Industry Nine Grade 300 Aluminum SYSTEM Wheelset
The Industry Nine Grade 300 Aluminum System wheelset is the alloy counterpart to the Deal: a heavy-duty 30mm internal Hollow Bead aluminum downhill rim, 32 machined aluminum System spokes per wheel, and the Hydra2 System hub. Industry Nine lists it at 2037 grams for the pair, 946 front and 1091 rear, in 27.5in or 29in.
System is Industry Nine's flagship platform: hub shells and spokes machined in Asheville, North Carolina, spokes threaded straight into the hub, seven anodized colors for each. On the Grade 300 rim it produces a downhill wheel that is stiff, fast engaging, and as colorful as you like, at a lower cost than the carbon Deal and with a rim that dents rather than cracks.
The Grade 300 Aluminum System is for the downhill or park rider who wants the Hydra2 and the full System look on a rim they can bash all season.
Design and construction
The rim is Industry Nine's Grade 300 Hollow Bead aluminum: 21.5mm deep, 30mm inner width, tubeless ready, 32-hole. The hollow bead wall is Industry Nine's design for pinch-flat resistance and impact strength on an alloy rim, and the Grade 300 is the heaviest-duty rim in the Hollow Bead line. Industry Nine warranties aluminum rims for two years against defects; impact and crash damage are excluded.
The hub is the Hydra2 System, with 870 points of engagement and 0.41 degrees between clicks from six three-tooth pawls, about 60 percent less coasting drag than the original Hydra, a much thicker axle, and a five-year limited hub warranty. The straight-pull flanges take Industry Nine's one-piece 7075 aluminum System spokes, and the hub is 6-bolt.
Colors are picked separately for hubs and spokes on the Grade 300 Aluminum System: Black, Bronze, Gold, Orange, Purple, Red, and Silver.
Deal was developed through top-level racing and then revised for what comes afterwards. The reinforced laminate is the part that matters for an ordinary rider: it is there for park laps and blown-out turns rather than for a single race run.
Industry Nine's aluminum System spokes
Every Grade 300 Aluminum wheel is built on Industry Nine's aluminum System spoke, and it is the reason a System build rides and looks the way it does. Each spoke is machined from a solid bar of 7075-T651 aluminum in Industry Nine's own facility in Asheville, North Carolina, as a single straight-pull piece: it threads directly into the Hydra2 System hubshell at one end and carries integrated wrench flats at the rim end, so there is no J-bend and no separate nipple anywhere in the wheel. Those two features are where a conventional steel spoke usually fails, at the work-hardened bend and at the threaded nipple interface, and the System spoke simply does not have them. The Grade 300 Aluminum is laced 32-hole.
On the Industry Nine Grade 300 Aluminum System wheelset the aluminum spoke is not a lightweight compromise. Industry Nine gives it a 25 to 30 percent larger cross-sectional area than a comparable steel spoke, which it rates as equal in tensile strength to a 14/15-gauge double-butted steel spoke, and the thread root diameter is larger than the spoke body, so the spoke is strongest exactly where a steel spoke is thinnest. The result is a stiff, direct-feeling wheel that holds tension and tracks precisely. Industry Nine builds System wheels to a target tension of 120 kgf and holds every spoke within 10 percent of that figure.
Because the spokes are anodized rather than painted, they come in the same seven colors as the hubs, and the hub and spoke colors are chosen independently, so a bronze hub with silver spokes or an orange hub with black spokes is a normal order rather than a custom one. The Hub Color and Spoke Color menus on this Industry Nine Grade 300 Aluminum System page drive exactly that choice and the preview picture follows it. One thing to know before you order: Industry Nine keeps the System spoke in-house and does not sell it over the counter, so a System wheel is serviced and rebuilt through authorized dealers such as ProWheelBuilder, and the spokes are warranted against manufacturing defects. If you would rather have a wheel any shop can re-spoke with stock parts, Industry Nine's Classic and 1/1 builds use the same rims with steel J-bend Sapim spokes and conventional nipples.
