Hope Pro5 vs DT Swiss 350 (240 exp) 

It’s personal preference, I have always ridden Hope hubs and they have never let me down so I’ll stay with them but always good to know what else is out there 👍

I have a DT Swiss 240 FH on my XC bike and am still so impressed with the quality of the bearings. Quality video. Thanks.

I've got a set of Hope 20five wheels with Pro 4 hubs - ZERO issues. Beautiful sounding. Stable and reliable. Big props for European manufacturing, something I highly value.

Great video! I love the clear answer to “what would I buy?” Now I want to see a video on the shimano hubs you are using.

Nice to see someone not being a paid actor, as i see it these days most blogs and yt channels just get some stuff free take like 2 laps and state their great opinion on the internet, not even considering manitnance, easyness of service and availability of stuff like bearings. Nice and honest video Man i’ll go for swiss

Excellent summary. I agree that Hopes generally need more servicing (Pro2, Pro2EVO and 4) but they are easy to fully strip and replace all the bearings. DT last longer between services but are a more involved job. Hopes are also very good for spares and end caps and moving between bikes, even converting non-boost to boost.

On my third set of Hopes (Pro II, Pro II Evo, Pro 4) and never did anything for maintenance. All of them are still in use and are running perfectly.

I've had pro 3 from 2004 till 2023 brilliant hub. Only changed the bearings. It went through a decade plus of Norfolk winters and the previous decade in Oxfordshire.

Interesting about the engagement angle . I had never thought about that ( so i guess it's never been an issue).

I live in Perth Western Australia and have been riding the Pro 4's for 6 months. It hasn't rained yet for them to get dirty let alone contaminated in anyway. For where I live the Hopes are a great option and I really like them.

Have to say, this vid made me appreciate my XT cup and cone hubs more.

Excellent mechanic with solid info. DT Swiss are bombproof with replacement bearings available everywhere.

Nice review mate. Appreciate the unbiased and knowledgeable review of these components. Im a bit disapponted with Hope Pro 5. Seems like it is not as "weatherproof" as some have claimed.

Great Video i was deciding between the Dt and Hope and ended up going with XTR just for the silence, And you keep them running well for me so no maintenance 😛

Hope all day long been using them since the pro 2, my pro4 hasnt been serviced for 3 years and still perfect in the worst uk conditions. Defo going for the pro5 as i will benefit a lot from the increased engagement

Hello Paul I have recently started watching your channel and really enjoy your content. Very balanced advice and opinions based on your real life experience in the bike trade with no axe to grind. I have cycled for the last 32 years mostly road as a keen club level racer, both road races and time trials. However, since stopping racing I have also become a keen mountain bike and more recently gravel riding. Actually more like bridal way sections to link together road section. In all that time and my 10's of 1000's miles of riding I have never thought about or wished for more points of ingagement on my rear hubs. As a all year round high mileage rider wheel durability and reliability are the key for my needs. The whole more points of engagement debate is classic new cycling ride like a pro Internet driven culture. Rather actually get out on your bike, especially in winter the new breed think they can buy fitness and speed. Are mostly more interested in showing off how much they can afford or prepared to get on credit. Not just enjoy riding your bike. Regards hubs had to be DT over Hope. Never got the whole multi coloured anodised appeal. Yes Hope we'll made and problems are sorted by their excellent customer service. Personally just prefer the excellent durability and reliability of DT. Never had issues and I can say the same about the older Mavic and any Campagnolo wheels I have owned. Currently running carbon Bora's on 2 of my bikes and they amazing wheels. I been running the older DT 350's on my full suspension for 3 years in all weather and they have been perfect. Well jealous of your new Look Paul.

anyone know how many rear hub shell sizes the 350 comes in? I can only find stock of 24h in 130 that I'm thinking of converting to 142. Will be my first DT Swiss build after many Hopes

I think preferred usage is a factor, as mentioned early in the video. Earlier engagement is more useful for mtn bikers and trials riders than riding on roads and pavement. I’m guessing Hope’s main target customer is probably a downhill or trials rider, someone who needs to make quick strong efficient engagements with high degrees of control. Because of the abuse these types of riding impart on components, they are checked and maintained often. For xc riders or cyclocross racers, Chris King hubs might be a better choice, since they seem to have better sealing? I do feel like the earlier engagement on trail bikes helps with bike control on tricky steep climbs and technical trails.

