Mavic EX1028 Rims on Hope Pro5 Hubs

Mavic EX1028 Rims:

The EX 1028 is tMavic's latest gravity rim, and they claim it's the strongest and most durable rim profile ever created. That is a bold statement. The EX1028 is a 28 mm internal width rim that comes in 27.5" (580 grams) and 29" (620 grams) diameters. Both 28 and 32 hole versions are available. Mavic says the EX1028 is their premium gravity-oriented rim and that it's optimized to the limit of material potential, and . A Mavic EX1028 rim will set you back $185 CDN.

I had the EX1028s laced to the Hope Pro5 hubs reviewed below. My first quirk with the EX1028 was air leaking past the Stan's valve stem I installed. It turns out the deep trough in the rim needs a UST Valve Stem. Luckily I had some CushCore valve stems on hand and they sealed up nicely. Once I figured out the valve stem, the initial installation of tires was relatively easy. However, I went to change a tire some weeks later and then things got fun. I couldn't for the life of me get the tire to reinflate. After a ton of faffing I figured out the rim tape had sagged in the regions where the spoke holes scallop into the rim bead area. Air would escape from those scallops and the tire wouldn't bead. The only solution I could get to work was to inflate the tire with a tube, then pop only the tire bead with the un-scalloped side, remove the tube, reinstall the tire, and reinflate. Maybe more rim tape or thicker rim tape would help with this. Thankfully the laser markings and asymmetry of the rim help with identifying which side bead should be popped off.

Hope Pro5 Hubs

Hope has been making hubs for eons. The Hope Pro5 builds to increase reliability over the Pro4 and provide higher engagement. This is Hope's highlight feature list for the Pro5:

• Improved sealing to stop dirt ingress and New Labyrinth seal has zero drag for improved freewheeling performance 
• New Pawl/Spring design to increase longevity, load capacity & a reduction of drag
• Increased engagement from 44 to 108 with a new offset 6 pawl freehub design 
• Wire cut pawls from high-strength steel for maximum strength. 
• New step-down axle design for a stiffer more durable freehub 
• New hub body profile for increased stiffness without adding weight 
• Ebike-specific hub
• Fully serviceable and rebuildable with simple tools 
• Available in 24, 28, 32 and 36 hole drillings 
• Available with all modern freehub bodies 
• End spacers can be easily swapped to suit different frame and axle standards 
• 6 bolt or Centrelock disc fitting
• Available in Black, Silver, Bronze, Red, Blue, Orange & Purple
• $195 CDN for the front hub, $425 CDN for the rear hub, $178 CDN for freehub bodies ( MS, XD, HG and the e-bike version)

Cost-wise the Hope Pro 5 hub set will set you back $620 CDN. The weight for the front is 187 grams, and the weight for the rear is 425 grams. In comparison to other high-engagement hubs on the market, this is competitive, and the Pro 5 comes in fun colours. After a quick teardown of the hubs and all of the internal components, I observed that everything looks well made and put together. The Pro 5 looks like a better-engineered, and durable product than the existing Pro 4.

Ride Impressions

The wheels were built by a reputable local wheel builder. I installed these on the Norco Range with some fresh Schwalbe tires; Super Gravity Magic Mary Ultrasoft front and Super Gravity Big Betty Soft rear. I like the slightly muted noise from the rear hub. It's a higher engagement hub which I like, but without being obnoxiously loud.

After a day riding in the Whistler Bike Park, the rear wheel needed to be re-tensioned and trued. While not ideal, it's a fairly consistent experience for me on any metal rims. Since that initial re-tension of the rear wheel, this has been a durable workhorse wheel set. These wheels have done countless days in the Whistler Bike Park, and been done their fair share of pedaling too. I like high engagement hubs on technical climbs, and when descending. There is a stiffness to the engagement on the Pro 5 hub that I like as well. I've done some severe load testing (accidental send to flat) on the wheels, and both hubs / rims have been ok.

The resulting wheelset feels relatively stiff laterally to me, and I like that. I tend to twist a lot of frames and wheels, and these have felt great through high-load corners. These are a bit heavier than my usual carbon wheelset, and while I notice the additional rotating mass it's not something I've entirely hated either. Particularly in rough bike park-type trails, having some additional mass in the wheels seems to help damp the impacts a bit, even though they feel a bit stiffer.

Looking inside the rear hub, things still look clean. However it has been a fairly dry summer here, and I've lucked out with very few wet days this fall. So I can't comment on the long-term wet weather durability of the Hope Pro 5 just yet. That said, they're made in England, so one would hope (excuse the pun) that wet weather sealing would have been well developed.

Rim wise, there is a small amount of character in the rear wheel, but I've been able to tension it back to relatively straight, and the dents / flat spots are fairly minor. The front rim is still pretty much perfect.

Cash Layout

I was generally impressed with the Mavic EX1028 and Hope Pro5 wheel combination. Cost-wise the rims would be $370 a pair, the hubs would be $620/pair, $36 for valve stems and the build cost me $350 for a total of $1,376.

After Some Abuse

The EX1028 rims are still fairly straight and have proven to be strong gravity-oriented rims. While the front rim is almost perfect, the rear rim has a few minor dents and flat spots. Given the degree of abuse, I'm impressed with the durability of the EX1028 rims. On the downside, I didn't enjoy the extra faf of inflating tires on these rims, or the need for a particular valve stem. If you're the type of rider who prefers metal rims, the EX1028 is a good choice, but I'd prefer to see a 30 mm internal option, and for some of the quirks to be ironed out.

Final Analysis

The Hope 5 hubs have been great workhorses. They roll fast, and haven't given me any issues. For the price and fun colour options I think these are a great choice for a high engagement hub.

While these have been a good wheelset, much like my impression of the Deemax, I'd personally pay the extra $200-300 for a lighter, lower maintenance, more durable high-quality carbon wheelset. I'd strongly consider the Hope Pro 5 hubs for that wheelset too.

Mavic EX1028 Rims

Hope Pro 5 Hubs