It’s been a fair while since I’ve done any riding and after dragging my old Specialized Enduro out and trying to get it ready to ride, I’m aware that the DH oriented wheel set is going to be a tad heavy to lug uphill. As such, I’m in the market for a new rear wheel at least.

Given my lack of current knowledge and that all wheel sizes have gone up, can I transfer my old 9-speed cassette to say, a 10 speed hub, or do I need the right size hub/shifter combo for the job?

Any links to decent value 26 inch wheel sets would also be appreciated.

You can. 8,9,10 & 11spd shimano mtb cassettes all run on the same freehub body.

Cheers!

You won’t get a much better value/strength combo than Hope Tech Enduros. Maybe a tad heavier than the competition, but they are stronger than most for a minor weight penalty.

If your swapping the lot at the back take a look at sram gx, more range lighter than xt and same ball park for prices.