Industry NINE Wheels

Care and Feeding of Industry Nine wheels – FAQ’s

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

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

:: Aluminum Spokes? How can they be as strong as steel?

By starting with a 20-25% larger cross-sectional area, our machined 7075-T651 aluminum 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 we 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. We’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 our 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. We do recommend that the spokes be retensioned 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 our 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 aluminum spoke is not going to hold up to abrasion as well as steel. We feel the benefits far outweigh the weaknesses. We challenged our test riders to break stuff. In many cases, we have seen spokes chewed nearly in half by maladjusted drivetrains continue to hold tension without adverse affects. We have also seen wheels with half the spokes obviously bent by a foreign object show no loss of trueness. We have even seen wheels with four spokes missing from a derailler failure off the first drop complete a day of downhill runs (after which it did require a new rim). We 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 our .110" DH/FR spokes.

:: What if I want a different rim?

We believe DT-Swiss rims to be unparalleled in quality and consistency. We also understand that everybody has the same opinion about their favorite rim, and we don’t know everything all the time. We 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 we need is the ERD (effective rim diameter) of the rim in question. Either we can acquire your chosen rim for you, or you may provide it. We may have suggestions or cautionary advice about using certain rims with our hubs and spokes, and our body of experience is continually growing. Please call or email for a quote to manufacture a custom wheel kit. While we will sell build kits in the near future, for the sake of accountability we are currently performing the initial assembly of all Industry Nine wheels 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. Our 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! Our lightning quick take-up has become highly desirable on singlespeeds, twenty-niners, and disciplines with gate starts. We have tested our 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, we 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 our 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?

Our near-instant engagement mechanism is not magic, but rather built on solid mechanical principles. Having said this, it is assembled in our 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, we 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, we are prepared to offer a three-year warranty against defects in materials or craftsmanship. Industry Nine will repair or replace, at our 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, drivetrain/frame mechanical failure, or other foreign object intrusion, we will be glad to examine your wheel and supply replacement spoke(s) if we concur. We believe in our product enough to give you the benefit of the doubt in any case where cause of failure is undetermined.

:: One last thing – Are you guys going to make Road Wheels?

Yes. They are being prototyped at this time. And they are spectacular…

Selling Points: What separates Industry Nine wheels from the competition

First and foremost our wheels are 100% made in our Asheville, NC. We outsource rims and bearings…that’s it. Design, manufacturing, quality control, sales, assembly, truing and tensioning are all done in house where we can keep close tabs on tolerances and quality. In a time where the bike industry is constantly moving production overseas to increase margins, we firmly believe in keeping our production in house.

On the performance end of the spectrum we feel our wheels excel in three key areas:

Lightweight

While our one piece 7075-T6 spokes have similar tensile strength as 14g stainless spokes, they weigh about the same as a triple butted spoke. The aluminum construction offers significantly improved lateral stiffness over any butted spoke. Also by eliminating the nipple we 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?

Precision Integration

Our spoke design allows us to eliminate the J-bend and the spoke/nipple interface. Instead our spokes thread directly into the hub shell with a larger diameter thread than the main spoke body, eliminating weakness at the thread. This allowed us to increase the surface contact area by more than 200% over a standard 14g spoke and nipple combination. We also applied this same theory to our one-piece axle assemblies, less interfaces means more durable parts.

Another notable feature concerning precision is our engagement mechanisms. Our 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, we tried a lot of different bearings to find something to hold up to our 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.

Industry NINE FR/DH Wheels.  Using FR6.10 Rims form DT SWISS.

A primary focal point of our wheels is the striking aesthetics. We set out to manufacture the most well thought out and functional wheels on the market. With that goal attained we worked tirelessly to achieve their aesthetic beauty. From the edgy design of the hubshell to the custom color options to the limitless rim choices we ensure that your wheels will look as good as they perform. In house manufacturing allows us to make spoke lengths to fit any rim. It may take a little longer to get but you can ride the rim you trust. We 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, we can do it.

DH/FR Wheels showing the aluminum freehub body.  These wheels were specified for a REAL DH RACER: Min. engagement, durability, and strength!