Industry Nine Hydra Enduro S 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. 

Industry Nine has long been known to make some of the best hubs and wheels in the mountain bike industry. The Hydra specifically, has 120 points of engagement which allows for some extremely efficient pedaling out of corners. Don't believe us? Check out what our customer David had to say about his new Enduro S wheelset!

Overview

I don't pay much attention to the latest trends or obsess over having the most recent tech. My reason for looking into a new set of wheels was simply because I was getting annoyed with the sound my rear wheel was making. I’d go to accelerate and my cranks would free spin up to the 10 degrees of hub engagement before strumming the back-end of my drivetrain like a one-string banjo. I could’ve been looking for better performance, bomb-proof wheels, more efficient climbing. Rather, the problem I had was that once I started hearing these pings, I couldn’t unhear them and they instantly became the focus of my attention.

Why I Picked Hydras

So I thought about it a bit. If the rims weren't aluminum, would they still ping? It didn’t take very long for me to learn that carbon rims were out of my price range for testing the materials hypothesis. So, maybe tighter engagement to avoid the slamming? I could only afford one test, and one-half of one degree would get me to the other extreme of the engagement spectrum. I found very few bad reviews on the Industry Nine hydras and generally good words about Industry Nine’s quality. Worldwide Cyclery had a good price on a set, so I took the leap.

First Impressions

I spent a good 10-15 minutes after opening the designer I9 box just holding the axle with my fingers and spinning the rear hub with my thumb and wrists. Faster, slower, faster, it was making music, and I was looking forward to hearing it on the trails. What they would sound like at speed? At more speed? I’m happy to report that they zing in both definitions of the word. They both have a high-pitched hum and are enjoyably exciting. Once I put them on, my PRs were breaking left and right. I don’t know if these hubs necessarily spin any faster than the stock Ibis ones my bike came with. I doubt it. I put it down to the fact that once I got them singing I didn’t want to slow them down.

Efficiency

I set out wanting a new set of wheels to stop the annoying sounds my bike made when my cranks slammed hard on the cassette.

I ended up trading my pings out for zings, my banjo for a lead rock singer. Because of that, I’m a satisfied customer. Yet after a number of rides, I can now also appreciate the efficiency these high engagement wheels offer.

There are certain trails in my area that have super techy climbs, where being able to back peddle an eighth of a stroke and seamlessly continue laying down power can mean the difference between being just another rider to lose against gravity and being that dude somebody saw once who cleared the hardline while smiling. Sad to say that I haven’t been that dude yet, but at least now I have the hope that I can be.

Strength

There’s not a lot I can say about the strength of the wheels. I’m not that heavy a rider at 150 lbs with the kit, and the highest drop I’ll take is probably only four or five feet. But, I will bash headlong into boulders if I lose my line rather than peel down. On other wheels I’ve had, their flex didn’t even make this an option. With these steel-spoked aluminum beauties, I’ve pounded many stones without so much as a sigh, and have plans to pound many more in the next few seasons.

Downsides

I know kickback is a thing that some riders take seriously. Whether it’s the D-link suspension I’m riding or just that I haven’t been in the right gear at the right speed, I haven’t felt any kickback from the high engagement. With a different suspension or more aggressive riding, I might feel otherwise.

For some people, weight is a big consideration. At 1,750 grams, this wheelset isn’t fat-free, but it isn’t full cream either. In my case, I think tire selection has a bigger impact than the wheel weights my wallet can afford, and even there I don’t care as much about weight savings and rolling resistance as I do about traction and durability. So for me, this weight is well-within acceptable.

At 60 miles and 16,500 feet, my experience with these wheels so far has been entirely positive.

Final Thoughts

If I wasn’t so busy getting to it with these wheels then I’d find time to be impressed by them. I ride more, I ride faster, I ride harder, and I ride less with bells on because hikers step safely aside once they hear my sweet oncoming chorus. Based on their expressions, I think they like it as much as I do.