Market: The Hope Pro 2 Evo is probably one of the most popular mountain bike hubs available at the moment. Reliable, well made, reasonably light and financially affordable - for these reasons, the hubs manufactured entirely in England are the first choice for many bikers and wheel builders. In January, the Hope Pro 4, the successor to the British evergreen, will be released.
The Hope Pro 4 has big shoes to fill. Many bikers have sworn by the predecessor Pro 2 Evo for years, but a look at the technical data reveals that hub fans don't have to worry: At Hope they don't want to reinvent the hub, they just give it a few updates, get it However, the basic values that already distinguished the Pro 2 Evo.
One reason Hope hubs have a great reputation is their incredible flexibility. At a time when rear end widths and axle standards are increasing almost every year, this is a factor that should not be underestimated: many bikers want to take the wheelset they love with them on their new bike or maybe ride in different frames - thanks to the Hope hubs in the past this was possible numerous conversion kits are no problem and will remain so in the future.
The rear wheel hub of the Pro 4 can be used with quick release, 10mm, 12mm thru axle and 142mm - on the front are quick release, 12mm, 15mm and 20mm mobile. All standards are based on the same hub body, a conversion kit is sufficient. Even with the new Boost standard, Hope is more customer-friendly than most of the competition. Although the Brits also offer a dedicated, wide Boost hub that takes full advantage of the new standard, anyone who wants to can convert their existing hub to the larger installation width with the help of a conversion kit.
Almost anything is possible with the freewheels: the standard freewheel accepts cassettes from Shimano up to 11-speed and SRAM up to 10-speed, special freewheels are available for SRAM XD and Campagnolo. All conversion measures can be carried out in just a few simple steps and without special tools. Also customer-friendly: All old Pro 2 Evo conversion kits can also be used for the new Pro 4 hub.
If so much stays the same - why a new hub at all? The biggest innovation is probably the larger hub flange - Hope reacts here to the larger wheel sizes and the higher forces that act on the hub. Thanks to the more generously dimensioned flange, significantly stiffer wheels can be built overall. The 44 locking points of the pawl freewheel are also new: the Pro 2 Evo had only two years ago been updated from the original 24 to 40 locking points, so with the Pro 4 the engagement angle is even smaller, which is probably particularly the case for trip bikers and those with an affinity for trials drivers should be happy.
The Hope Pro 4 will be available from January - prices are not yet known.