a serious test for all the the riders who had to take on one of the hardest courses in British Nat Champs history. The 193.7km road race route took inspiration from the famous Isle of Man TT as well as the iconic Snaefell mountain climb with nearly 1500ft of ascent on just this climb, plus many other lumps around the course. Youngster Harry Tanfield made it into the early break and held this own in the fast-paced dozen or so riders. Dexter Gardias from BIKE Channel Canyon also mixed it in the leading groups with Cav and other World Tour riders as the race progressed with constant attacking and finished a very creditable 16th in the Elite men's which included at least 10 world tour riders (that we could count anyway). The BIKEChannel Canyon team once again put in a stunning effort.

See below a photo journal of how things went down on the Isle of Man. Check out the shot when Alex Dowsett's bike hits the timing board!

World traveler and bike packer, Josh Ibbett, has just spent the last six weeks in Europe mostly riding through the Iberian Peninsula. At the time of writing he has caught a plane to New York and now managed to ride up to the Canadian boarder at Niagara Falls. We managed to check in with Josh and catch him for a journal entry on his experiences so far.

Enjoy. 

Roman is one of our latest additions to the Hunt OpenDev Team. Hailing from the Big Apple, Roman can be found blasting through traffic, passing over Brooklyn Bridge and heading into the woods aboard his ‘cross bicycle. When the snow melts and the temperature rises Roman takes to the tarmac aboard his road bicycle to discover the ever-changing New York City. With a clear talent for photography which document his rides, Roman’s Instagram page (which can be found here) is one of the most stunning pages out! Capturing the city from a cyclist’s perspective his distinct style shows that his talents extend well beyond the bicycle.

Roman is extremely valuable to HUNT to help move forward how we can develop our wheels. Putting in huge efforts on his 38Carbon Gravel Disc equipped 'cross machine and his road steed rolling on 50Carbon Wide Aero wheels, Roman pushes his equipment to the absolute limit. His crazy effort in last year's festive 500 saw him push through snow blizzards, rain and extremely cold temperatures. You can rest assure he is putting in hard miles in tough conditions, giving us invaluable feedback. 50Carbon Wide Aero Wheels are Roman's road weapon of choice.

Roman is extremely valuable to HUNT to help move forward how we can develop our wheels. Putting in huge efforts on his 30Carbon Gravel Disc equipped 'cross machine and his road steed rolling on 50Carbon Wide Aero wheels, Roman pushes his equipment to the absolute limit. His crazy effort in last year's festive 500 saw him push through snow blizzards, rain and extremely cold temperatures. You can rest assure he is putting in hard miles in tough conditions, giving us invaluable feedback.

As discussed in part one; tyres strongly influence how your bicycle rides. With the advent of tubeless the benefits which more and more riders are appreciating include:

Riding the road less travelled offers an entirely new opportunity to explore beyond where the tarmac ends. Heading out for a big day with only a loose plan is certainly a great way to spend a Saturday. Meanwhile, 'cross bikes make for a fast option to blast out an hour cutting through fields, parks and everything in between. This type of riding is quite varied and places unique demands on how a tyre needs to perform. Not quite as beefy as a mountain bike tyre but larger and more grippy than a standard road tyre - the rubber rings for your mixed surface bicycle is ironically a little more specialised but made to be super versatile. PART 2 of this tubeless tyres round up series gives you some more information on these tyres and the differences between them.

Tyres are a highly significant factor in influencing how your bicycle rides. With the advent of tubeless, the benefits which more and more riders are appreciating include:

The increasing popularity of this new (to some) technology to road bicycles has shifted the landscape in terms of the right tyres for your riding, so see below a round-up of the key info on the current road performance and 4Season tubeless tyres (which can be fitted with sealant to your tubeless-ready Hunt wheels). Part 2 of this guide will cover fatter, gnarlier, crossier and gravelier tyres so if you like off-road thrashing keep your eyes peeled.

The Ras is a uniquely Iirish race. Passing through the narrow shop lined streets, out into the open fields and across seaboard boulevards bordering the Atlantic, the race attracts some of the most promising up and coming riders to the emerald isle. The Ras is no ordinary contest. Not by a long chalk. Capping teams with five man limit forces riders to attack with an all or nothing attitude. The European formula is tossed out and leaves riders constantly fighting for position across the entire eight days of racing.

A huge effort was made by the BIKEChannel Canyon team. Esspecially considering that five riders were reduced to four after Max Stedman was forced to abandon the race due to a fever. Dexter Gardias managed to take home two top ten finishes. A race well spent from the young BIKEChannel Canyon Team.  

Please enjoy this photo gallery from the Ras.

As Hunt has grown, so too has the number of people putting in the hard graft behind the scenes. Our latest recruit describes himself as ‘just another cycling junkie’ but really does know his stuff. Stan Bolyarov is a Robert Gordon University Management with Marketing Graduate who races road and cyclocross. He has even raced the Bulgarian National Road and TT Championships. To say the least… he is very handy on a bicycle. With experience of Dutch and German markets, having lived in both countries, Stan’s role will lie in pushing forward our website usability to give you the best access to tech information, spares and support you need. He will also be found in the customer service, tech and dispatch areas.

We have managed to catch Stan for our latest On The Drops interview... enjoy!

Former Hunt employee now turned professional bike packer, Josh Ibbett, has just passed on over his first video blog. Months if not years, before planning the trip, Josh has been deliberating over what to take with him on his world wide adventure. Whilst many long haul tour cyclists are heavily loaded with large panniers and even small trailers, Josh has tried to keep with the FastFar concept his Mason Bokeh and 650B AdventureSport Wheels laced to a front Dynamo Hub were designed for. So far this set up has carried Josh from Cambridgeshire right down into the Basque Country of northern Spain.