www.industrynine.net

What separates Industry Nine wheels from the competition?

First and foremost Industry Nine wheels are 100% made in Asheville, NC, USA facility. Rims and bearings are outsource…that’s it. Design, manufacturing, quality control, sales, assembly, truing and tensioning are all done in house where they can keep close tabs on tolerances and quality. In a time where the bike industry is constantly moving production overseas to increase margins, Industry Nine firmly believe in keeping their production in house. On the performance end of the spectrum Industry Nine wheels excel in three key areas:

1. Lightweight
While the one piece 7075-T6 spokes have similar tensile strength as 14g stainless spokes, they weigh about the same as a triple butted spoke. The aluminium construction offers significantly improved lateral stiffness over any butted spoke. Also by eliminating the nipple they reduce rotational mass at the rim. Who else offers an off the shelf 1400gm disc wheelset with strength and lateral stiffness that rivals or exceeds any XC race wheel?

2. Precision Integration
Their spoke design allows them to eliminate the J-bend and the spoke/nipple interface. Instead their spokes thread directly into the hub shell with a larger diameter thread than the main spoke body, eliminating weakness at the thread. This allowed Industry Nine to increase the surface contact area by more than 200% over a standard 14g spoke and nipple combination. They also applied this same theory to our one-piece axle assemblies, less interfaces means more durable parts. Another notable feature concerning precision is their engagement mechanisms. Their patent pending mechanism offers a 3-degree engagement, far less drag than the competition and the ability to withstand over 700 ft lbs of torque! If you need a drive mechanism for your new Formula One car, look us up!

These wheels were born and raised in the temperate rain forest conditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Needless to say, they tried a lot of different bearings to find something to hold up to the wet conditions finally deciding on ABEC 5 grade Japanese bearings due to their superior seals and durability. It would be shameful to suspend such high-end components on anything else.

3. Aesthetics & Customization
A primary focal point of Industry Nine wheels is the striking aesthetics. They set out to manufacture the most well thought out and functional wheels on the market. With that goal attained they worked tirelessly to achieve their aesthetic beauty. From the edgy design of the hub-shell to the custom color options to the limitless rim choices Industry Nine ensures that your wheels will look as good as they perform. In house manufacturing allows them to make spoke lengths to fit any rim. It may take a little longer to get but you can ride the rim you trust. They also are able to do custom color hub and spoke combinations, alternating colors, fades, etc. If you can dream it and your wallet can handle it, Industry Nine can do it.

This stuff looks mighty sweet…where did you guys come from?

Industry Nine come from a strong engineering background, mixed with a large body of cycling experience. They are State Junior Road Champions, Regional DH and XC Series Winners, National-level mechanics and competitors, even Authorized Trek Factory Service Reps. They are Medical Parts Machinists, nuclear engineers, robotics engineers, and artists. They manufacture their parts in the same facility that machined parts for the original RockShox RS-1 and Mag series forks. Part of their design group worked closely with Dia-Compe USA in the 1990’s developing hubs and disc brake systems. They live and work in the cycling mecca of the Eastern United States. Enfolded by the breathtaking Pisgah range of the Blue Ridge Mountains, they are subject to one of the most rugged environments for mountain biking in the world. In short, it was simply inevitable that they would strike upon the ideal combination of solid engineering and astounding aesthetics that are Industry Nine bicycle components.

Aluminium Spokes? How can they be as strong as steel?

By starting with a 20-25% larger cross-sectional area, their machined 7075-T651 aluminium is equal in tensile strength to any 14-gauge or 14/15 DB spoke available. In many ways, the Industry Nine spoke is much stronger, because they have removed all the weak points (known as stress risers) inherent in the design of a traditional hooked steel spoke.

First, the spoke has no bend. This is nothing new, but remains an intelligent design. Most steel spokes fail either at the middle of the bend, or the first thread at the nipple end. By eliminating the bend altogether, the spoke is instantly less prone to fatigue stress failure.

Second, the root diameter of the Industry Nine one-piece spoke thread is actually larger than the diameter of the length of the spoke. Other spokes fail at the first thread because the root diameter (the bottom of the thread’s “V”) is actually the smallest diameter of the spoke, just where slight relative motions of the nipple apply additional bending forces.

Is it hard to keep true? The spoke must wind up when you try to turn it.

Actually not any more than a traditional spoke. The larger cross-section allows the spoke to act like a very long screw. By using similar very hard alloys in the spoke and hub, and lubrication during assembly, the spokes remain free of corrosion – which is the true cause of frozen nipples, along with metal-to-metal galling that happens with multiple-piece designs. They’ve also eliminated the need for special tools of any kind. A standard .126” (15 ga) spoke wrench fits perfectly.

While very similar in practice to truing traditional wheels, the larger thread pitch of their spokes requires a small adjustment in practice, because less rotation is needed to effect the same increase in tension (which is really a measurement of elongation in the case of a spoke). Once the mechanic learns to think in quarter-turns, even 1/8-turns, truing the wheels becomes second nature. They do recommend that the spokes be re-tensioned once after an initial break-in period of 4-6 hours.

Why the two cross spoke pattern? Isn’t a three-cross stronger?

While visually the wheels have two crosses, technically they are a three-cross pattern. Three-cross has been the standard for hardy wheel builds since time immemorial. The spokes of an Industry Nine wheel actually cross where they are threaded into the hub. Combine this feature with a fairly large flange width, and our wheels again achieve the best of both worlds – laterally and torsionally stiff.

