Industry Nine pushed the engagement envelope when they launched their Hydra hub in 2019. 690 points of engagement? Ludicrous. With an assertive hiss and an array of anodized color options, Hydra has been a bold but popular choice in the world of high-performance hubs. However, this popularity wasn't without faults or room for improvement. The second generation Hydra, creatively named Hydra2, introduces numerous changes to bump up durability and lower rolling resistance. And, of course, pushing P.O.E. to a new level.
Key Updates
- Higher engagement: .41-degrees / 870 P.O.E.
- Stronger drive ring with 145 teeth
- Larger pawl pockets to prevent stretching/elongating
- Pawls now feature three teeth instead of two
- New labyrinth channel and radial lip seal around the freehub
- Larger 61903 bearings
- New bearing preload design
- Axle thickness increased under bearings
- J-Bend spoke options: 28/32 hole, 6-bolt or CL rotors
- Industry Nine alloy spoke options: 32 hole, 6 bolt only
- 12 anodized colors
- Manufactured in Asheville, NC
- Weight (boost, 6B, 32h): 449g (157g front, 292g rear)
- MSRP (USD): Front: $230 / Rear: $470 / Hubset: $700 / Alloy Wheelset: $995-$1,395 / Carbon Wheelset: $1,850-$2,295
Strengths | Weaknesses |
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What's New With Hydra?
Hydra2 employs the same continuous phasing pawl design as the first Hydra hub. Instead of each pawl engaging the drive ring simultaneously, Hydra's six pawls engage one at a time. This allows the hub to accommodate the inherent flex caused by pedaling, avoiding mistimed pawl engagement and the resulting strain this puts on the hub axle, bearings, and freehub. As the first pawl engages the drive ring, any flex causes the second, third, and potentially fourth pawl to engage.
While flex is necessary for the hub to function, it hasn't been a foolproof design. See, aluminum isn't too fond of repetitive flexing, and neither are bearings. Over the years, Hydra's rear hub has had issues with breaking axles and accelerated bearing and pawl wear. Industry Nine did a running update to the Hydra axle in 2022 (called the Stress Riser Washer Kit) that shifted the weak point of the axle away from the drive side bearing while still allowing for some axle flex in-bore of the bearing. The updated axle did minimize axle failures. However, it didn't solve the issue of unwanted bearing load.
Hydra2 features a new axle that maintains the stress riser washer update from 2022 but is also thicker under the bearings and has a wider diameter to make it stiffer. Increased stiffness means less flex, less stress on the bearings, and less chance of axle failures over time.
Equally as important is a new preload design that loads the hub bearings radially instead of axially. Before, the bearings' inner race was preloaded axially to remove bearing clearance, which was more susceptible to inconsistent preload from varying axle tightness. For those like me who don't know what bearing clearance is, I'll save you a Google search—it's the small space inside a bearing between the balls and outer races. Hydra2 bearings are axially aligned on the axle, but the outer race is radially loaded via a slightly shrunk hub bore to remove bearing clearance. This reduces the variables preloading the bearings to just the hub and axle diameter, resulting in a more consistent preload that produces better bearing life and rolling efficiency. The new preload design is used in the front and rear hub.
On top of the axle and bearings being beefed up, so have the freehub pawls. They now feature three teeth instead of two, and larger pawl pockets to prevent stretching and deforming. An issue that wasn't too uncommon with the previous Hydra. The drive ring is made from a tougher metal than before (i9 wouldn't disclose the exact grade) and is protected by a new radial lip seal in the hub. Before the seal was placed on the freehub. The rear non-drive side and both sides of the front hub also use new radial lip seals that have worked flawlessly to keep crude from working its way to the bearings.
"60% less coasting drag than its predecessor." Talk about a claim. Industry Nine said Hydra2's new bearing preload design is the main culprit for the increase in free speed. The new seals and light spring pressure under the pawls further lower resistance.