Insightful and invaluable.

Full tool kit and DT hubs on everything I could ,with road being dura ace hubs. Both designed to last. DT also have the lowest temperature rating for fat bike hubs. This is a real consideration as I ride below -20 a bit during races

Years( decades ) ago had set wheels with grease port s the Engineer in me loved idea just remembered had pedals with the I would like the hubs again not pedal as the pedals of today are excellent what’s your fave pedals I ve stopped using Spd gone to flat mtb on my road bike have help my old knees climbing Devon s hills

Good Day. What spoke length/nipples did you use for the Hope pro 5/DT Swiss EX511 build. Thank You! Cant seem to find proper hub spec dimensions anywhere.

I have several bikes usually with Campa/ Fulcrum (they are good). I ve recently taken old bike with Dt hubs (Bontrager ) for use what I like is the silence in riding you almost don’t hear the ratchet 13:27

got 350 hubs on all 3 of my mtbs, can't go wrong

Have to say that the bearing reliability of my hope pro4 hubs is also pretty poor. Second set of bearings in two years. That’s why I also switched to a pair of dt swiss 350 hubs. Thanks a lot for the pro tip for the elevation wheel company tool. Definitely will order this tool for my toolbox.

I had really bad experience regarding pro4's. Bearings in freehub fall apart very quickly after purchesing the wheels. The pawl engagement was also missing some engeniring as they use to broke quite often. Then i switched to dt swiss and never looked back, both on my mtb and road bike. Got my self tools needed for bearing replecement and happy miles ahead...

I have a dt swiss 350 that was installed on a set of 26 inch sun single 32 spokes that I have used for over 25 thousand miles going across the US from Vancouver WA to Portland Maine and down to NYC and had no issues, same hubs have ridden from San Francisco to Mexico and also from Maine to Florida in all kinds of weather and no issues. Those other hubs look nice but I will stay with the Swiss which is also a nice cheese on a sandwich.

Another fantastic and informative video, thank you. are most DT Swiss hubs from the last 8-10 years the same to service?

The last time I experienced kickback the seat tube & chainstays on my Norco hardtail were caving in... As a eastern canadian hope hubs point of sale and service are almost a mirage. Too bad since my son watched Sam Pilgrim he absolutely wants hope hubs 😅

You are so right in this video. I have multiple wheels with DT Swiss hubs (FFWD with 240, 350 and 3-pawl) and even though I tend to love them, I hate the special ring. Even with the special tool it's almost impossible to remove it and so for that kind of maintainance it's off to the bikeshop. Bot on the other hand, to be honest, I rode for six years with next-to-none service on one of the wheels and it only started to make some noise because the grease had dried out. There seems to be a certain balance between ease of maintainance and the interval needed. I've got Shimano hubs that are pretty easy to maintain, but forget it once and get it pitted and you have to replace your axle. My (winter) Fulcrum wheels have bearings that last a season or two but replacing those is a 5 minute job. The DT 350 wheels I use are in all conditions are harder to open up (the ring...) but only need a smear of grease every two seasons.

Could you do a video doing, an in depth look into the issues with the shimano scylence hubs? You said you've fixed them, and I'd really like to hear about that. Having heard about all these creaking issues with them, has kept me from buying them. Cheers and love the content lately!

Talking about DT Swiss hubs, have you any opinions on the DTswiss track hubs? I’m looking at a DTswiss track hub, Sapin CXray and rim brake build. 🤔🤔

I have never had a problem with DT 350. And the original factory bearings are of very high quality

thank you for the video 👍

Thanks for your videos and super interesting insights. I have Scope wheels and the ratchet system really resembles DT's one. What would be, in your opinion, the risk of using standard grease in the ratchet system ? I maintained one of my hubs with standard grease once, but I'm for sure going to buy the special one from the brand :).

