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. 

Upgrading wheels on a mountain bike is one of the most notable upgrades to do. Especially when the wheelset has one of the highest engaging hubs on the market, Industry Nine's Hydra. Our friend, Damond has been ripping the Enduro 305 wheels. See what they think! 

Overview

I was recently looking to upgrade my E Thirteen LG+ Wheelset. It was a great set with no failures but I really liked the performance, look, and sound of the Industry Nine wheel offerings, with the Hydra hub. After some pricing of single components and different options, I realized that the value of the complete package was well worth it. I normally am not one for multiple colors so I chose the all-black option, which made it easier to source, as they happened to be in stock at Worldwide Cyclery.

I received the wheels quickly and installed them with some new Maxxis tires and Cushcore inserts. I added a little extra grease to the hub to keep it on the quiet side and did a once over for "Truness", which was spot on from the factory. I took it for an hour test around my local trails and did a quick 1/8 turn on every spoke, after stressing the wheels.

My initial thoughts were they were a great-looking wheelset but the price was fairly steep. On the other side of the coin they were well built with quality craftsmanship and to single source the parts myself and build them really didn't have a better value to the complete set.

After one month of riding the local trails, which consist of a mix of muddy root-filled trails all the way to the opposite extreme of hard-packed rock gardens as far as the eye can see, I have made a few observations. In the mud and root-filled trails, I noticed I can air down and have a good amount of stiffness under my bike. This is partial to the Cushcore but I had the Cushcore on my E Thirteen wheels and noticed a more precise feel to the Industry Nine wheels. Running about 22 psi front and 24 psi rear felt great and the wheels seemed to track appropriately. There was less "sway" of the wheel and slightly less tire roll from before. I would assume this is due to the deeper bead channels on the Industry Nine 305 wheels. In contrast on the rocky trails, airing up to 26 and 28 respectively I felt like the bike glided over the rocks a bit better and I had less chatter. On the previous rims, over rock gardens, I would get what seemed like a resonance from the wheels, which was now noticeably gone. The Industry Nine 305 wheels felt more solid all-around and had less "Ping" making them feel much more solid, even on the high-speed hard pack.

The fit and finish are top-notch and still holding up with no damage or issues. The wheel coating seems thick and robust, to prevent chips and scratches and the machining is eye candy to the most detailed person. I really looked these wheels over before installing and I can say they are well worth the money. They really are fantastic wheels.

The pros are plenty and I doubt you will look to another wheelset after getting your hands on these. The cons are price but I feel these are the best value for money in the high end, as everything else is a good deal more money with diminishing value. I would say the stiffness is close to carbon when tightened properly, with the right amount of compliance.

Final Thoughts

My only advice for these wheels, prior to installing, is to get rid of the factory rim tape and install your own tape of choice, with a double wrap. The tires are a bit tricky to get on and with Cushcore, it adds another layer of difficulty, so it's easy to puncture the tape when trying to install your tires. Other than that I am extremely happy with these wheels..!