Loud ‘n proud Industry Nine turns an April Fool’s prank into an actual product
Aching for a tech fix now that the annual Sea Otter Classic trade show has been pushed back to October? Never fear! In its place, we bring you Pond Beaver 2020, our own virtual trade show where we’ve went ahead and gathered up a mountain of information and images of new gear to come this season, all of which we’ll be rolling out to you in a satisfyingly steady stream over the next few weeks.
Companies put out all sorts of gags every April 1: partially in an effort to provide some entertainment, but it’s also an opportunity to gain some brand recognition. Either way, rarely do those things have any sort of lifespan past 24 hours.
Not so for North Carolina hub and wheelset manufacturer Industry Nine.
This year, they debuted Frequency Adjusting Ratching Technology (Get it? Get it???) for its characteristically loud rear hubs, playfully adding a laser-etched “knob” (and Bluetooth controls!) that allowed Industry Nine hub owners to dial their ratchet buzz up to 11.
Obviously, this was just a standard hub end cap with custom markings on it to make it look like a volume knob straight out of 80s cult classic movie, Spinal Tap. Nevertheless, Industry Nine fans were so smitten with the idea that it’s now a genuinely purchasable item that can be retrofitted to later-model Torch and Hydra six-bolt mountain bike rear hubs with 12mm thru-axles. The only major exceptions are mountain bike hubs with 12×125 mm and 12 x 150 mm spacing – and sorry, roadies, your amps only go up to 10.
These limited-edition Volume Adjust end caps retail for US$30, but Industry Nine is donating US$25 of each purchase toward the Independent Arts & Music Asheville musician relief fund in Asheville, North Carolina, whose stated mission is to, “provide a platform to help expand the reach of Asheville-based musicians and artists, to make some great music and art, and to have a great time while doing it.”
Industry Nine is only offering these in a limited run with a one-time ordering window that closes forever at midnight April 24 (EST), but the company says it’s committed to accommodating however many end caps are purchased.
Want one? You can find them here: www.industrynine.com
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