Since the inception of the aptly named ‘Hope Hoops’ range of built wheels, Hope have subsequently won several awards within the MTB press and won over countless riders across the board. Having invested considerably into the latest technology to produce wheels that don’t just meet riders demands, but exceed them too – Hope have really turned a cornerstone in producing products that directly reflect the end users requirements and expectations. It isn’t just the physical product that have made Hope and their products so successful, it is there loyalty to their customers through their reliability and back up offered, which are second to none in the industry.

A dusty Hope Pro 2 Evo Hub laced to the incredibly capable Mavic EX721.

The Hope Hoops range contains 28 different combinations of hubs and rims and all using the best spokes available and all assembled in house in the UK. Each wheel goes through a stringent manufacturing process and no stone goes unturned from the fabrication of the hub, to the hand lacing of the spokes, machine building and then to the hand tension and build. Each wheel is subsequently stressed, tensioned and trued and then subjected to further manual stress, true and final tension with each wheel being manufactured to a tolerance of 0.25mm. Attention to detail is the aim of the game and this is what partly makes Hope the company that they are.

The Pro Evo 2 front hub can be set up via a selection of available adapters to handle every possible axle requirement. Pairing up to the Rock Shox Boxxer on this test bike, we of course went for the 20mm option – changing adapters is also incredibly easy requiring minimal tools and mechanical knowhow. The front wheel weighs in at 985 grams – not bad for a DH wheel!

The Pro 2 Evo hub is designed and built for any kind of riding – from epic cross country all the way to slopestyle and everything in between. You choose the rim, which will likely dictate the usage and Hope do the rest. The machining on the hubs is one thing which Hope have always been well known for and these guys know a thing or two about fabrication.

Hope of course offer a wide selection of colours for their hubs, but consult your dealer first as black is the standard colour for ‘Hoop’ builds from the factory.

Having spent over a year on the older Pro 2 Hoops, I have found them faultless through two crappy winters (snow, snow and more snow) and three different bikes. The new and improved Pro 2 Evo’s are very similar to the original Pro 2 with the rear hub having the upgraded free hub body from the Pro 3 hub.

The Evo 2 rear hub contains a 4 pawl drive mechanism with a quick pick-up, giving a faultless feedback through the drivetrain. The rear hub is available in 135 and 150mm (shown) and a myriad of axle options to suite all bikes and riders alike. Hope hubs are renowned for the noise they make too and I don’t know about you, but I love a loud hub!

Wanna hear this bad boy purr?

The seals in the hubs are tested to withstand anything the grim British weather can throw at them, so there’ll be no issues with longevity especially considering the back up and ease of spares, which are widely and easily available. If you do need to open them up for a service, your probably looking at 10 minutes to get them sorted and back on the bike – these are designed for ease of maintenance, but also lack of it. The hubs run on custom stainless steel bearings throughout that are designed to run for thousands of miles, regardless of the conditions, before requiring any TLC.

The Freehub body is a lovely piece of engineering – each pick up is super positive giving off a really nice positive “click”. The complete rear wheel came in at 1070 grams with the 150mm spacing – the 135mm will no doubt be even lighter depending on axle option.

The Mavic EX721 rim is a sexy rim – gloss black with typical yellow Mavic graphics, but this rim is also incredibly light and strong making it ideal for anything from a DH race bike to hard core trail and enduro bike – combined with the Hope Pro Evo 2 Hubs and your laughing all the way to, around and back from the trails! A winning combination.

Conclusion.

The Hope Hoops option tested here – the Pro Evo 2 hubs on Mavic EX721 rims, come in at £285GBP, which when compared to a pair of Mavic Deemax Ultimate’s at £850, makes for pretty good value for money when you consider the quality of the hub and the rim. The price coupled with the quality and craftsmanship that have gone into every step of the wheels productions and the customer service offered by Hope, all lead to an incredibly capable set of wheels with value for money stamped all over them.

I would definitely recommend Hope Hoops to anyone looking to get a custom wheel package without the hassle of waiting for parts, workshop space and the avoiding the added cost of labour from your local wheel builder. Although there will always be something special about a truly hand built wheel, there is also something for getting a no fuss and highly capable alternative that is as good as and if not better in some cases to a traditional option. If this sounds like what your looking for, Hope have the hub, the rim and axle options there to suite every requirement.

For more on Hope Technology, slap the logo and hit your local dealer! Happy Trails!

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