[Konabumm]

This year I have beat the hell out of my Bontrager wheelset (stock on my session) I want to build a nice race wheelset for next year and use the Bontrager wheelset as my backup with spike tires. I know I want Mavic EX823 Disc UST rims but I'm still having a hard time deciding on hubs. I like Chris King, Hadley, and I9s. Each seem to have pros and cons however I've heard alot of bad things about the I9s.

So I'm looking for any info you guys can provide.

Thanks

 

[zdubyadubya]

I voted for Hadley because tried and true.

I would also do I9 with J-bend spokes.

I9 wheelsets have been coming into the shop all season long. Nothing but a headache. They don't want to stay tensioned and we order new spokes for people on a regular basis. Even after giving up and starting to send the wheels to I9 for service, owners are still having problems. I wouldn't do it if it were my bike, but take that with a grain of salt because I have not personally ridden them.

And King is tried and true as well, but I just like the way Hadley hubs ride.

Good luck

 

[davep]

The king 150mm hub has some issues with proper freehub spacing. Depending on particular set-up you may not be able to get the chain on the largest cog...as the freehub(and thus cogs) sits 3-4 mm further inboard than what is considered 'normal' from every other mfg.

If you are looking for higher engagement, my vote goes to Hadley. My 108 is going strong from the very first batch of 108s (5+ years old or so) with only the pawl spring bieng replaced at the beginging of this season. I have other sets of 72 pt versions that are 3+ years old. They dont have a website, but they are a family owned biz, always ansewer the phone, will deal directly with you (consumer) and are great people.

All hubs have the original bearings, and get pulled apart and cleaned/lubed with Hadley grease about one per season.

If engagement is not as much of an issue for you, Hopes are lighter and less $$ than Hadleys and are solid.

 

[nmpearson]

i second problems with i9s...if it were me, i'd forgo all those and do a hope to ztz flow wheelset. you can never go wrong with kings though

 

[norbar]

4th option - Burgtec. Though not as good engagement as the 3 there they are still much better than hopes and If money wasn't an issue for me I'd get them fast.

Also think about reverse hubs. There are some good reviews floating around the web.

 

[dexterq20]

I would vote for I9 "classic" hubs with standard flanges, to be laced up with j-bend spokes. I have these hubs front and rear on both my bikes and they're awesome. Super easy to work on, but relatively low-maintenance, and the fastest engagement you're gonna find. And you don't have to deal with all the issues that come with proprietary spokes.

 

[Dogboy]

4th option - Burgtec. Though not as good engagement as the 3 there they are still much better than hopes and If money wasn't an issue for me I'd get them fast.

Also think about reverse hubs. There are some good reviews floating around the web.

Those hubs are not distributed in the US. I'm sure you could track some down, but getting replacement parts and/or customer service would be a hassle.

 

[Huck Banzai]

Hadley, no brainer there.

 

[davec113]

5th option: DT Swiss 440... They just doubled from 18 to 36 engagement points. Also, DTs star ratchet engagement mechanism is better than pawls. Kings and Hope Pro IIs are too loud, IMO.

 

[spocomptonrider]

Hopes laced to 5.1's or ZTR Flows get my vote every time. Even though my front Hope recently went south, it was easy to get the replacement parts. DT 440's if your looking to spend some more cash (looks like you are). Don't get me wrong I9 and King hubs are great and all but I just can't justify the extra cost.

5th option: DT Swiss 440... They just doubled from 18 to 36 engagement points. Also, DTs star ratchet engagement mechanism is better than pawls. Kings and Hope Pro IIs are too loud, IMO.

Loud hubs save marmots.

 

[Dartman]

Hadley Mancil. The silver would look pimp on the Trek... http://www.balleracing.com/Hadley/HadleyR150mm12mmSil.htm

I have four pairs of them and only one ever gave me trouble (using a hose to wash off the bike) and was easily rebuilt by myself for about $40. I called Hadley for grease and seals and they sent them to me for free.

 

[Zark]

Hadley's. My 72pt hubs are 3+ y/o, overhauled once a year. They are freaking flawless. I have an I9 wheelset on my trailbike and its been great too, but its only a year old. The hadley is a no brainer.

 

[JCL]

Where's the Hope option ?

 

[WBC]

Hadleys and Kings definitely have the best customer service hands down. If you're looking for high engagement hubs to keep for a real long time and don't mind some maintenance, they're still the two hubs to buy. Kings are lighter, Hadleys need less maintenance - your call on that one.