How it rides
The Grade 300 Aluminum System is a stiff, direct downhill wheel. Thirty-two aluminum spokes and a deep alloy rim make it track precisely through rough ground, and the Hydra2's instant engagement means the few pedal strokes on a downhill track all go to the ground. The 30mm bed suits 2.4 to 2.5in downhill tires and holds them well at low pressure, though we would still run an insert for racing.
Against the carbon Deal, the Grade 300 is slightly heavier and will take a flat spot from a hit the carbon rim would ignore. In its favor, a dented aluminum rim usually finishes the run and can often be worked back into shape. For riders who ride park all summer or race on rocky tracks, the Grade 300 Aluminum System is the practical way to get Industry Nine's best hub on a downhill bike.
The System spokes also hold tension unusually well on a wheel that gets hit this hard. There is no elbow to fatigue and the spoke is thicker than a butted steel one, so the wheel tends to stay true through a park season with less attention than a steel-spoke build would need.
Specifications
| Wheel type | Downhill |
|---|---|
| Rim | Grade 300 Aluminum (Aluminum) |
| Rim depth | 21.5mm |
| Inner width | 30mm |
| ERD | 27.5": 560mm | 29": 598mm |
| Hole count | 32h |
| Hub platform | Hydra2 System hub, straight-pull System spokes, 870 points of engagement, 0.41 degrees |
| Brake mount | 6 Bolt |
| Hub colors | Black, Bronze, Gold, Orange, Purple, Red, Silver |
| Spoke colors | Black, Bronze, Gold, Orange, Purple, Red, Silver |
| Front axle | 15x110 (20mm hub), 20x110 Boost, 20x110 Non-Boost |
| Rear axle | 12x148, 12x150, 12x157 |
| Freehub | Shimano HG, Shimano Micro Spline, SRAM XD |
| Wheelset weight | 2037g |
| Front / rear weight | 946g / 1091g |
This version
This page is the Grade 300 Aluminum SYSTEM Wheelset itself, not a custom build. The choices on this page are driver type: Shimano HG, Shimano Micro Spline, SRAM XD; axle: Wheelset - 15x110mm (20mm hub) F / 12x148mm R, Wheelset - 15x110mm (20mm hub) F / 12x150mm R, Wheelset - 15x110mm (20mm hub) F / 12x157mm R, Wheelset - 20x110mm Boost F / 12x148mm R, Wheelset - 20x110mm Boost F / 12x150mm R, Wheelset - 20x110mm Boost F / 12x157mm R, Wheelset - 20x110mm Non-Boost F / 12x148mm R, Wheelset - 20x110mm Non-Boost F / 12x150mm R, Wheelset - 20x110mm Non-Boost F / 12x157mm R; hub color: Black, Bronze, Gold, Orange, Purple, Red, Silver; i9 alloy system spoke color: Black, Bronze, Gold, Orange, Purple, Red, Silver; wheel(s): Wheelset - 29", Wheelset - 27.5", Wheelset - Mullet (29" F / 27.5" R). This listing is the complete wheelset - front and rear together, not a single wheel.
Fit and compatibility
The Grade 300 Aluminum System comes in 27.5in and 29in. Front spacing choices are 15x110 on a 20mm shell, 20x110 Boost, and 20x110 Non-Boost; rear spacing is 12x148 Boost, 12x150, or 12x157 Super Boost.
Freehub bodies are Shimano HG, Shimano Micro Spline, and SRAM XD; a front wheel alone takes None (front wheel only). The hub is 6-bolt. Downhill forks and frames vary in spacing across generations, so we confirm yours before Industry Nine builds the wheel.
What Industry Nine says about testing
Industry Nine has anodized and machined hubs, spokes, and drive systems in Asheville, North Carolina since 2004. The company grew out of a family machine shop in the Blue Ridge and states that it engineers and manufactures every component of its hub and wheel systems in-house, including hub shells, axles, spokes, pawls, drive rings, and anodizing. Complete wheels are hand built to order and ship in approximately two weeks, fulfilled from Asheville, Kamloops, or Cadiz depending on location and inventory. In 2025 Industry Nine acquired We Are One Composites, which now operates as WR1, its carbon rim design program and manufacturer; WR1 has hand laid carbon rims under one roof in Kamloops, British Columbia since 2017.
