justinzane

I'm looking to replace a crappy unidentifiable front hub (road bike) that is beginning to stick with something better. But, I've not got the foggiest notion what makes one hubs "better" than any other and the prices are everywhere from ~$20.00 for a Sora through ~$220 for a Record.

My personal priorities are:

1. 28-36 hole
2. Non-disc
3. Price (I redefine cheap-ass bastard)
4. Durability (touring/training not racing)
5. Available in Black
6. Ships with Bonus Pink Pony
7. Weight
8. Brand Name

What difference is there going from Dura-Ace down through Sora? Between Shimano, Phil Wood, DT Swiss, Campy, etc. Since saving grams matters not to me while surviving everything except a rogue Abrahms tank would be nice; how do I approach shopping in a market that promotes lightness above all else?

Oh, and is there any reason at all to match front and rear hubs? Aside from aesthetics, that is.

Thanks.

Bob Dopolina 

For your needs I would suggest a Taiwanese hub with decent flange spacing and larger sized bearings. This means skip the light weight hubs with tiny #689 cartridge bearings or even #699 bearings which are durable but not really the thing for loaded touring.

For flange spacing anything over 68mm should produce a very stable wheel.

You should have no trouble finding something in the $30-$40 range just confirm that the bearings aren't cheapo Chinese fail in two month pieces of crap.

rpenmanparker 

If you want something more traditional, the newest Tiagra hubs can't be beat. Very pretty. Strong. Cheap.

bubbagrannygear

Shimano 105 5800 32h Front Hub Black | eBay

KBentley57

Ive built wheels with the sora and 105 hubs; honestly, there isn't much difference between them. IF you're only looking to replace a no name hub, the $20.00 sora front hub can't be beat.

justinzane

Thanks. I was looking at that elsewhere.

justinzane

I was wondering about that. It seems that there is just a few dollars between each step from Sora -> Tiagra -> 105 and then a big jump to Ultegra and Dura-Ace. It almost seems, just looking at the prices, that the only difference between the 3 entry level models is name.

justinzane

Thanks. Not quite sure how to verify the bearing origin though. Does any manufacturer actually admit where they source their parts on lower end items?

KBentley57

There are minute differences, but they aren't that huge. For one, the dust covers are integrated in the sora hub, whereas on the 105 hub, they are a separate piece. Other than that, same weight, same spoke count, finish is nearly the same, ect...

I would probably go with whichever one matched the colors the best; tiagra for silver and sora / 105 for black.

Bob Dopolina 

They should if asked. If they don't, move on.

bikemig 

I like cup and cone hubs but I like sealed bearing hubs a bit better. There's a lot to be said for not having to overhaul hubs.

rpenmanparker 

I think you mean cartridge bearing hubs. Most modern cup and cone systems qualify as sealed bearings.

bikemig 

yes

Looigi

If it hasn't been said already, I'll mention that in replacing hubs you'll almost certainly need new spokes unless the new hub has the exact same flange spex. That means all that's left is the rim. Is the rim you have worthy of having a new hub and spokes, or might it make more sense to just replace the entire wheel?

justinzane

As that seemed kinda off-my-own-topic, I had not mentioned it. But it is indeed something I am considering. The rims are pretty generic aluminum mid profile (Alex maybe), but seem fine. And, if I rebuild the wheel, I'll switch the naked stainless spokes for black ones. Pretty much the only reason that I can see to replace the rim is to lower the spoke count from 36 down to 32 and to get a black rim. Neither of those seem like excellent reasons.

All-in-all, the choice seems to be having the fun and learning experience of rebuilding a wheel vs the convenience of buying one. Thanks for reminding me of the this.

Looigi

Yeah. But I'm not necessarily suggesting buying a new wheel, rather if you're going to go through the trouble and expense of a new hub and spokes, maybe get a new rim too.

noglider 

You can't go wrong with Shimano, even the low level stuff. I used to dislike the brand, but their hubs have always been good.

clausen

Just my 2 cents. If the hubs are crappy more than likely the rim is also. I would just find a whole new wheel.

justinzane

Keeping in mind the same criteria as for the hubs, what do you all think is a durable, affordable training/touring rim? My impression was, that, generally, the cheaper rims are often stronger than the really expensive and light ones designed for competetion or training with a support car. If an aluminum rim is reasonable planar and round, without cracks or dents, what is the difference?

Sorry to sound like an idiot; but, I require edification in this area.