26" Hope hoops enduro wheelset

*I ordered these wheels from Chain reaction. I knew the price was right because my gf didn't flinch when I told her I was only spending $500 on new wheels**. I was skeptical about having wheels shipped from the UK and the box did come-in pretty banged up but the wheels were well packaged and pristine.


(Image taken from the interwebs @ dirtmountaibike.com)

I have close to ten rides on these wheels now and I'm really enjoying them. The hubs are Hope's Pro 2Evo. Engagement is noticeably quicker than my old DT swiss hubs (not sure the model.) It's a nice step-up for me. Riders used to higher end hubs would probably not be impressed with the slightly quicker feel but I'm coming from a lifetime of OE and sub-$300 wheel sets so these are awesome for me.
The clickety-clack sound is really nice. I know this is a love-it-or-hate-it thing for cyclists. While the fishing reel whir does not necessarily mean it's a better hub, I associate the sound with nicer hubs like CK or I9 and it makes me happy. An added bonus is that hikers seem to hear me coming so, no more ninja cyclist/ scarred hiker situations.

The front wheel came as a 15mm through axle and an extra $18 bought me the 20MM adapter for my RS Pike. The kit was really quick and easy to install. Fit and finish are on-point. The hub and rims are anodized black. The contrasting white graphics are painted rather than sticker-ed on the rims. That's a nice touch but some people might not like that, if you are the kind of person who likes to peel-off the branding. I usually am.

Bottom line; great upgrade from my OE previous wheel sets. I think that for my 155 lbs. this is going to hold-up really well and hopefully last several years. Nice looking wheels, sound great (to me,) and no disapproving looks from my gf or comments that I should wait until after our wedding to buy bike stuff.

* Sorry for my run-on sentences and terrible grammar.

** This comes after years of showing her new bike prices. She's also the kind of girl who'll go shopping at forever 21 or H & M every week. She knows I'll spend $100 on a shirt but, I also only own about 5 shirts and that shirt will last me at least 3 years and is usually Made in the USA. So, yes, my "expensive tastes," as she calls them are actually just a preference for quality over quantity and she's become desensitized to it over time. And c'mon! $500 is a good deal for a wheelset.