Hey guys, after breaking a spoke on my road bike and still trying to get it fixed because Shimano wheels are apparently a pain to deal with, I'm further realizing the advantages of two wheelsets. Thankfully I already have a spare wheelset for my road bike. However, I tend to put more mileage on my gravel bike for which I have no extra wheelset currently.

Soooo, a couple mechanic friends have offered to build the wheels for me. I've decided on everything else but going back on the forth regarding the hub. I do a lot of long rides on my gravel grinder so durability is probably top of the list. Easy maintenance and servicing is most likely second.

I've narrowed it down to 2 or 3 hubs.

-Hope Pro 4 - high points of engagement, different color options, heard they're very durable and easy to service, pretty good price, but harder to get (made in UK) and only come in 6 bolt and I kind of like Centerlock.

-DT Swiss 240s - lower points of engagement but can upgrade, only one color option, known for durability and easy to service and maintain, bit more than either of the other hubs price-wise, comes in Centerlock, good track record for their hubs/products.

-Industry Nine Torch CX/Disc - high points of engagement, different colors, appear to be very well machined, seems a little difficult to find servicing and maintenance stuff on them, using employee pricing I can get them for a good price, 6 bolt or Centerlock, don't have as long of a track record and I've heard the bearing aren't real great (may be an old issue that has been solved).

These are the ones I've narrowed it down to because of options they come in, all come in thru-axle without needing additional kits, etc.

Thanks in advance for the help and advice and let me know if you guys need more information.

Ben I.

Try asking here: Recreational Cyclocross and Gravelbiking - Bike Forums You might get a recommendation for a very sturdy hub.

What is high or low points of engagement mean?

Points of engagement (POE) is how long does it take the the hub to engage the wheel after you start pedaling. More POE and you'll feel it engage almost immediately, lower POE, you'll have to turn the cranks more before it engages.

I figure that this section has a lot more traffic and will get more responses, but can't hurt to post it there too.

he meant 'many' and 'few', which defines maximum arc degrees of free-play in the forward pedal stroke

I9 hubs are nice unless you ride in sloppy conditions. The freehub internals are sensitive to fouling, but they can be serviced by any watch repairman(slight exaggeration).

From the articles I've found, people like them but they haven't been around all that long so a little hesitant to go with them instead of a more established company like DT Swiss.

What do you mean that they can be serviced by any watch repairman? That they're hard/complicated to service?

Replacing the internals takes a steady hand, and good eyesight.