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. 

Hands down, upgrading wheels is the most noticeable upgrade on the bike. Especially when the engagement is as high as I9 Hydra wheels. Our friend, Aaron has been riding the Industry Nine Enduro S wheels with their Hydra hubs. See what they think! 

Overview

Unboxing/First Impression
Top-notch! Delivery was fast, wheels were secure and protected in the box. If you have ever had i9 wheels before you know how good they look and these are no exception. Despite being a more “budget” wheelset, these things look incredible. They feel quite light in the hand and spin so smooth.

Setup
These wheels were probably the easiest tubeless setup I have ever had. I installed a new set of Maxxis tires (Rekon/Dissector) on them, and they seated instantly with a quick burst of air. I used a small compressor but I am confident I could have seated these with a floor pump as well if needed.

I like to do most of my own maintenance when I can, so before I started using these wheels I took apart the hub so I could learn a bit about how they work and how to service them. I love how easy it is to just pop off the driver/cassette in one piece! It was very simple to take apart for basic service, cleaning, greasing, etc. I put a little bit of freehub grease in to help quiet things down and the bzzzz is so smooth! Reinstalling the driver is a breeze as well, just rotate it backward with a bit of pressure and it snaps back into place easily.

On a related note, I really appreciate how much information i9 puts out regarding maintenance on their products. There are plenty of how-to videos they publish for all their hubs, which makes maintenance much less daunting for a relative novice like myself.

In Use
I currently have these installed on my hardtail for bikepacking. I have ridden about 400-500 miles on these wheels so far and have zero complaints. They feel light and spin up easily, but do not seem to complain about a 50-60lb loaded bike. In comparison, when trail riding they feel very zippy and not overly harsh. On rocky, technical descents they seem to track very well. I have had a few unfortunate rim strikes on the rear of my hardtail, usually due to lazy riding, but no flats or dents in the rim so far. The wheels hold air very well, better than my last set of wheels, and I do not need to top off air pressure nearly as often.

The most noticeable thing for me was the Hydra hubs. These things are super high quality and not nearly as heavy as I was expecting them to feel. Instant engagement is a huge difference-maker for some technical climbs. I have been able to ratchet my pedals much more effectively than usual and on slow, technical climbs this is a huge benefit for me. The sound the hub produces is great as well, not as aggressive sounding as the Torch hubs but still has that signature i9 buzz. I generally prefer a little quieter hub, so I put a little freehub grease in every now and then and it gives it a much more pleasant (to me), subdued buzz.

Final Thoughts

Value/Would I Buy It Again?
I shopped around for a while looking for a good, high-quality aluminum wheelset that would not break the bank. I have always wanted to try a set of i9 wheels and these were competitively priced with the likes of Stans (have tried these and hated the hubs), DT Swiss, Spank, etc. From a vanity standpoint, I think the i9 is by far the best looking. More practically speaking, the rims are light and feel very solid, and the Hydra hubs are amazing. I would definitely buy these again and in the future will probably lean toward i9 for wheels/hubs. So far these seem to be a great balance of value and function for my needs.