I run Hope Pro2 Evos, Dt 240s, I9 Torch, and Project 321s. They all have their pluses and minuses.
The Dts are significantly lighter then the other hubs, but the 18 poe star ratchets are a shocker in a $700 hubset. The 36 poe ratchets are better but cost $120, the 54 poe ratchets are fragile so a no go. There are perhaps too many spares, eg Xd freehubs need a different endcap to a hg, and they tend to be expensive.
The Hopes really hit the sweet spot. 40 poe seems to be good enough for most situations. The 4 pawl drive mechanism is utterly reliable and is happy to use marine grease. The 17mm axles are solid and spares are widely available and reasonable in cost. The only weak point are the oem bearings which are shit. The freehubs are also hard on the inboard bearing.
The I9 Torchs are pretty much the pinnacle of hubs for me. The 120 poe is a noticeable improvement over the Hopes and 36 poe Dts. They weigh about 50 grams less than the Hopes and 50 grams more then the Dt 240s. The drive mechanism is reliable but the pawl springs are sacrificial, but are cheap. Similar to the Hopes there are lots of spares available but they are pricey. In saying that the build quality is excellent and the freehubs are head and shoulders above the Hope and Dt for quality.
I'm not sure the new I9 Hydras will be a big improvement over the Torch. Relying on system flex to progressively engage pawls sounds like it would put a lot of wear on bearings. Moving from a 17mm axle back to a 15mm axle sounds like a step back too, but it seems to work for Dt.
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