DTs and Hopes require a lot less maintenance and are both lighter than the Hadleys. The DT is probably the most trouble-free hub you could possibly buy in the right conditions. My DT's ran for 4 years with NO maintenance - period. The Hopes are a little less picky. What I mean by that is DT swiss hubs DO NOT like to get clamped tight, so if you're riding a bike that clamps the hub tight, you might have problems with the DT hubs. Bikes that like to squeeze hubs include any thru-axle with vertical or horizontal drops (135 or 150mm), or really anything without pinch bolts on the axle clamp.

The DT Swiss hubs are all aluminum, and the axles get f*ckd up when you clamp them too tight - they mushroom and they hurt that little spacer by the freehub body. Then you have to replace the axle at $50 a pop and the hub never goes back together quite like it did before. But for the right bike - they're the best hubs you can buy.

I bought Hopes this round because they're way cheaper, don't mind getting clamped tight and I have Hopes on my trailbike so I can swap parts around if needed.

 

[epic]

I voted Hadley, but I'd get Hope or Saint.

 

[JDA]

I have just gone from a Hadley to a King rear hub on my DH bike. I had the Hadley for about 3 years and had many problems with it, I would never buy one again.
I bought a king thinking it was expensive but awesome quality and I have had one on my trials bike for about 5 years with zero issues. Anyway I can't get the biggest cog due to the weird cassette location as mentioned above and I also had to space out my rear brake caliper with washers to get correct alignment, this is not what I was expecting with such a high end hub however I do believe the engagement system (ringdrive) is second to none.

 

[gonefirefightin]

once you get your hadleys, pick up the rebuild tools (bearing remover/press)

you wont need them for a while but wil make life uber simple come rebuild time.

 

[DH-LOS]

Hope or Hadley are the only way to go.. I9 not worth it and Kings are overpriced if you ask me.. Whoever said Saints they are a big waste your better off going with a Atom Lab or a Sun Ringle WTB hub they are better, your paying for the name SAINT.

I only use Hopes I love the engagment and they hold up and I beat the crap out of my wheels. I just my race wheelset from Ride-This they are Mavic 721 laced to Gold Hope Hubs and they rock... My .02 are Hopes and Hadley only way to go I choose Hope cause I like the ratching noise... If you need someone to build wheels go with Ride-This they have built all my race wheels last time they did Atomlab pimp rims with Hope hubs used them for 2 seasons with no prob this year just had them do the Mavic 721 w/ hope so far they are Great..

 

[Konabumm]

Great information everyone - looks like I9s are out.

 

[- seb]

Hopes for sure. Unless you want to save a further 60g and can afford the American Classic 150x12 hub. They're not cheap though. I've had no problems with mine, but no-one seems to believe in them, thinks they'll fall apart. Having only had it a year I can't really comment, but so far so good, and it is STUPID light

 

[jonKranked]

My recommendation goes for Hadley. I have 3 sets, the oldest is over 5 yrs, still working flawlessly. Never had a problem with mine. The only issues I've ever heard of with Hadley Hubs involved user error (not adjusting them properly during rebuilds, or flat out lack of maintenance). FWIW the 108pt freehub is no longer available (they still turn up from time to time used), but they have replaced it with a 72pt (i think 4pawl) freehub.

If you are looking for a high engagement hub, Profile has a 204pt engagement hub coming soooooooon. Not sure what axle compaitibility will be, but currently they have 135 qr and bolt on, and a 150x12 option.


Also, a friend of mine who is a trials rider managed to torque through the ring drive on a King - ie he managed to make it disengage. FWIW he is a pretty big guy tho - around 6'6"

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

Hadley fan here. 3 sets...

 

[profro]

I will have to say I have been bashing my I9 DH wheelset for almost 2 years and I have broken only 3 spokes, all which were due to sticks coming the wheel. I never have to true them or re-tension and I'm not easy on wheels. Not saying others have problems, but I have 3 I9 wheelsets and they have been the most trouble free wheels I have ever owned period. The only caveat is that after a typical SS rainy race weekend I open the hubs to drain out any water that gets trapped after the typical 10 washes during the weekend.

I also have some I9 j-bends and while they are nice, they don't have the same benefit as the true I9s. While they are quality hubs, the wheel isn't anything special. Whereas the true I9s turn your bike in a surgical instruments due to the rotational advantages of the aluminum spokes.

