Industry Nine Hydra Trail S 27.5in Boost Wheelset for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

Take to the trail with snappy power, without breaking the bank, with Industry Nine's new Hydra Trail S 27.9in Boost Wheelset. These quick-engaging wheels offer the same technology as you'll find in I9's other Hydra Trail systems, but with a more conventional steel spoke that's a bit more economical than the aluminum alternatives, dropping the price down significantly. While in other iterations of the Trail S wheels that we saw in years past I9 downgraded the freehub to shave down the price, this year we see the same exact Hydra freehub implemented in the S model as in all other Hydra models, offering the newest technology with 690 points of engagement that create a hub that drives forward just about the instant you start to hammer on the pedals, propelling you more quickly than any other hub you'll currently find on the market.

The Hydra hubs build on Industry Nine's previous drive system, the Torch, which is pretty easy to spot if you take a peek at the internals. You'll spot a similar pawl layout that we've seen before in the Torch, and the same pristine machining coming straight from Asheville, North Carolina. Like the old Torch hub, the Hydra features a 6 pawl design, but the drive ring amps things up to a 115-tooth drive ring, as opposed to the 60-tooth used in the Torch, crating a whopping 690 points of engagement, blowing the 120 points of engagement of the Torch out of the water. These 690 points of contact translate directly to the snappiest hubs we've ever seen, with only 0.52-degrees of engagement, propelling you forward just about the instant you put any power down. Furthermore, the engineers opted to keep things simple for those of us who tinker on our bikes at home, making the hub fully serviceable without any proprietary tools.

When it comes to tackling the mountain we don't think everyone should have to break the bank, and the designers at I9 don't think so either, which is why this particular model laces up the classic Trail rims to the Hydra hub using the more economical steel spokes, which is where this wheelset gets its "S" designation. The high-performance straight-pull system still offers stiff control with 28-spokes, but with a more conventional, approachable package that fits the pocketbook of those of us who don't want to blow this year's bike-upgrade-budget in one place. The Trail rims used are the same you'll find in the higher-end builds, with lightweight construction, and a moderate 27-millimeter internal width that accommodates 2.2-to-2.5-inch tires, finding the balance between reduced rolling resistance and plush control in corners.