Need To Beef Up My Rear Hub

Monday I went mountain biking with my cross bike and midway through the ride after really pushing up some steep hills my freehub stopped engaging.

I would like to continue to mountain bike on my cross bike, and continue to grunt up steep hills. I also would like to continue to do cross races and go on long flat gravel rides.

My bike is a stock 2013 Brodie Romax with a Sun Ringle rear hub. Spec.

I'm pushing a 34/50 up front with 12-28 in the back. I am strong enough to turn the cranks on the up-hills, it works fine for the cross racing I've been doing, and I don't want to give anything up on the long gravel rides.

I'm thinking I should give up on the Sun Ringle hub as I've been told replacement parts are expensive and the freehub isn't great anyway.
I would then order a new rear hub that could handle my abuse and lace it up to my current Stans Black Flag rim.

I don't know what hub I should be looking for though. I'm pretty sure the hub needed is 135mm, but I'm only counting 28 spokes. I'm looking for suggestions from people who have had similar problems.

I am also looking for alternative suggestions for solving my problem.

One alternative I've found would be just ordering a new wheel from the inter web. I think this is narrow enough for my cross tires: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ca/en/hope-hoops-pro-2-evo-tech-xc-rear/rp-prod1179960

My biggest problem is that I don't have any tools (besides a pump, tire lever, and allen key set) and wont for another three months so I'm at the mercy of the bike shops in Regina for repairs. The good thing is that I have borrowed a cross bike for until the end of the month so I'm not without wheels while my bike is down (I am staying off the mountain bike trails until mines going again though).

Hope Pro 2 comes in a 28 hole version. Resonably priced and very easy to work on, though mine have always lasted well with minimal maintenance.

Those Hope Hoops with their own rims are hard to beat on price though.

x2 on the hope hub $$$ well spent .

I just picked up one of the newer 40t engagement Hope Evo 2s. So far it's awesome. It engages a bit quicker than my old Hope hub. If you kill the Hope there is another level of super hubs (Chris King, DT Swiss, Industry 9, etc) but they are incredibly expensive. Hope seems to offer the best price:performance ratio.

Yep, Hope is the best choice… this thread comes up often.

An other vote for Hope. I have dt swiss 240 as well. Hope is all I'll buy from now on they cant be beat. Well made, work, reliable and not stupid expensive. And if it's important to you made in the UK not China.

I just picked up one of the newer 40t engagement Hope Evo 2s. So far it's awesome. It engages a bit quicker than my old Hope hub. If you kill the Hope there is another level of super hubs (Chris King, DT Swiss, Industry 9, etc) but they are incredibly expensive. Hope seems to offer the best price:performance ratio.

i have a 40t on my trailbike as well love the sound . i have a 32t as well and it,s been flawless in performance as well .

I have Hope EVO2s, but I am not sure that they are hub to go to if you want to "beef up". My reason for saying this is that the freehub shell on mine cracked big time, and I don't think I am big hammer-time rider.

That said, this cracking did not really effect the riding (the cassette with its many splines held the cracked freehub shell together nicely and I only found it the problem when I disassembled for other reasons). AND, Hope replaced it via NRG in Nelson. NRG, the distributor, is great to deal with.

So what I am saying is: Hope hubs (and Hope Hoops in particular, check CRC or Wiggle etc.) are really good value, but they are not bomb-proof, but partially making up for this they are very well supported with an excellent warranty that Hope and their local distributor truly honours.

I have Hope EVO2s, but I am not sure that they are hub to go to if you want to "beef up". My reason for saying this is that the freehub shell on mine cracked big time, and I don't think I am big hammer-time rider.

That said, this cracking did not really effect the riding (the cassette with its many splines held the cracked freehub shell together nicely and I only found it the problem when I disassembled for other reasons). AND, Hope replaced it via NRG in Nelson. NRG, the distributor, is great to deal with.

So what I am saying is: Hope hubs (and Hope Hoops in particular, check CRC or Wiggle etc.) are really good value, but they are not bomb-proof, but partially making up for this they are very well supported with an excellent warranty that Hope and their local distributor truly honours.

Damn. I was hoping for a reply like this before I ordered. Some justification for splurging on something pricier than hope with the piece of mind that I would never run into problems again.

I ordered the Hope hub laced to their XC rim last night though.

The shop had come up with an Easton wheel for around the same price as the hope, and it was also going to be about a week to come in. I figured the Hope had enough support to pull the trigger.

Will update if I encounter problems with it.

How does one tell the 40t apart from the 32t engagement hubs?
FYI I have a blue 157x12 Pro2 32H

they are new for 2014 for one , mine has 40T laser etched on the shell as well , they also sounds different then a 32 .

FYI you can upgrade the Hopes to a steel free hub body if needed .

they are new for 2014 for one , mine has 40T laser etched on the shell as well , they also sounds different then a 32 .

FYI you can upgrade the Hopes to a steel free hub body if needed .

Yes, the steel freehub body is a good idea if you want to use a cheap cassette. I use on on my fatbike that gets ridden all winter and it doesn't gouge at all…

they are new for 2014 for one , mine has 40T laser etched on the shell as well , they also sounds different then a 32 .

FYI you can upgrade the Hopes to a steel free hub body if needed .

Mine does as well. E-High Five!