We met the Hope staff at the Mountain Bike Connection Winter in Massa Marittima, where the British company presented some new bits to us. In particular, the new Evo cranks and Fortus complete wheels and wheels. Alan Weatherill, sales and marketing manager at Hope Tech, personally presented some of the new innovations in the video, starting with the cranks, designed to be lighter, but above all, easier to assemble than the previous model.
These are cranks recommended by Hope for any useage ranging from XC to DH, thanks to their combination of light weight and high strength. They use a 30mm axle to adapt to the various frames and bottom brackets on the market. The drive side crank is easy to install and remove thanks to a self-extracting bolt. The non-drive side crank is equipped with a lockring for adjusting the preload of the bottom bracket bearings. Their spiderless chainring can be easily mounted by means of a single lockring, which is managed by a special key supplied with the crankset. The hollow body is forged and then CNC finished, helping to keep the weight low, while ensuring rigidity.
Crank material: 7150 forged and CNC machined aluminum alloy
Axle material: 7075 aluminum alloy
Axle diameter: 30mm
Available crank lengths: 165mm, 170mm and 175mm
Chainring compatibility: single spiderless, single with spider and double with spider
Weight: 560g (170mm ) + 64g (32t spiderless ring)
Together with the new Evo crankset, Hope is also presenting a new range of rims that, combined with the Hope PRO 4 hubs, form the new “Fortus” range, available with four different rim models and in all three wheel sizes: 26″, 27.5″ and 29″. The 30mm wide internal Fortus rim is the most suitable for gravity use and for this reason the profile is internally reinforced to offer greater rigidity and strength. The rims are joined by welding and the nipples’ holes are equipped with steel eyelets.
Available sizes: 27.5″ and 29″
Internal width: 23mm
External width: 27.5mm
Height: 17mm
Number of holes: 32
Recommended size tires: 2.0″ – 2.35″
Weight of the rim: 420g (27.5″) – 450g (29″)
Complete wheelset weight: 1.760g (27.5″) – 1.845g (29″)
Available sizes: 26″, 27.5″ and 29″
Internal width: 26mm
External width: 31mm
Height: 20mm
Number of holes: 32
Recommended size tires: 2.25″ – 2.5″
Weight of the rim: 520g (26″) – 545g (27.5″) – 580g (29″)
Complete wheelset weight: 1.980g (26″) – 2.040g (27.5″) – 2.145g (29″)
Available sizes: 26″, 27.5″ and 29″
Internal width: 30mm
External width: 35mm
Height: 23mm
Number of holes: 32
Recommended size tires: 2.4″ – 2.8″
Weight of the rim: 645g (26″) – 675g (27.5″) – 720g (29″)
Complete wheelset weight: 2.230g (26″) – 2.305g (27.5″) – 2.435g (29″)
Available sizes: 27.5″ and 29″
Internal width: 35mm
External width: 40mm
Height: 18.5mm
Number of holes: 32
Recommended size tires: 2.5″ – 3.0″
Weight of the rim: 575g (27.5″) – 610g (29″)
Complete wheelset weight: 2.100g (27.5″) – 2.200g (29″)
During the event I had the opportunity to use the new Evo crankset and the new Fortus wheels on a Juliana Roubion set up almost entirely with Hope products. In addition to cranks and wheels it also featured brakes, headset and a complete cockpit (handlebar, stem and grips). I could not verify the actual weight of the bike, but it seemed lighter than the 13.9kg Roubion with standard “S” equipment that I had tested last fall. The quality of the Hope components improved the performance of the Juliana compared to the standard equipment. The Fortus wheels, specifically with a 35mm rim inside and 27.5″ “Wide Trail” tires, proved to be rigid and precise and comfortable at the same time. The new Evo crankset is lightweight yet offer a solid feeling. We’ll soon be receiving the new Hope components to test them in depth after this first ride during the Mountain Bike Connection Winter in Massa Marittima.
Pricing is £425 for each Fortus wheelset and £90 for each rim.
Still photo credits: Mountain Bike Connection Winter – Rupert Fowler
Action photo credits: Winter Mountain Bike Connection – Luigi Sestili
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