Industry Nine Enduro 305 Wheelset: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

Look no further than Industry Nine for the best in class wheelset that money can buy. From the spoke to the pawl, quality and attention to detail are unmatched and performance is top notch. Our friend Lee put a set on his Revel Rail. See his thoughts below!

Introduction

It's time for that magical day, new bike build! I already had the components picked out and now the crucial moment of choosing the wheelset. I needed something strong, somewhat lightweight, wide, and quick engagement. So the choice had to be the Industry Nine 305 Hydra for my Revel Rail. The Rail is a 27.5" enduro work of art so the wheelset also has to be functioning art.

I've owned Industry Nine wheels for over 10 years starting with their Legacy, then move on to the Torch, and now the latest Hydra. The previous rear hubs had 120 points of engagement which was phenomenal. The Hydras have a mind-blowing 690 points of engagement that feels instant upon each pedal stroke. The Hydras also have bigger bearings so the life span should last longer. The one-piece machined aluminum spokes are beefy and beautiful. The one-piece spokes thread into the hubs that make the interface stronger and stiffer compared to a traditional wheel that has spokes that require nipples that goes into the rim. The junction where the spoke and nipple meet is a weak point and that's where the spokes usually break. Industry Nine thought out of the box and created a wheel system that has form and function. I9 wheels have always been reliable for me so this is another reason why I continue to roll with them.

Performance

The terrain I ride is dry, loose over the hard southwest desert environment. There are plenty of rocks, ledges, and drops on the trails I frequent so wheels do take a beating. The instant engagement of the Hydra helps with the technical climbing especially in areas that require some backpedaling to get over obstacles. The rims are strong and take a pounding without much damage or dings. They are easy to set up tubeless also. The Maxxis EXO+ tires seated up with a loud pop without any issues. The rim's internal diameter is 30.5mm that works well with 2.4 to 2.6 tires. In my opinion, 30mm rims are ideal for most applications. We can't forget about the buzz the rear hub makes. It isn't quite as loud as the Torch model. I would say it compares to the Chris King hub sound. However, you can make it fairly quiet by applying Dumonde Tech ProX freehub grease in the driver. I actually find the buzz to be delightful. It also alerts people and wildlife a rider is coming so no one gets frightened.

Conclusion

If you are in the market for a new wheelset, consider the Industry Nine Hydra. The instant engagement, strong and lightweight, choices of different axles, a plethora of color options, and ease of serviceability makes them a winning combination for me.