We built a pair of Hope hubs on Spank rims for a mate of Nick’s and he was so impressed he came to us for advice. He advised us of a history of smashing wheels on Sydney’s Upper North Shore - trails we at XLR8 know well.
Hope Pro4 hubs and Spank Spike rims are logical choices. Both are not the lightest product out there, but they are good value and super tough!
Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples are all that is required to keep the front wheel together, laced in an uber reliable 3x pattern. On the rear we used a 3x pattern again, and brass nipples, but this time Sapim Leader plain gauge spokes keep unwanted lateral flex to an absolute minimum!
From what we can see from Nick’s Instagram feed, he’s loving giving these wheels a really hard time, and he’s super stoked. Awesome.