A DT fanboy right here. The bearings last forever so a full strip down is hardly ever necessary. 54t (6 degrees of engagement) is all you need IMO, any less and whether you feel kickback or not, you are compromising the function of the rear suspension. I have 8 sets of wheels, running a mix of 350 & 240 across 5 bikes and hot swap them out depending on the conditions and type of ride I'm doing. dropping the free hub off and cleaning takes seconds and is a rare necessity.

the primary issue for a mountain bike is how well the hub/freehub is sealed..........not degrees of engagement. If they stay clean despite riding in mud and water etc, they need very little maintenance. I use DT Swiss 350 hybrid on both my EMTBS. I strip them occasionally because I feel I should but they never need anything more than a wipe over and some fresh "special " grease. No way i want a poorly sealed hub using pawls!!

Agreed, plus they're cheaper than the Hope. Haven't starting building wheels yet, but I've already had my eye on the 350's for when I will. Would like your opinion if any other hubs you'd recommend for us home bike builders.

I’ve got a DT Swiss 350 rear hub. Once a year I go only as far as the lockring removal to expose the bearings’ seals bc the bearings are in great shape. I lift the seals, flush bearings and degrease/repackage all wo removing the axle. My only worry is that I’m getting degreaser between the axle and lower bearing face. Is this ok given that the axle receives leftover melted grease until I replace bearings?

I'm only using DT hubs. Never had to replace even a bearing. Absolutely bulletproof. Great products.

I use the straight pull 350s on my road (CX) bike. Wonderful hubs for the money.

Skf, Fag, NTN are aftermarket bearings?! 😲🤔

How do you know when the bearings need replacing in the dt swiss hubs without taking it fully apart?

How often should you service the DT Swiss ratchet system? I’ve got a set of wheels with 240 hubs with 15,000 km on them. They seem to be fine but should they be serviced?

You didn't compare the axes. The DT Swiss 350 has a very thin aluminum axle. Can a DT axle break under a loaded bike or a heavy cyclist (total weight 140kg)? Or is it better to buy Hope Pro 5 or DT Swiss 350 Hybrid?

I prefer the slightly increased complexity with the superior protection from the elements. The internal components are just going to last longer which is a good thing in the throwaway society of today.

Looks wise hope always takes the win

I wanted to replace my old DT Swiss 370 bearings to a hybrid bearings. How many bearings do i need to get for the front and rear? And what size and model? Thanks

Any suggestions between MTB DT Swiss 350 and Spank J Type for MS config? Would you prefer DT Swiss still, I know Spank has better degree of engagement?

just got a new wheelset with a 350 (had a shimano xt before) and it feels like the bike can fly now 😁also love the sound because shimano really is very quiet. but the worst for me on the shimano was that the hub after only 1 year (around 12000km) got a bit loose (that's not why i changed it. i actually fell down a hole with the bike and the rim broke). will see how the 350 runs in the long term

So l've managed to destroy 3 free hubs on the pro 5. Turns out that those lightweight springs that reduce drag aren't up to it if you're a certain type of rider. They're not strong enough to engage the pawls when you're hauling ass and all sorts of unfriendly noises emanate from your rear hub. It's become such an issue hope have produced stronger springs that you can fit if you're suffering from being too bad ass for the pro 5. l've got them in and have no issues now. Just a heads up.

I found hope pro4 was very good for bearings and the pro5 looks to be the same, dt virtually never have any ratchet related issues but hub shell bearings don’t seem to last very long and having to remove the drive ring each time is a pain.

7:08 In -10C even with a lube/oil a freehub will silent, at least on Pro 4. But I confirm it works with grease too.

I'm building a new wheelset that I would use for ironman 70.3 next year and local fun crit races. Would you recommend Dt Swiss 350 or 240 hubs and should I go with 36t or 54t?