You should have asked to check mine out at Snowshoe this past weekend.

 

[mellow_sparky]

I don't have any long term data on the Hadley because I just purchased my first set, but I can say that I'm really impressed with them. The engagement is amazing and the build quality is top notch (great that you can adjust the bearing pre-load). I also like the fact that they aren't quite as "buzzy" as the Hope hubs.

 

[slowitdown]

I have a set of Hadleys that I got for my first big bike in 2003. They have been on 5 bikes, built into 3 different types of wheelsets, and they're still going strong, running smooth, on their original parts -- including the original bearings.

Hadley all the way.

 

[norbar]

those hubs are not distributed in the us. I'm sure you could track some down, but getting replacement parts and/or customer service would be a hassle.

crc. (Message too short?)

 

[monkeyfcuker]

Hopes all the way, I do zero maintenance and love the pressure washer and all of my wheels are still rocking (3 wheelsets). I've no clue on the American pricing but currently the Hope hoops are pretty cheap over here when specced with Stans Flow rims and the new SP-AM4 wheels look sweet!

 

[davep]

They are well priced over here as well (hope has a pretty good distro system here in the states) and have a good reputation. Unfortunately they don't offer a higher engagement hub to better compete with the other high end mfgs.
It is actually silly, as they have the 48 point single speed hub. The parts are already designed and proven, they would simply need to put different parts together to have a 150mm 48 point hub...

 

[Jettj45]

Hopes or Hadley. I've used Hope/5.1 combo for the past 2 years. Love the hubs, hate the 5.1 rims. They can't handle anything rough like Diablo or Snowshoe. I went through 3 rear rims this year and got around 8-9 big side wall bends in each. Definitely going with 729's or 823's next year.

 

[davep]

You do know that the 5.1 is a 500g AM/enduro rim? What gave you the idea that they would hold up to DH riding?

Not really 'right' to bad mouth a product when you are mis-using/abusing it IMO.

 

[norbar]

You do know that the 5.1 is a 500g AM/enduro rim? What gave you the idea that they would hold up to DH riding?

Not really 'right' to bad mouth a product when you are mis-using/abusing it IMO.

Not that it doesn't happen with their FR rim

 

[Jettj45]

You do know that the 5.1 is a 500g AM/enduro rim? What gave you the idea that they would hold up to DH riding?

Not really 'right' to bad mouth a product when you are mis-using/abusing it IMO.

Not that it doesn't happen with their FR rim

Yes I am aware of what category they are under on the Dt swiss site. It is not like I said 5.1's are pieces of crap with out specifying. I gave an explanation saying they are horrible for rough trails (Diablo/Snowshoe), which they are. Someone mentioned earlier that he should get 5.1's which is a horrible idea. When it comes to smoother downhill trails like 7springs or wisp 5.1's are just fine.

Like Norbar said, there "FR" rims are no better. I destroyed one after a few trips down hairball at snowshoe.

 

[Dartman]

I will have to say I have been bashing my I9 DH wheelset for almost 2 years and I have broken only 3 spokes, all which were due to sticks coming the wheel. I never have to true them or re-tension and I'm not easy on wheels. Not saying others have problems, but I have 3 I9 wheelsets and they have been the most trouble free wheels I have ever owned period. The only caveat is that after a typical SS rainy race weekend I open the hubs to drain out any water that gets trapped after the typical 10 washes during the weekend.

I also have some I9 j-bends and while they are nice, they don't have the same benefit as the true I9s. While they are quality hubs, the wheel isn't anything special. Whereas the true I9s turn your bike in a surgical instruments due to the rotational advantages of the aluminum spokes.

You should have asked to check mine out at Snowshoe this past weekend.

Your's impressed me Doug when you rode down Lower Hareball with a flat in your race run. I did mention that to Mancil.

 

[demo 9]

Rocking 3 sets of Industry nine to 823s, never had any issues, however, after 2 years i did blow a hub bearing, thats it. never touched the spoke tension, never had issues.

 

[NoUseForAName]

Don't bother with Hope unless you want to only ever run cassettes with a spider - think high to top end cassettes.
Even my Ultegra 9 speed cassette has bitten into the soft alloy of the freehub body in places.

Bring back the Ti freehub body option and i am IN, but right now, they are sitting as spare wheels only.

I liked my DT 440s, would defintely consider a 340 for the next bike, especially if it has better engagement.

