Hope produces the world’s lightest (that we know of) rear cassette system for a mountain bike…
Our local neighbourhood engineering folks at Hope Technology has obviously been putting its thinking cap on. It has managed to come out with a new cassette system that saves some significant weight over even the highest end gear. Being hub-makers and all, Hope has done away with the traditional cassette body and just made the cassette a part of the hub itself. There’s no cassette body, the cassette already has pawls and bearings in it and attaches directly to a Hope hub. In ten speed, the big five cogs are ally, the smaller ones will be steel. There are several advantages to this: by not needing a lockring, the outer sprocket can be pretty tiny – down to 9T if you’ve got the legs for it. The biggest sprocket can be pretty big… It’ll fit all Pro3 and the new Pro2 Evo hubs (out in January). The cassette will be out in ‘Spring or so’ according to Hope. It also reckons that, when compared to a Hope hub with SRAM XX cassette, the Hope hub plus cassette version comes in 20g lighter overall. Wow… Let’s hope it wears and shifts as well as it looks.
Other Hope goodies include some new Hope chainrings and a hastily prototyped single ring guide.
There’s a new Vision rear light with three super bright LEDs. It comes with a rear QR bracket and a ‘Y’ connector to join it on to your existing Vision light system. It’s bright enough to be seen in daylight from 100 yards and is going to be annoying for your mates behind you. The light, bracket and cable will be £99.
Headsets: there are many, many different headsets all of a sudden, but Hope has a solution in the form of a pick ‘n’ mix stand of headset halves, all served individually. There are five tops and five bottoms. Between them Hope reckons it has every modern headset system covered.
Finally from Hope, there’s some hub news: the Pro2 hub will morph into the Pro2 Evo in January. This will make it more versatile by allowing axle changes – giving you the same front and rear axle options as its Pro3 hubs. So if you want a rear QR or a Maxle, or a 142… or a front 9, 15 or 20mm, it’s just a case of popping some end caps off, rather than replacing an axle.
And finally, finally, Hope is producing its own clothing. It’s actually made by Endura, but has some very Hope touches like magnetic pockets instead of Velcro and some subtle stitching accents. And one more thing – there’s a new Trials brake, based on the Race brake but with a beefed up lever for more positive action. OK, that’s it.
Comments (14)
Comments Closed
Guess that does away with the need for the steel freehub body for us larger gentlemen …..
…or anyone for that matter.
That hope stuff all looks great.
All that effort for 20g?
…little steps and everything, but there is a limit. It’s bad enough changing the cassette every enduro race, but with this one you have to remove all the pawls and springs too?
Seems abit excessive but meh.
Dude needs to cut his nails.
If you want to save weight you can buy an Alu cassette already, no-one does tho as the wear is horrid!
Also, seating the freehub seal on the cant be fun, its bad enough on a pro 2.
All that effort for 20g lighter than the SRAM XX cassette, which will cost you three hundred quid. Hope cassette is half that.
Cassette with pawls and bearings? Doesn’t that make it a freewheel?
I guess the move to Pro2 Evo is the response to the broken axle issues with the 12mm and Maxle-Lite (and Maxle) on the current Pro2.
I sent Hope an email on 2nd June with exactly the pick and mix arrangement of headsets! Great minds think alike.
Is the big prize with the integrated cassette not the ability to move to something like a 15mm or 20mm axle on the rear, which they don’t seem to be suggesting? I assume the reason we are limited to 12mm today is the shimano standard freehub shell won’t allow for an axle bigger than 12mm, once you have ditched the standard lock ring and freehub/cassette surely you could go to 15 or 20mm and stiffen the back end up. Come on Hope, why not team up with Orange or someone and give it a go !
and while you are at it, why not steel teeth on an alloy spider. Shimano stopped using alloy teeth on the middle (32t) chainring a couple of years ago (XT and XTR).
£99 for an add-on rear light? F*ck off. What has happened to this industry?
Lovely looking hub and fantastic design. It’s not going to last anything like as long as a DT240 with an XT cassette though is it? In the words of Duncan Bannatyne: “I’m oot”…
“£99 for an add-on rear light?”
Not just any rear light but a very bright, waterproof light which sharing your front light battery.
I’ve really wanted something like this for years for daily winter commuting and filthy road rides in February when it doesn’t really get light.
It expect it’ll last long enough to compare favourably with regular cat eye lights.
I had such a good experience with Hope’s front lights at endurance events last year I’m sorely tempted.