"If you want that obnoxious noise..."😂. I suspect that a good proportion of Hope hub users buy them for exactly that reason!

Does the EXP hub have the same free hub body as the old one?

The worry with so many points of engagement is durability. As someone who mainly is on MTB or gravel bikes, in a particularly hilly part of the country I'd prefer durability. I'm running the 350 with 36 points of engagement and don't feel I need anything more and the 54 is known to not be that durable.

I’ve just done the bearings in a 240 from 2019. I bought the special tool, nearly broke myself and my vice trying to get the ratchet ring out. Then decided to read the manual on the dt Swiss website and it said that from 2015 (or was it 16?) you don’t need to remove the lockring to get the bearing out. If the washer in front of the bearing will come out then so will the bearing. The ring I.D is almost size for size of the bearing housing but it must have a +?/-0 tolerance because I got the old bearing out and the new one in easily, just using the axle to drive it out and a socket to get the new one in.

on emtb it seems only the new Hope Pro 5 e-bike if you want a bit more engagement. Just motor is self has so much slack that with a 21 or 24 ratchet the engagment is just awfull. Hope pro 5 e-bike got 54 vs normal 108.

Nice video! Having the hope's outboard bearings protected only by the bearings' seal just seems silly. I run 240 EXPs myself (XMC 1501) and would choose DT all day over any other hub out there I9 included.

After running hopes for years (1996 was my first one) my pro 5 has driven me mad. Even with fortnightly maintenance it still slips and cracks on the freehub. I’ve just ordered a set of reserve alloy wheels with the dt units. Hopes were always so robust. It seems they have gone for engagement over all with these new ones. Not here for it.

the bearings on my dt370 front hub are already in rough condition after one and a half years

wish one?? Hope for sure, and only because of the sound they make!!I'm not a pro, and what i get is an object! Not just something to go to work wish sound quiet bad :)

This channel impresses me with its information. What about I9 Hydra?

Paul really useful vid into the finer points to compliment the earlier full tear down. Great practical tips thanks. Have both DT Swiss (bought) and Hope (inherited) on road wheels. DT Swiss MTB hubs. DT Swiss for me, bombproof durable, also I’m a limited fan of ‘angry bees’ 😄

the 350 with non stainless bearings last so long and are so cheap that I don't see any reason to buy the 240. But I rode Hope rs4 for 17k and still have some hope pro4 and they work very well. the rs4 got sold and the pro4 is just getting relaced to new rims for the third time. in my experience the hope needs less service. try to clean the ratched rings and pawls and go ride. check the grease after few rides and the hope is still red and clean but the dt is grey and dirty. so the green hope seal is amazing!

Well i done 4k miles on pro 4 hubs still perfect from outside no play no wobble

How about a hub shootout. DT350 moves on to take on Onyx. I would love to learn more about servicing a sprague clutch hub.

To get the toothed ring out of the DT Swiss you obviously need the extractor tool but a 300mm adjustable spanner with a 385mm universal spanner extender extension power bar wrench such as made by Nielsen will do the job. No vice/bench needed. That is what I use.

You are spot on, Hopes are great if you replace the bearings every 4 months otherwise you will be walking out

The DT hubs are great. I used them for years. Only downside is that they don't make that much variants (no 36 spoke hubs for example) I wanted a decent hub for my Koga Worldtraveller and had to go with Hope because of the 36 spoke rim and centerlock combo. White Industries was also an option but they cost twice as much

Why I can’t use other grease on the dt Swiss ratchet hubs?

Great demonstration, thank you. However DT Swiss all the way, always. DT Swiss has kept the old tradition of high end, long lasting manufacturing of products no matter what, unlike others that purposely design their products so it would have controlled life span and durability. DT Swiss from past and still today, Shimano from past are excellent examples of my point. Hope and others don not really need to impress buyers the country of origin when their products lack of durability, instead should try to improve their long lastingness as well as design. I found you a man of honor with your words and review these products very very honest and beautifully. I have great respect for you.

