Review

Hope Tech XC Wheelset Review

21.01.2016
by

In today’s very price focussed market, bike brands are increasingly being pushed hard to deliver more for less, driving the sticker price down to appeal to those who buy with their head rather than their heart. We all know we can’t have something for nothing and often compromises have been made in the specification. The wheels are often overlooked, yet crucial for how a bike feels and holds up. Is the Hope Tech XC wheelset a worthy upgrade?

A fancy drivetrain and fork certainly helps when selling a bike, but the all important wheels are often the first to suffer from penny pinching by brands. Cheap wheels can ruin the handling of a good bike, leaving it feeling baggy, lumbering and unresponsive (this is especially true of 29ers), and often a wheel upgrade will transform the ride. We have been testing the €526 Hope Tech XC wheelset to see how this (relatively) affordable 29er wheelset handles some rough use.

Hope Tech XC wheelset with mounted tires
Is the Hope Tech XC wheelset a worthy upgrade?

The Tech XC wheelset is Hope’s lightest factory wheelset, using Sapim Race / Sprint spokes they weigh in at 1741 g for the set. Although not the lightest Hope claim that their 19.5 mm internal width welded and eyeleted T6 6056 Aluminium rims are some of the stiffest on the market, and their rugged Pro EVO (now fitted with Pro 4 EVO) hubs have been tried and tested in the field with great success. The Tech XC’s are available in all three wheel sizes and the EVO hubs allow almost any axle configuration to be accommodated.

All HOPE wheels are produced in their Barnoldswick plant in the UK, first by machine.....
All Hope wheels are produced in their Barnoldswick plant in the UK, first by machine…..
.....then carefully finished by hand to ensure they are perfectly tensioned.
…..then carefully finished by hand to ensure they are perfectly tensioned.

Riding the Hope Tech XC Wheelset

After over 1000 km the Hope Tech XC wheels are soldiering on well. From experience of other Hope wheelsets under test we know that the Hope Pro 2 EVO hubs are only just getting into their stride, and as expected we have not encountered any reliability issues. It would be nicer to have a faster engagement pickup, but this has now been achieved with Hopes’s latest Pro 4 hubs, now fitted as standard. The rims themselves have proven solid in some quite surprising terrain. The 19.5 mm internal width is a little skinny by todays standards, but holds a 2.35 inch tyre well enough as long as you don’t go too extreme with low pressures (where the tyre starts to tuck under a little). For fast trail centre blasting they are perfect.

HOPE's reliable and adaptable hubs are the heart of the wheels, The Pro2's we tested will now be Pro4's
HOPE’s reliable and adaptable hubs are the heart of the wheels, The Pro2’s we tested will now be Pro4’s
The Tech XC rims are tubeless compatible and available in all three wheel sizes
The Tech XC rims are tubeless compatible and available in all three wheel sizes
The Pro2 and the new Pro4 axles are compatible with all current standards.
The Pro 2 EVO and the new Pro 4 EVO hubs are compatible with all current standards.

We have been very impressed with the strength and stiffness of the wheel, especially in the 29er size. On hard berms and compressions we didn’t experience any feeling of the rim folding over, or the musical ‘plinking’ of spokes moving around that is all too common in weaker rims, just accurate and precise steering. We pushed the wheels in terrain that would certainly be defined as ‘enduro’ and they held up surprisingly well, and after a couple of days battering through rock gardens all they needed was a few tweaks to bring them back to true. On that note, the eyeletted T-6056 Aluminium rim makes truing the rim a breeze and it’s very easy to achieve even tension on the black Sapim Race / Sprint double butted stainless steel spokes and solid brass nipples.

The eyeletted construction improves spoke tension and makes truing a little easier
The eyeletted construction improves spoke tension and makes truing a little easier

If you like a loud free hub you will love the Pro 2 EVO (and the new Pro 4 EVO now fitted) as it’s ridiculously vocal, hikers and wildlife will jump for cover as you buzz loudly down the trail, sounding like a hornet stuck in a megaphone. The freehub is also really easy to service and bearing and spring changes are well within the realms of an ambitious home mechanic, especially as spare parts are available from all good bike shops,

We have pushed the wheels far beyond XC terrain and they have proved robust and reliable.
We have pushed the wheels far beyond XC terrain and they have proved robust and reliable.
The HOPE Tech XC wheels would make a great upgrade to cheap OEM wheels.
The Hope Tech XC wheelset would make a great upgrade to cheap OEM wheels.

Conclusion

So not just for XC weight weenies then! If you have cheap OEM wheels on your bike, especially 29 ers, and do not need a wide rim, the Hope Tech XC Pro 2 EVO wheels will be a good upgrade. Stiff and strong they offer precise handling and reliability at a very affordable price point. The new Pro 4 EVO hub brings improvements in engagement speed without any increase in cost and you can even choose your hub colour. Heavier or more aggressive riders, or those who love low pressures should look towards the wider and stronger (albeit heavier) Hope Tech ENDURO wheelset, but for riders focussing more on high speed trail fun, and who don’t need to run huge tyres, the Tech XC wheels will reward with rapid acceleration and precise handling.

For more information check out the HOPE website

Words and photos: Trev Worsey

Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.

You may also like