Wheels and hubs for racing/riding

[kimio]

I'm looking to upgrade wheels from Bontrager Rythm Elite ( stock on my GF HI FI Pro 29er) to Stan's Crests. Bike shop mechanic/owner recommends spending the bucks on Industy 9 hubs with alum spokes. The big thing with these high end hubs like the I 9's and Chris Kings seems to be the engagement -which on the I 9's are 3 degrees. (The majority of hubs out there are about 15 degrees I was told) Is this a good thing for cross country racing? Is it worth it to spend $300- 400 on a rear hub?
Any feedback would be great!

[Fakie1999]

If your willing to, great. I run american classic hubs/stans rims on my anthem, and stans ztr hubs/crest rims on my SS. The ztr hubs are cheap, and you can tell. You get what you pay for. But, they're working fine for now. The american classic hubs have been great.

[estabro]

The engagement difference only matters when you are not peddling

Go with CK or I9 because they are dead sexy. Hope 2's appear to be a good value.

I am in the middle of this dilemma myself... I need to pull the trigger and build CK's with Stan's Arch 32 hole rims.

[Crosstown Stew]

IMO on a geared bike engagement doesn't matter as much as with a ss that doesn't require a spring loaded chain tensioner. You'll notice the extra engagement through slow tech sections, but it won't make you a better rider, just a less play in your engagement.

For the best value you can get a Hope pro II trials hub that has 72 POE. But if money is no object, you can't get more sexy than a set of I9's

[strat819]

Had CK... loved them. Have DT 240s w engagement upgrade (and I do notice it in tech sections). Love em more.

Not sure, but I9 w AL, if you break a spoke will be down, where the others can be fixed pretty much on the spot. Perhaps the availability of AL spokes is better now.

Just keep the wheelset light yet stiff and run light but reliable tires for racing. TBH... a Stans wheelset w ZTR hubs will be just fine. You won't be faster w different hubs. Great hubs are great to have though (for piece of mind and longevity). Consider servicability in your equasion!

[strader]

If your willing to, great. I run american classic hubs/stans rims on my anthem, and stans ztr hubs/crest rims on my SS. The ztr hubs are cheap, and you can tell. You get what you pay for. But, they're working fine for now. The american classic hubs have been great.

What was the problem with your Stans hubs? I just bought a Stans HD 3.30 rear hub since it's convertible to 12mm thru-axle. It has high engagement (I think I counted 30 points/rev), no play, and a nice sound to it, so far I really like it. I only have a few hundred miles on the hub so I can't tell about reliability.
I have the AC hubs as well. It's time to replace the bearings, but that's after 3 years and thousands of miles in some epic crap conditions. My original AC qr hubs are convertable to all the new axle standards as well. I'd buy them again for a race wheelset in a heartbeat.

[aaronhamill]

I personally haven't ridden with the I9s but I've had DT 240s, Mavic SLRs and currently the King ISO hubs laced to Stans ZTR Olympics with DT Competition spokes. I haven't trued my wheels once in TWO years and have only flatted twice in that time span!!! I chose to stick with the Kings for the past couple years because A) they sound sick on the trail and B) they will last me for the next 15 years (because I get them serviced for $65 every year). I've heard they are super easy to service yourself, but I just would rather a more knowledgeable person work on something this pricey.

I mainly notice the faster engagement in technical sections when I have to crank my pedals down to get going again, but I've also noticed that I pass people on hills and climbs more easily. As much as it sounds silly, its nice to know that I have as much of my energy output as possible going into pushing my bike forward instead of turning my crank when the drivetrain isn't engaged.

The 120 POI on the I9's is better than the 72 on the CKs
The 5 year warranty on the CKs is better than the 3 years for I9's
Either way, you are getting a sick hub thats sure to last you a while if you keep it serviced.

[mooddude]

The engagement difference only matters when you are not peddling

Thanks - I needed a laugh!

[Fakie1999]

What was the problem with your Stans hubs? I just bought a Stans HD 3.30 rear hub since it's convertible to 12mm thru-axle. It has high engagement (I think I counted 30 points/rev), no play, and a nice sound to it, so far I really like it. I only have a few hundred miles on the hub so I can't tell about reliability.
I have the AC hubs as well. It's time to replace the bearings, but that's after 3 years and thousands of miles in some epic crap conditions. My original AC qr hubs are convertable to all the new axle standards as well. I'd buy them again for a race wheelset in a heartbeat.

Nothing wrong with my ztr hubs. they are brand new. Just the/look feel of them seems cheaper than AC. I've read reviews saying the hubs dont last too long. But, time will tell. They do sound nice though!

[Spinning Lizard]

For racing I would go with American Classics, spin up is awesome and they last a long time and wont break the bank. Currently have 3 sets (one which is 5 years old and still going). Ventured into I9's last year and broke the front wheel on both within 5 miles. For the kind of money I spent on them I could not believe the CS I got - they did not warranty them and claimed rider error. I guess they were not supposed to be used. Chris King are nice (and Hadleys) but are heavy hubs for an elite race wheel.

[kimio]

Thanks for all of the great info. I'm really learning here. So looks like I have to consider weight, engagement, cost and maintenance. And what about drag? From what I've read- more engagement means more drag when not crankin the pedals. Is that a factor I should be concerned with when racing cross country?

[Crosstown Stew]

^^^ Haha, I remember reading an article a while back where pro team mechanics were getting mad at their racers for taking pawls out of their freehubs to make for less resistance. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think it would make that big of a difference. However my CK hubs when spun freely on the bike stand stop a whole lot sooner than my 32 POE White Industries FW with Paul hubs.

There are some good recommendations for wheelset already here but for best affordable value I would look at some DT 340 hubs. I had a set of Race X lite that had these hubs and were like 1500g. Really good, strong, light wheelset for the price imo. And if you build a set up, don't skimp for a set with fewer spoke count to save weight, the extra couple grams in spokes is totally worth the extra stiffness.

[briscoelab]

King hubs, super comp spokes (29er or heavier rider)/Revolutions (26), 32/32, Crest rims (29er)/Alpine (26).

DT hubs with the 36pt rings are also acceptable.

[jd1072]

DT 240s Hubs with 36pt upgrade here. Couldn't be happier. Less drag and lighter than the Chris Kings/ I9s. I've got American Classic wheels/hubs on my SS bike and those are nice too. AC for value, DT for bling.

Also if it's worth anything, I already know of several friends having issues with their I9 rear hubs. They will fix them under warranty, but in my opinion for that kind of $$$, they should just work.

[turnerth]

XTR / enve and could not be happier.

imho: No one stocks spokes that will work with i9, and the research I did implied AL is not ideal for spokes.

Sometimes new tech is not the best tech.

[29ger]

I got my crests with a white industries MI6 hub laced to them about 8 months ago. I've been quite happy with them, and they seem like a pretty good value for the money.