Just like you can't launch a trail bike without in-frame storage or a new XC frame that isn't a couple of grams lighter than before, you can't make a new Hydra hub without adding points of engagement. I don't make the rules. Hydra2 delivers a wild .41-degrees/870 P.O.E., compared to Hydra’s .53-degrees/690 P.O.E.. The drive ring also jumps from 115 to 145 teeth. For those who have a hard time telling the difference between clicks of compression on their fork, good luck noticing the .12 degrees of quicker engagement. Fast is fast, and that's what Hydra hubs are known for.
Hub Configurations
The Hydra2 is available as a hubset, front or rear only, or can be acquired through various Industry Nine complete wheelsets. If you want to pair the hubs with i9's direct thread, aluminum spokes, you will be limited to 32 spokes and 6-bolt rotors. J-bend spoke hubs are available in a wider variety, with centerlock, 6-bolt, 28 and 32 spoke options.
Industry Nine is also simplifying the naming of its wheel line with the launch of Hydra2 which should make it easier to shop by hub, rim material, and riding discipline. For example, I tested Hydra2 with the EN325/310 rims, which will be called the Hydra2 Enduro Carbon wheels moving forward.
Setup
While you can't mechanically adjust the decibels of the Hydra2, you can and should tune its scream with freehub grease or oil. Dumonde Tech's freehub oil has been my preferred elixir since my racing days, and their freehub grease further mutes free wheel whizzing. Here is a quick sound check of what 870 P.O.E. sounds like when dry, oiled, and greased.
On The Trail
No fluff, straight to the point—the Hydra2 hubs have performed flawlessly the past four months and are showing no signs of wear. They have also rolled faster than any Hydra hub I've ridden and have collected less grim inside. Besides the increased coasting speed, the feel of the rear hub hasn't been much different than the previous Hydra. The instant engagement is beneficial during awkward climbs that require well-timed pedal strokes. I've also noticed my shifts are smoother as the lack of freehub play minimizes chain whip between gears. As a flat pedal rider, this had made it much easier to hold a cadence through gear changes.
On descents, the high engagement eliminates the freehub knock that low-engagement hubs are plagued with. This has minimized drivetrain rattling. However, any chain slap or derailleur clanking has been replaced by the whine of the hub, which drowns out most other bike noises. It's a debated topic, riding high decibel, high engagement hubs versus low engagement, quiet hubs. I typically enjoy hubs with decent engagement and a moderate buzz. But to play devil's advocate, I find that after a few rides with a Hydra, your mind becomes immune to the sound. I played around with different lubricants to change the freehub pitch, and Dumonde Tech's FH grease produced the most subdued whizzing.
I racked up just shy of 300 miles on the Hydra2 hubs during a concerningly dry November to January in SoCal. Silty dust isn't as penetrating as the greasy mud I've ridden on the East Coast or PNW, but it's definitely abrasive. I've also been testing some other drivetrain bits lately, and in an attempt to accelerate wear, I have been washing my bike at least once a week. I know, I'm wild. It wasn't until last week that I pulled the end caps and freehub off to get a status check on things and was pleased to find nothing more than some broken-down grease. The new seal around the freehub, non-drive side bearing, and both sides of the front hub are more air-tight than most hubs I've ridden. I didn't expect to find any blown bearings or axle scaring this many miles in, but the lack of any contaminants was reassuring.
What's The Bottom Line?
Hyrdra2 delivers the same day-to-day performance as the original Hydra, but is better equipped to deliver that performance in the long term thanks to a more robust axle, bearings, seals, and pawls. This should also make the rear hub much better suited to the demands of e-bikes. Time will be the ultimate decider, but thus far, all signs point to longer bearing life, consistent pawl engagement, and less drag.
For more information, please visit industrynine.com.
| Where To Buy | |||
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Free shipping on orders over $69 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply. |
Free shipping on orders over $69 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply. $444.34
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Free U.S. shipping on everything.
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply. |
Free U.S. shipping on everything.
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply. $470.00
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Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply. |
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply. $40.00
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3/6/2025 6:00am
View replies to: TESTED: Industry Nine Hydra2 Hub
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