Three hub platforms cover the range. Hydra2, the flagship mountain hub, was developed from feedback on more than 100,000 first-generation Hydra hubs and pairs a reinforced 145-tooth steel drive ring with six phased oversized pawl pockets for 870 points of engagement at 0.41 degrees. Industry Nine cites a 65 percent thicker axle, 5.5mm pawl pockets with 26 percent better force dissipation, 60 percent less coasting drag than the original Hydra, 6903 hub shell bearings, and full-contact radial lip seals with a labyrinth channel; it is rated for trail, enduro, downhill, e-bike, bikepacking, and dirt jump use. Solix, the gravel, road, and cross-country hub, uses a patented continuously phased freehub in which five pawls and a 121-tooth drive ring produce 605 points of engagement at 0.59 degrees. Its pawls and drive rings are cut from A2 tool steel by wire EDM, bearing spec is equalized front and rear, end caps carry full-contact seals behind a proximity dust and water shield, and preload is set by bore-diameter contraction. The 1/1 hub is the entry platform, with a dual-phase pawl drive giving 90 points of engagement at 4 degrees, high-capacity bearings, and a conventional flanged shell for J-bend Sapim steel spokes. Hydra2 and Solix are offered as System hubs, which take Industry Nine's direct-thread machined aluminum spokes, or as Classic hubs with scalloped flanges for J-bend steel spokes.
Convergence is the carbon rim technology shared by the Whisp, Sector, Triad, Deal, Fuse, Wanderer, and Revive 2.0 rims. Industry Nine says the program ran through 208 versions over two years before release. The rim's alternating spoke bed faces are angled at 7.5 degrees so that each nipple bed aligns with the hub flange, producing a linear spoke line and 360 degree contact between nipple and rim; articulation is listed as plus or minus 7.5 degrees for mountain rims and plus or minus 6 degrees for gravel and bikepacking rims, with a 4.3mm spoke hole. A ZRT composite film from Boston Materials, containing 13 billion Z-axis carbon fibers per square meter, is built into the spoke bed, and Industry Nine reports the rim is 32 percent stronger than its predecessor with tuned vertical compliance. Every Convergence rim is laid up by a named technician, assigned a serial number, and shipped without sanding, filling, or painting. On the road side, the R35, R50, and R65 carbon rims are described as CFD born and wind tunnel tested and among the fastest disc-specific rims available. Industry Nine characterizes its validation as in-house pressure testing in the same environments its riders use rather than published laboratory figures, and it does not list a rider weight limit on current product pages.
Warranty coverage is administered from Asheville for the United States and Canada. All Hydra2 and Solix hubs carry a Five-Year Limited Hub Warranty regardless of purchase date; for other products the current terms apply to purchases made on or after January 1, 2026. Hubs are covered against defects in materials and workmanship for five years, with parts, labor, and return shipping included in the first two years and parts only in years three through five; bearings and other wear items are excluded. Carbon rims are covered for the life of the original owner against defects and also against impact damage sustained while riding within the wheel's intended use, with a rim replacement or a factory rebuild offered when a claim qualifies. Alloy rims are covered for life against manufacturing defects, including split seams and cracks at spoke holes, with full parts, labor, and return shipping for the first two years; impact or crash damage on alloy rims is not a warranty item but may qualify for the Crash Replacement program. Aluminum System spokes are covered for confirmed manufacturing defects. Coverage applies to the original purchaser with proof of purchase from a certified Industry Nine dealer or distributor, and claims are filed through the Service and Warranty Request form on the company's website. Industry Nine also offers factory service on all products and states that no proprietary tools are required for routine hub service.
