Opinion: Industry Nine Hyrda Hubs

Today (March 6th, 2025) at 9:00 EST, Industry Nine unveiled their new Hydra 2 hubs.

If you want more detail, I highly recommend Pinkbike’s in-depth review: https://www.pinkbike.com/news/review-industry-nine-hydra-2-870-points-of-engagement-and-increased-durability.html

The summary of the update is that Industry 9 is addressing the durability concerns of the Hydra hubs which include cracked axles and premature bearing wear.

I welcome these changes as I have been one of the many riders who have experienced durability issues with Hydra Hubs. While, I haven’t experienced cracked axles or hub-shells, I have found that I’m replacing the hub bearings at least twice a year. Typically, the failure of a rear hub bearing results in an unnerving creak from the rear of the bike. These hubs have required more maintenance than any other hub system I’ve owned.

So, the question is: With this update would I purchase Industry Nine Wheels again?

No I wouldn’t.

I’ve been riding I9’s Hydra Enduro S wheels for about two years. These wheels have conventional j-bend spokes, instead of straight pull spokes. This means you can easily walk into any bike shop and have them replace a spoke without a special order. At $995 these wheels are definitely a great value for a premium feeling wheel set. They’re reasonably stiff and minus the issues with the hub bearings they’ve been very durable with minimal truing needed.

A debate I often have with myself is if I need this much hub engagement? It certainly feels premium, and I can see it being an advantage if you live some where with a lot of techy climbs. Here in Western North Carolina (where I9 wheels are made) we don’t have much of this flavor of climb; we’re often just climbing very steep gravel roads or trails.

The real bonus to this hubs is the noise they make. While some people prefer a quiet hub, I enjoy I9’s noise because it let’s hikers know I’m approaching and it’s loud enough to scare bears away. I view this more as a built in bear deterrent than anything.

So what would I purchase instead? The answer is easy: DT Swiss Ex1700 Spline wheels.

These wheels, with the 350 hub and 36 ratchet provide a similar engagement to Hydra hubs, but need far less maintenance. Sure they are about $100 more at $1,102 and 100 grams heavier, but less down time is always a plus for me. You’re easily going to spend that extra $100 in bearings and service in a year. They don’t come in any wild colors, but I value durability over customization. It’s also a bonus that these have a centerlock rotor option.

I’ll probably keep running these wheels until I inevitably break the rims. It’s been great supporting a local company, but I’d rather have something that works all the time.