Industry Nine Hydra Classic Rear Hub: Rider Review

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

There are many things on a mountain bike that can make an impact on your ride The way your rear hub engagement works can make a big difference on a long ride. Our friend Sean shares his experience with the Industry Nine Hydra Classic rear hub. Check it out!

Overview

I recently upgraded The rear hub on my 2020 Santa Cruz 5010c from an SRAM hub with 18 points of engagement to this amazing Industry Nine Hydra Classic rear hub with 690 points of engagement and I honestly couldn’t be happier about the outcome. The SRAM hub works fine and I honestly wouldn’t have ever thought it could be improved so much but the moment you ride a bike with Hydra hubs you’ll be hooked for life. The difference in the amount of engagement is ridiculous and the sound that comes along with it is ohhh so good. At slow speeds, it almost sounds like a giant tiger purring as you cruise down the trail and at higher speeds, it can sound like a fighter jet blazing a trail through the woods. It’s not quite as loud as their previous model the torch but it has an equally intoxicating sound.

The build quality and durability are both astounding also the ease of disassembly and cleaning was very surprising. Anyone that you pass by in the woods is either going to say there goes an Industry Nine Hydra or holy crap what was that but whatever they say it’s absolutely certain they will want one. All products from Industry Nine are hand made in house at their shop in North Carolina. I was happy to buy my products from a smaller hard working company that really knows mountain bikes and build some serious products for the sport. I’ve noticed an immense difference when pedaling up hills or trying to get one last pedal stroke before a drop or jump. Half a degree of engagement feels like there’s no play in the drivetrain at all and I couldn’t believe a hub could be better suited for mountain biking.

The options available are also endless. There are so many color options and if you decide to go with a full wheelset which if your budget allows you should definitely do it, you can coordinate infinite color combinations that you can make to have the most amazing personalized wheels anywhere you go. They are so strong you could jump off a mountain with them and they’ll remain arrow-straight for years. I just purchased an all-black rear hub but the fit and finish on it are second to none. I chose to buy my parts from the good people over at Worldwide Cyclery because they have the best customer service.

Final Thoughts

Jeff and his crew are amazing and great prices also free and fast shipping so that was a no brainer to me. I will absolutely be buying more products in the future from industry nine and from WorldWide Cyclery and I would recommend to anyone to do the same.