 

[mullet_dew]

Don't bother with Hope unless you want to only ever run cassettes with a spider - think high to top end cassettes.
Even my Ultegra 9 speed cassette has bitten into the soft alloy of the freehub body in places.

Bring back the Ti freehub body option and i am IN, but right now, they are sitting as spare wheels only.

I liked my DT 440s, would defintely consider a 340 for the next bike, especially if it has better engagement.

It is my understanding, and my LBS's, that the 36 point ratchet does not work with the 340, but works with the rest of their hubs. I really wanted to try them in my 340, but no such luck.

 

[DH-LOS]

Hopes or Hadley. I've used Hope/5.1 combo for the past 2 years. Love the hubs, hate the 5.1 rims. They can't handle anything rough like Diablo or Snowshoe. I went through 3 rear rims this year and got around 8-9 big side wall bends in each. Definitely going with 729's or 823's next year.

721 brotha thats the combo. My new wheelset i just did 721 with Hope like butter baby. I never had luck with 5.1 either..

 

[spocomptonrider]

Yes I am aware of what category they are under on the Dt swiss site. It is not like I said 5.1's are pieces of crap with out specifying. I gave an explanation saying they are horrible for rough trails (Diablo/Snowshoe), which they are. Someone mentioned earlier that he should get 5.1's which is a horrible idea. When it comes to smoother downhill trails like 7springs or wisp 5.1's are just fine.

Like Norbar said, there "FR" rims are no better. I destroyed one after a few trips down hairball at snowshoe.

That is an asinine comment, I agree that they may not be acceptable for all riders, but they are a great rim. Far better than the 6.1, as long as you are not a complete hack or over 190lbs they work great in most DH conditions. Plenty of world cup level riders run them consistently without much fuss. Granted it may not put up with an entire season of whistler use or gnar face Deer Valley type trails but it will last an entire season under normal conditions or even longer as a race only type of wheel set.

I guess what I'm getting at is as long as you don't point your wheels towards every pointy rock and huck everything in sight they will do fine, I have ridden them for several seasons on trails that would hardly qualify as smooth. I haven't ridden the trails you speak of but I am sure someone on here has with the wheelset I mentioned.

 

[Jettj45]

That is an asinine comment, I agree that they may not be acceptable for all riders, but they are a great rim. Far better than the 6.1, as long as you are not a complete hack or over 190lbs they work great in most DH conditions. Plenty of world cup level riders run them consistently without much fuss. Granted it may not put up with an entire season of whistler use or gnar face Deer Valley type trails but it will last an entire season under normal conditions or even longer as a race only type of wheel set.

I guess what I'm getting at is as long as you don't point your wheels towards every pointy rock and huck everything in sight they will do fine, I have ridden them for several seasons on trails that would hardly qualify as smooth. I haven't ridden the trails you speak of but I am sure someone on here has with the wheelset I mentioned.

I'm the asinine one when your making presumptions about my riding, how much I must weigh and trails you have never been on?

I'm 175lbs, far from a hack. And anyone who has ridden at Snowshoe or Diablo knows how rocky it is. You can not compare what World Cup level riders use to the everyday racer/rider. They get free rims when ever they want.

Your second paragraph is just re-iterating what I already said, they are fine no normal non rough DH trails....but this is just getting off topic.

 

[slowitdown]

I'm the asinine one when your making presumptions about my riding, how much I must weigh and trails you have never been on?

I'm 175lbs, far from a hack. And anyone who has ridden at Snowshoe or Diablo knows how rocky it is. You can not compare what World Cup level riders use to the everyday racer/rider. They get free rims when ever they want.

Your second paragraph is just re-iterating what I already said, they are fine no normal non rough DH trails.

It depends on the rider more than the locale. Spokane is plenty rocky. It's plenty rocky where I am too. Some of us can make soft rims last on our trails. And some of us can't. It doesn't mean you're a hack. Everyone has a way of going fast, not everyone is a float/skim rider. You must know this, eh? Think of the DH bike selection available... some are better at plowing, some are better at popping/skimming.

Mavic makes strong burly rims but when I was a lower-skilled rider I trashed Mavic rims regularly. More recently my trail bike had a set of very soft Salsa Delgado Disc rims (on Hope Pro II - making it relevant here!) and I rode them on our roughest trails and on our only DH race course, which is brutally rocky in many places. They never got trashed. If it matters -- I weigh 150.