A thought for future videos: you're in a dark shop with a dark table and dark shirt, so not much contrast for the visually impaired (see Rides Of Japan for contrasty colour bike pop).

Rapid engagement is a bit overrated imo, except for lowspeed, trialsy stuff. I’ve ran everything from 104 (bontrager) to 24 (giant oem wheels), my experience is that around 54 - 72 poe is the sweetspot. Under that you’ll notice the lag when pedalling out of a corner or on a rooty climb. Everything above that feels great on the parking lot but is barely noticeable on the trail. DT all the way for me, real workhorses, like hubs (or mountainbikes in general) should be.

I’ve still a pair of hope pro 2 evo wheels never had any issue with rear axle bearings even on pro4. Must not ride hard enough

Got bored of regular servicing Hope hubs and bit the bullet and bought DT Swiss 350's on my mtb and DT Swiss wheelset for my road bike. The road bike wheels have the ratchet system in them also. Its been a breeze with not having to service them weekly like the Hopes. I now just service them every 6 months and I dont even take the cassette off, just gently pull off the axle, clean the ratchet rings and location sliders for the ratchets in the hub and freehub, then a spot of grease and back together for another 6 months. I have done maybe 5000 miles on the MTB hubs and they have needed nothing. I did upgrade to the more teeth ratchet rings so they dont click now, just buzz when freewheeling, so have less or even no noticeable slack. I use Phil Wood grease on my ratchets and its been great and not ever caused slipping and you dont need much, as you say, but tricky to source. Wouldn't ever go back to Hopes again.

Do DT have different colour hubs😊❤

You can always upgrade the DT to 64 engagement points.

Just ordered a set of pro 5s !

Hydra 🔥

I don't understand engagement. With respect to the Hope Hub for instance, how can it have 108 points of engagement if it only has 6 pawls? With 6 pawls, wouldn't that mean a maximum of 6 pawls could engage at any one time, resulting in 6 (not 108) points of engagement?

So its Bontrager rapid drive 108 hub 10 years later😮

Still, these hubs have a lot of resistance because of ratchet mechanism. I'd like to get a hub from Onyx or Box Components. No sound, almost no resistance, almost zero degrees of engagement.

bro got the f1 tyre

So how they sooouuuuunnnnnd ?

got hope pro 4 and dt swiss 350, maintenance wise, 350 is better, its hard to find replacement bearings for hope..using 60t aftermarket ratchet on my 350 as the 54t original ratchet is expensive.

I'm really dissapointed with how quiet the DT swiss 350 hub is, I just put one on my Stumpjumper and the stock specialized crap wheel sounded so much better than the DT Swiss..

If you Mess about with taking your wheels apart every day week trying to figure out what makes you go faster and you need too let everyone else out there know it because of the noise then yeah DT.

Hey, you got the pedal kickback and engagement backwards. The lower degree of rotation before engagement, the WORSE the pedal kickback effect will be. Also the labyrinth seal on the Hope hub seals the freehub to the hub shell. I doubt very little contamination of the freehub mechanism is occurring via the axle bearings.

DT Swiss all day long, .... but the NON EXP version.

I chose the dt350 over the hopes simply because dt swiss parts are so much easier to get in SEA

The Dt Swiss hubs are a much better design and way more durable. Their is a reason why lots of small wheel brands copied their ratchet system once their patent expired.

Not so fair to compare a mass industry leader to a boutique brand. Hope definetely have a bling factor it their favor though.

I could waste money on ratchet gun that will fail or just use a breaker bar. That will last a lifetime.

Um, those are the old and discontinued 350s.

I’ve owned both hope and DT Swiss DT Swiss is much better

Stop messing around and get a set of Chris King hubs. The last ones you’ll have to buy

I look at all this and think where's the brand option that is heavier, is properly sealed from all sides and just has a grease gun nipple on it. It'd last an eternity and take 2 pumps of grease to service. Sure it's heavier but I don't care. Make it last. Lets go back to simpler times where things were cheaper and lasted longer.

Nothing else than DT Star Ratchet SL 54 - waste of time to discuss other options..