The Hadleys are coming with 108pt engagements these days, more than the King certainly and probably more than the I9s.
I9 comes in 3 and 6 degree versions and you can get them in their Al or regular spoke versions now. When did Hadley start making 108 again - they discontinued 108pt a while ago I thought? Any of the brands mentioned engage plenty fast.
I think most riders would trade a few degrees for greater interface durability/strength save picky trials riders. I am not talking about any brand in particular, I'm just sayin... There is also the thing of pawls (most hubs) vs. ring/clutch drive (King, Stealth, RB Designs, etc...)
Good point.
I have both King and I9s. They are both pretty noisy and people you ride with will complain about either. I've owned many Kings throughout the years - they seem to vary in noise level, but maybe thats just cause I switched from revision to revision over the years (I got them when they first came out in the 90s). There is hope through, ride with a friend who has Hopes...they are even noisier
I have two sets of kings, I add a few drops of 90wt gear oil inside the hub and it quiets things down to a point that I can not hear them over normal riding noises.I have both King and I9s. They are both pretty noisy and people you ride with will complain about either. I've owned many Kings throughout the year - , they seem to vary in noise level, but maybe thats just cause I switched from a revision to a revision over the years (I got them when they first came out in the 90s). There is hope through, ride with a friend who has Hopes...they are even noisier
Which set do you prefer? And why?I have both King and I9s. They are both pretty noisy and people you ride with will complain about either. I've owned many Kings throughout the years - they seem to vary in noise level, but maybe thats just cause I switched from revision to revision over the years (I got them when they first came out in the 90s). There is hope through, ride with a friend who has Hopes...they are even noisier
Well I've owned Kings on and off since they came out in the 90s. I like their fast clutch engagement and weight but I don't like cost (especially now), lack of catering to special needs like FR/DH (spacing/axle size) or maybe even just a convertible front hub QR/20mm, or how they loosen up all the time and you have to tighten them up. When they first came out almost no shops had the special tool you need to service them either - another drawback. I thought their disc hubs that used those adapters were dumb - I skipped that generation.
Go i9 hubs if you can't get the prebuilt wheels in time. If you don't want those, go Hadley and save a little or Hope Pro II if you want to save a lot and don't mind the additional noise and slower engagement. There are lots of good options out there at various pricepoints.
No interest in 29ers, sorryLooks like we've got a lot of closet 29er lurkers - or just a lot of wheel junkies - on the Monkey!
how come no interest? I know they aren't for everyone but myself being taller I feel like a giant riding a tricycle on 26ers.No interest in 29ers, sorry
Hmm, want to buy a King wheelset
I like smaller bikes - if I'm in between sizes usually I go for the smaller size. I like shorter chainstays, reasonably low BB, and smaller wheelbases and have certain geometry preferences. I like hoping up/over stuff. I have enough problems with keeping 26" rear wheels in decent shape with all the rock infested trails I ride. And there are various other reasons. I've been using 26" for years and it works great for me just as 20" wheels work great for tall BMXers or 24" work great jibbin or some people at Plattekill, etc. 29er might work well for you or some people but I don't need some trend shoved down my throat just like most people never needed more and more gears in the rear - what was wrong with 7 or 8?
you won't be sporting I9s unless you find them at a shop.
I haven't had any problems with toe overlap or slower acceleration but steering is an issue. Not so much with tight single track but more so with taking a tight turn at speed.
Toe Overlap? Nope
All those things are real differences, whether they are significant depends on the rider and the bikes he is comparing. Without a doubt, smaller wheels are faster, a 24" bike accelerates faster than a 26" too. Putting your fingers in your ears won't make any difference.
Sorry, I edited the reply while you were replying. I said the EXACT same things about 29" wheels just over a year ago after trying them. I gave it another shot and allowed myself time to adjust and realized I had been spewing half truths that entire time. And your reply was innacurate in stating "smaller wheels are faster". Sure they are slightly faster to accelerate, but they are certainly not "faster" once moving.
No they are faster accelerating. Smaller wheels are faster accelerating - that fact is indisputable. Velocity and acceleration are not the same thing. Speed/Velocity was not mentioned in his statement anywhere.