What about sticks? Or say my chain gets thrown over the cassette…

Obviously, the aluminium spoke is not going to hold up to abrasion as well as steel. They feel the benefits far outweigh the weaknesses. They challenged their test riders to break stuff. In many cases, they have seen spokes chewed nearly in half by maladjusted drive-trains continue to hold tension without adverse affects. They have also seen wheels with half the spokes obviously bent by a foreign object show no loss of trueness. They have even seen wheels with four spokes missing from a derailleur failure off the first drop complete a day of downhill runs (after which it did require a new rim).They recommend replacement of nicked or chewed up spokes at the earliest convenience. Bent spokes can be straightened by hand and the wheel simply re-trued. If you are a rider who consistently breaks spokes in normal riding, consider ordering their .110” DH/FR spokes.

What if I want a different rim?

Industry Nine believe DT-Swiss rims to be unparalleled in quality and consistency. They also understand that everybody has the same opinion about their favourite rim, and they don’t know everything all the time. Industry Nine can machine spokes to any length imaginable, accommodating all 32-hole rims on the market, including those by Stan’s, Sun, Salsa, and Mavic UST. All they need is the ERD (effective rim diameter) of the rim in question. Either they can acquire your chosen rim for you, or you may provide it. They may have suggestions or cautionary advice about using certain rims with their hubs and spokes, and their body of experience is continually growing. All Industry Nine wheels are currently assembled in-house.

Holy 120 engagement points! How strong is your drive mechanism?

The Industry Nine drive mechanism is a fairly simple, tried-and-true pawl arrangement. When engaged, each of the three driving pawls itself has three points, providing nine points of contact to the hardened A2 drive ring. The drive ring has 60 teeth, which would normally allow a 6-degree engagement – among the fastest in the industry. Industry Nine proprietary mechanism allows for a second set of three pawls, phased three degrees from the first. This feature cuts engagement time in half, to a mind-blowing three degrees! Their lightning quick take-up has become highly desirable on singlespeeds, twenty-niners, and disciplines with gate starts. They have tested their drive system beyond 700 ft-lbs of torque, which amounts roughly to a super-chipped Ford Power Stroke turbo diesel engine. In over two years of prototyping and testing, they have had zero drive mechanism failures.


How loud is it? Does it scream down the trail like my other hubs do?

The pawl mechanism of Industry Nine hubs has a distinctive buzz that gets quieter with break-in time. It has the sound of nothing more than the highest-quality sprung pawl system. Most riders report that the noise is inaudible over the wind at higher speeds. It is loud enough to be heard, yet not so loud as to detract from the experience you are trying to enjoy.

Is your drive mechanism user serviceable?

Their near-instant engagement mechanism is not magic, but rather built on solid mechanical principles. Having said this, it is assembled in their facility under highly controlled conditions by persons intimately familiar with its operation. Disassembly by the end user is possible, and fairly easy with the proper tools. To a skilled and versatile mechanic, it will present no problems, especially once we have published an exploded view and service instructions. In the immediate meantime, they recommend contacting Factory Technical Assistance for rear hub service. Hubs that experience failure after unauthorized service can of course be repaired, just not under warranty.

Speaking of which, What is your Warranty?
 
At this time, Industry Nine are prepared to offer a three-year warranty against defects in materials or craftsmanship. Industry Nine will repair or replace, at their discretion, any affected components or assemblies. The warranty will apply to the hub shell, axle, and drive mechanism. Spokes will be warranted against defects, but not trail accidents or Acts of God. If you believe your spoke failure truly has nothing to do with a crash, drive-train/frame mechanical failure, or other foreign object intrusion, Industry Nine would be glad to examine your wheel and supply replacement spoke(s) if they concur. They believe in their product enough to give you the benefit of the doubt in any case where cause of failure is undetermined.
 

Additional Features

3 or 6 Degree Engagement Time - With their proprietary design, it's your choice. Order 6 pawls for a nearly instantaneous 3 Degree engagement time. Or order 3 pawls for a 6 Degree engagement time and a slight reduction in weight and friction. Either way you will have a mechanism with less drag and noise than the competition.

Ultra-light One Piece 7075-T6 CNC Machined Aluminium Spoke - With no spoke nipple, you lose the rotational weight and create a rim-to-hub connection that is responsive and stiff. The spokes have the tool flats machined directly into the spoke itself allowing for truing at the rim using standard.126 spoke wrench. Also, their spoke threads directly into the hub with a larger thread than the main spoke body, eliminating it as a weak point of the spoke and making a complete system that is clean, efficient, and easy to use.

7068 Aluminium Cassette Body - New to the street, 7068 has a tensile strength 20% higher than 7075. It is used in key areas where strength is critical to ensure the cassette body will go the distance and take the punishment of their super fast mechanism.

7075-T6 Hub Shells and Axles - They use 7075 in their hub shells and axles, period. It's strong, machines well and creates a component that you can be confident of day in and day out.

32 Spoke - Three Cross Pattern - More spokes displaces impacts across a broader area and keeps your wheel in true longer. While the wheels visually have a 2-cross pattern, they cross inside the hub shell, technically giving a three cross pattern. This has been used to optimize lateral stiffness and torsional strength for both acceleration and braking.

Colors and Options - Standard colors (RED/BLACK/SILVER) in any hub/spoke combination. Custom colors (BLUE/GREEN/GOLD/ORANGE/BLUE PEWTER/PINK). Custom build to any 32 hole rim. Ultralite wheelsets down to 1400grams. Lefty, Maverick and Single-Speed hubs available.
 

ALL MOUNTAIN

ULTRALITE

ENDURO

DOWNHILL / FREERIDE

SINGLESPEED

TWENTY-NINER