Industry Nine's videos
From Industry Nine
Warranty and certifications
- Five-Year Limited Hub Warranty — All Hydra2 and Solix hubs are covered for five years against defects in materials and workmanship regardless of purchase date; parts, labor, and return shipping in years one and two, parts only in years three through five; bearings and wear items excluded (source)
- Lifetime carbon rim warranty including riding impact — Convergence and R-series carbon rims are covered for the life of the original owner against defects and against impact damage sustained while riding within the wheel's intended use; rim replacement or factory rebuild offered on qualifying claims (source)
- Lifetime alloy rim defect coverage and Crash Replacement — Aluminum rims are covered for life against manufacturing defects such as split seams and spoke-hole cracks, with full parts, labor, and return shipping for the first two years; crash and impact damage is handled under the Crash Replacement program (source)
- CFD and wind tunnel validated R-series rims — The R35, R50, and R65 carbon road rims are described by Industry Nine as CFD born and wind tunnel tested and among the fastest disc-specific rims available (source)
- ZRT-reinforced Convergence spoke bed, 32 percent stronger — Boston Materials ZRT composite film with 13 billion Z-axis carbon fibers per square meter is built into the spoke bed; Industry Nine reports a 32 percent strength gain over the previous generation, with every rim hand laid by a named technician in Kamloops and serial numbered (source)
- Patented continuously phased freehub — Five pawls on a 121-tooth drive ring give the Solix hub 605 points of engagement at 0.59 degrees; Hydra2 uses six pawls and a 145-tooth ring for 870 points at 0.41 degrees; pawls and drive rings are wire-EDM cut from A2 tool steel (source)
Sources on Industry Nine's site:
- Industry Nine Warranty and Rider Support
- Choose Your Hub: Hydra2, SOLiX, and 1/1 platforms
- WR1 Convergence Carbon rim technology
- About Industry Nine: Two Brands, One Standard
- Industry Nine Solix Hubs
- Solix service documents and exploded views
The figures, certificates and media above are Industry Nine's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; we sell the wheel and stand behind the order.
A note on Industry Nine
The System wheels are the full Industry Nine idea: their hub, their aluminum spokes and their rim designed together as one assembly. Nothing in that wheel is a compromise with another maker's part, which is rarer than it sounds.
Ordering it from ProWheelBuilder
ProWheelBuilder sells the Grade 300 Aluminum System wheelset as an authorized Industry Nine dealer in Georgia. Industry Nine builds the set to your colors and standards in Asheville, North Carolina and ships it in about two weeks. We are not the manufacturer; we take the order, check the axle, driver, and spacing choices against your actual bike, and support the wheel afterward.
If you want a Hydra2 System hub on a different downhill rim, or a steel-spoke build for pit-side repairs, our Custom Wheel program builds custom wheels on Industry Nine hubs in our shop.
Warranty
Industry Nine's warranty. Industry Nine covers its hubs against defects in materials and workmanship for five years from purchase, with two years on the anodized finish. Its alloy and carbon rims carry a lifetime defect warranty to the original purchaser, with parts, labor and return shipping covered for the first two years and parts thereafter. Bearing wear, impact and crash damage are not defects.
ProWheelBuilder. These wheels were built at the factory, not on our bench, so it is the maker's warranty above that stands behind them - our own one-year wheel warranty covers wheels we lace ourselves. If you do need to claim, we will deal with the manufacturer for you.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Grade 300 Aluminum SYSTEM questions
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Grade 300 Aluminum System?
No. Industry Nine builds it in Asheville, North Carolina. ProWheelBuilder is a reseller and custom wheel builder in Georgia.
What is the Grade 300 rim?
Industry Nine's heavy-duty Hollow Bead aluminum downhill rim: 21.5mm deep, 30mm inner width, 32-hole, tubeless ready.
How does it compare with the Deal Carbon System?
Same Hydra2 System hub and spokes. The Grade 300 rim is aluminum, 30mm internal, with a two-year defect warranty and no impact coverage; the Deal rim is carbon with a lifetime warranty including riding impacts. The aluminum set is about 17 grams heavier per pair.
Does it fit 20x110 non-Boost?
Yes. 20x110 Non-Boost, 20x110 Boost, and 15x110 on a 20mm shell are all offered.
Is it Centerlock?
No. The Grade 300 Aluminum System is 6-bolt.
What tires suit the 30mm inner width?
2.4 to 2.5in downhill tires.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build wheels for a living.
