Hope Technology has released the Pro 5 Hubset, replacing the Pro 4 with a redesigned ratchet-pawl mechanism boasting 108 POEs and a stepped-axle design to allow for larger freehub bearings and reduced friction sealing. We are told the result is a more durable hub with faster pickup, greater load capacity and noticeably less drag.

Let’s take a look inside. Left Hub Bearing

Designer of the Hope Pro 5, Sam Gibbs, takes us through his new creation.

The new Hope Pro 5 Hubs are a lot faster to engage than the Pro 4 Hubs they replace. Six pawls, the timing of which are slightly offset so that only three engage simultaneously, bring engagement angle down to a mere 3.33° thanks to a 54T ratchet. That compares to the 4 Pawl system on the Pro 4 hub, all four of which engage simultaneously with a 44T ratchet to deliver engagement every 8.18°. That’s 108 Points of Engagement for the Pro 5, versus 44 Points of Engagement on the Pro 4.

The faster engagement won’t be every rider’s cup of tea, especially if their trail bike’s suspension design results in quite a lot of chain growth. In that case, a faster engaging hub would likely increase the amount of pedal kickback experienced by the rider. For gravel bikes and hardtails, there are no drawbacks, and actually it seems a great deal of trail and enduro riders still prefer a faster engaging hub for its potential to help out in technical climbing scenarios.

Despite fewer pawls engaging at any given moment, the Pro 5 has a higher load bearing capacity thanks to its wider, wire-cut steel pawls offering up a greater surface area through which to transfer torque to the teeth of the ratchet. The mechanism is also said to be more durable thanks to the seating of the pawls within their respective springs.

The new springs are also said to reduce drag as compared to those used inside the Pro 4 hub, with a lighter action forcing the pawls to engage with the ratchet. Elsewhere, drag is also reduced with use of a new lower friction labyrinth seal positioned at the freehub-hub body interface.

Furthermore, Hope has redesigned the hub axle such that it narrows at the freehub region. This has allowed them to increase the size of the bearings within their SRAM XD, Shimano HG, and Shimano Microspline freehubs in a bid to extend their longevity. Hope has also been able to increase the distance between the freehub bearings and the hub bearings to increase stiffness of the whole assembly.

The Hope Pro 5 also gets an eBike-specific freehub that is machined from stainless steel for improved strength and wear resistance. It runs the same 54T ratchet, but here all six pawls engage simultaneously to halve the load transferred through any single pawl.

The Hope Pro 5 Hub is available with all common freehub assemblies; XD for 12 Speed SRAM Cassettes, HG for 9/10/11 Speed Shimano Cassettes, Microspline for 12 Speed Shimano Cassettes and the Campagnolo Freehub for those looking to spec the Campy Ekar 13 Speed Group. The British brand pledges to manufacture spare parts for all of their products, including the new Pro 5, for at least 10 years.

Hope is manufacturing the Pro 5 in the following specs with 24, 28, 32 or 36 drilled holes, at the following prices:

Hope offer multiple spacer options to fit a variety of other standards, including 142mm x 12mm. For the complete specs, head to the Hope Tech website.

Hope is now rolling out their mountain bike, gravel and road wheels with the Pro 5 hubset. The Fortus 23, Fortus 26, Fortus 30 and Fortus 30SC MTB wheels will retail at £310 for a rear wheel and £190 for a front wheel.

Gravel and Road wise, it’s £350 Rear / £230 Front for the 20Fives, and £800 Rear / £700 Front for the RD40s.

Jessie-May Morgan is the UK & Ireland Tech Editor of Bikerumor. She has been writing about Mountain Bike Riding and Racing, and all its weird and wonderful technology for 4 years. Prior to that, she was an Intern at the Mountain Bike Center of Scotland, and a Mountain Bike Coach and Leader in the Tweed Valley.

Based in Innerleithen, Scotland, Jessie-May can often be seen riding the Glentress Trail Center, and its neighboring Enduro and Downhill Tracks. She regularly competes in Enduro at a national level, and has recently competed on the World Stage at a handful of Enduro World Series events.

For Bikerumor, Jessie-May is testing the latest mountain bikes, equipment and kit, letting readers know what’s hot and what’s not.

For context, she weighs 60kg and stands at 5ft 4″ tall (163cm).

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No 142mm rear?! Or was that a typo?

For 142, Hope offer spacers to accompany the 135 hub.

135mm to 142mm is just an endcap switch

They have the RS4 hubs with XDR https://www.hopetech.com/products/hubs/road/ Hopefully these get updated soon

XDR is available too, same freehub as XD but with a different spacer

Incorrect. An XDR freehub body needs a narrower flange spacing to accommodate the 1.85mm wider freehub body. You can run an XD cassette on an XDR driver with a spacer, but not the other way around. A 12×142 hub with an XDR driver is not the same as a 12×142 hub with an XD driver.

It’s good to see Hope updating their products. I always admired them for making solid, reliable near-lifetime purchase kinds of stuff with great warranty support (not to mention a range of colors), but was underwhelmed by their brakes’ power and their hubs’ engagement. Now I can say they make stuff that interests me.

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