Hi there, I need some new wheels for my build, and I’m trying to decide whether to get some Hope Hoops now, or wait till January for the Pro 2 Evos.

I can get the Bike Chain 10% discount, and VAT at the current lower rate if I buy now, but as it’s still a big investment, is it worth waiting for the Evos? What are the differences, and will they be massively better?

Also, I’m trying to decide between Stan’s Arch and Flow rims. I only weigh 60kg, but am not shy on jumps and drops. They’ll be going on my Cannondale Prophet.

Ta.

I think they are updated to accommodate the axle standards that the pro2 doesn’t ie 17mm axle.

A 17mm axle? what will they think of next? I saw the STW report, it said something about Pro 3 style bearings? Are the Pro 2 bearings alright?

The one ‘flaw’ with the Pro 2 is that to accommodate the larger axle sizes, the bearing are tiny even if you run a standard 10mm QR axle. That’s a hard problem to solve without using spacers in the bearing seats when running large-axles. I am running a Pro 2 from the first production run in late ’05, the two bearings that sit at the body/freehub interface need replaced every few months, the others are fine.

What is a Pro 3 style bearing?