Why Chris King's Newest RingDrive Deliberately Slow Down Engagement

Chris King makes some of the most obsessively well-engineered hubs (and bearings) on the planet, and although the brand has been in a bizarre cycle of discontinuing and re-launching rotor mounting options for their mountain hubs, the 6-bolt SuperBoost hubs are now on the menu. The Portland-based brand just added a significant addition to its lineup: SuperBoost 6-Bolt rear hubs, which round out its entire mountain hub family with both 6-Bolt and Centerlock options. Chris King has also announced a new 36-tooth drive ring, proving that higher engagement isn’t always better and SuperBoost still has a place in the industry.

"Now we offer 6-Bolt compatibility across all of our mountain hubs," says King's president Kirby Bedsaul. "It really completes the picture for riders across the spectrum." That's not just marketing speak. Having full compatibility options across brake standards makes Chris King hubs viable for a much wider swath of riders, whether you're running a high-end enduro rig or a capable trail bike. 6-bolt hubs seem to be a standard that will always be in demand, thanks to not needing a proprietary lockring tool to remove the brake rotor if anything goes sideways on the trail.

Chris King SuperBoost 6-Bolt Hub Details

• MSRP: Starting at $590.00 USD
• Patented RingDrive system with 72 or 36 simultaneously interfaced points of contact for unmatched hub engagement
• Available in 28h and 32h
• FHB: Micro Spline, HG, or XD driveshell
• Easily serviceable with a T10 Torx and a pick or a pen knife
• Ceramic bearing upgrade available
• Specifically designed for "SUPERBOOST" 157mm x 12mm axle standard
• Available at Chrisking.com and Authorized Dealers

But the 6-Bolt addition isn't even the most interesting part of this story. The new 36-tooth RingDrive™ option is where things get genuinely compelling, and its origins are about as credible as they come. King has been working with the Santa Cruz Syndicate, and their experience with the current Downhill World Champion, Jackson Goldstone, has pushed the development of the new 36T drive ring. The idea is simple: fewer engagement points means less drag. The hub spins more freely, and at the elite level, where fractions of a second decide podiums, that matters.

The 36T Drive and Driven Ring Set is gravity-focused. While still providing reasonable engagement, it's really focused on minimizing drag and noise (read: downhill speed). This set is best for downhill racers and shuttle-junkies.

"Jackson won the key races last season on the prototype 36T hub, which reduces hub drag and noise significantly," says Bedsaul. That's a pretty strong proof of concept. The 36T still offers 10° of hub rotation before engagement (compared to the 5° on the classic 72T), which lands in a sweet spot for gravity-focused riding where you're not constantly pedaling and where minimizing mechanical resistance is more of a priority than immediate power transfer.

Chris King RingDrive 36-tooth Kit

• Compatible with Boost, Superboost, Classic, and ISO hubs.
• MSRP: $150 USD
• 10° of engagement
• Available at Chrisking.com and Authorized Dealers

Perhaps the most unexpected detail to come out of the Syndicate's testing? Quiet is a feature. Riders at the World Cup level actually want to hear their bikes - tire chatter, suspension movement, chain noise - because that feedback informs real-time decision-making on course.

The 36T hub delivered that silence in spades, which stood out immediately to the riders. For most of us, King's tried-and-true 72T setup remains the call. But knowing you can swap drive rings to suit your terrain and riding style? That's the kind of thoughtful, rider-first engineering that has always made Chris King stand apart. The new hubs and 36T RingDrive™ components are available now at authorized Chris King retailers.