been going back and forth between I9 and CK hubs for the new build. Anybody have any experience with the above?

Two sets of I9's here, one on DH bike and one on 4x/dj bike. No problems (or maintenace) since 08. Quicker engagement and a stiffer wheel than CK.

That's pretty funny right there. Spoke, rim choice, and build would have much more to do with stiffness.

The one thing that sets King apart from the rest of the competition is the patented Ring Drive engagement - I9 hubs use pawl springs, which is not something you will find in a King hub. If your main concern is durability, there is nothing that comes close to King - especially necessary if you are a big guy that has a tendency to blowup freehubs. 3 sets of Kings here and I have worked on I9's(for friends who had their freehubs lockup). One of my King sets is from 2005 and I have never had a single issue with them.

If I had the means...I'd be on I9's fer sure!


:

that was one of my main concerns was the maintenance. From what ive read both these hubs require regular maintenance but i wouldnt call no maintenance since 08 regular so thats a definite point for the I9s. How are the bearings on them?

You can let King hubs go on the service intervals as well....again, they're more durable. FWIW....might as well consider Hadley hubs too...roll faster(less drag) than both Kings and I9, but have a standard pawl freehub(-1), 72-pts engagement.

What...no love for Hope? I've greased my pawls 1x in 4-5yrs...and I'm not sure they needed it.

Hope is solid too...I currently run the Hope SS hubs and have run a couple geared sets in the past - great bang for the buck.

On the bearings...IIRC industry9 uses Enduro bearings; King bearings are made in-house.

Neither.

Hadley.

Saying that as someone who has Hope, Hadley, and King rear hubs in my fleet. I'd not buy Hope again unless on more of a budget. If you're looking at king and I9 though, that's not an issue I suppose. Kings are solid, but I've found them to be slightly more finicky in initial setup to keep them solid. Anyhow, with any of them, you're sort of in the "you can't really go wrong" spot.

My King rear is maybe about 7 years old, and working beatifully. Had a Hadley of roughly the same age - sold it off and bought a Hope for the lighter weight. Bad move. Just replaced it recently with another Hadley, relegated the Hope to the least ridden bike.

Kicking myself for having sold the first Hadley now!

Yes, they still odn't ahve a website, but you can buy them from several online places, most shops can order them, etc. When I've swapped axle sizes over, a quick phone call direct to the company gets me the parts in the mail within a couple days. A husband and wife in California, a few empolyees. Cool company.

The presumption was that you knew that I9 spokes can't be used on silly j-bend hubs. But for the same rim, and same build, the I9 wheels will be stiffer. My I9 wheelsets are 32H laced to 729's and I also have 32H Hadleys laced with straight gauge spokes to 729's and there is a noticeable reduction in lateral deflection on the former.

Back in the 90's, CK was far and away the best mtb hubset you could get. Since then, other companies (Hadley, I9, profile) have begun offering hubs of comparable quality. They're all great hubs and all proven. But I would happily trade the often touted (but still breakable) ring drive of the CK for the 60% quicker engagement and stiffer wheel of the industry nines, because those two factors make for a better riding bike.

But ... aluminum spokes?

Aluminum spokes??

How the hell do you stress relieve an aluminum spoke?

Yeah...aluminum spokes is just stupid. Next thing ya know, they'll be making aluminum frames, handlebars, stems, seatposts, I-Beam frames on tractor trailers.

I have no problem with AL spokes, I actually quite like them!!

You don't. Aluminum doesn't elongate like SS spokes. Besides, I9 wheels are propietary and built without any stress to releive, as I understand it.

I would be interested to know if there is any real structural difference when using I9's 'classic' hub (traditionally laced/spoked/rimmed).

A xanax and a neck rub?

^^

A 350° bath for 2 hours and allowing to cool to room temperature should do it. Infusion of mineral salts and eucalyptus leaves in the bath will give an added 'zen' to the stress-relief and will cause the wheel to track truer in the corners and impart to it a clean, fresh smell.

Bicycle wheels are different from all the other components on a bicycle because they are prestressed structures. I'm not saying I don't believe they work, but it would take me a lot of convincing to feel comfortable with a prestressed structure made out of aluminum, since aluminum doesn't stretch nicely, and it is exactly the stretch of the steel spokes that give a wheel its structural strength. See below:

You understand my problem exactly, I think. Are you saying the I9 wheels support weight by something other than spoke tension? How does that work?

I must be missing something...

I guess some of the most popular durable racing wheels like Mavic Ksyrium just don't work. Go figure.

P.S.
From 2007
Absalon has been running Fulcrum's Red Metal Zero disc wheels all season long. The new offering is a close analogue to the company's road-going Racing Zero wheelset, with alloy spokes
"Olympic and World Mountain Bike champion Julien Absalon that is"

Ed, your just stirring the pot, you big instigator you! Keep it up. I love my I-9's, 3 degree engagement has spoiled me. You know what, if i do have to maintain them it's worth it.

I love your I9's too.

Ksyriums have stainless spokes. (Edit: or "zircal", whatever that is.)

I heard Absalon still rides a 26".

FWIW, I didn't say they didn't work. I said I don't understand why they do. Very different.

In the face of overwhelming empirical evidence that they do work, it seems that your only other option is to question your initial assumptions. I would start with

Is it really the "stretch" that adds strength? If so, why don't they make spokes out of rubber bands? Or is it in fact the tensile strength (aka resistance to "stretch") of the spokes that gives the wheel its strength?

And if so, I would suggest that traditional wire spokes, which are cut off a roll of coiled stock, then straightened, then die stamped to add spoke heads, then threaded, then bent to add the j-bend, are subject to and retain internal stresses (as a result of exceeding their elastic limits) before they're even laced to a wheel. So by design, the wire spokes have "stretch" built in as a part of the manufacturing process. But "stretch" isn't strong.

I9 spokes are machined from billet stock and therefore not subject to these manipulative stresses. Here's a photo of them being produced right cheer:



https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...n+colors+in+nc

I do not doubt at all the strength of I9 spokes - - but "machined from billet" in and of itself does not imply strength; especially since we both know an aluminum piece that is manipulated by forging can be much stronger than its machined billet counterpart.

I could get 2prs of HP2's that have proven 4-5yrs strong for the price of 1pr of I9's. I think the argument is hitting that point:

This is the most interesting thread I've read about something I really don't understand.