Dylansbob 

I've tried 4 times over the last 9 months to get new axle stubs to respace my hub. Never received a response for 3 of them, including the one 2 weeks ago. The one time I did get a message back, they asked for more info and then never responded to any further messages. Damn hub has been gathering dust since covid hit.

Anyone have a set of axle stubs for a 120-126mm spaced, 5/6spd freewheel hub they'd sell?

masi61

I had a similar experience with them as it involves installing a Phil external bottom bracket Klein conversion to be able to run modern Shimano Hollowtech ll 24mm cranks.

I had been waiting for a reply from “Peter” who is a machinist who was very friendly and said they can take on challenging non-standard things.... Problem was, he never really followed up. There was some confusion by me about whether they are willing to deal directly with the end customer or not. He seemed to be saying that the idea is to go to your trusted LBS who has an account with Phil and work your order through them...

So my project stalled, a couple years have passed. I did make a breakthrough of sorts dealing with Phil Wood though - it was with sales person (crap I can’t think of his name at this exact moment - Roger, Rodney.... oh that’s not it...this is going to bug me). (Remembered the name it is Leroy - very knowledgeable guy!)

Anyway, he (insert salesperson’s name here) said that the item I was looking for was already made and that they could ship me one right away. So I ordered it (~175$ for the high quality external bearings - not cheap but seem to be worth it) and they sent them out to me immediately.

Unfortunately they are not “plug-n-play”. Leroy was quite specific that my Klein pressfit bottom bracket would need to be “faced” with professional frame builder tools.

in the meantime I had purchased a 2nd Klein with the pressfit BB, this one with the Phil external BB bearings pre-installed (new) into a really clean “Performance” Klein non-modified frame. I currently am in the process of trialing a Dura Ace 7803 triple crank with the 5mm drive side spacer removed. By removing this spacer, the granny ring still has plenty of chainstay clearance. Unfortunately there is now a very faint “scrape-y” sound emanating from the rotating crank.... I continue to sleep on this and am on the lookout for a thinner spacer (shim really) to see if the scraping subsides.

But as to dealing with Phil - I would says start with Leroy in sales. See if what you are seeking is already in inventory. If they already have what you want (need) then you are golden.

Andrew R Stewart 

Phil has been known for years for not being the most communicative company. When Peter (and I think partner, unsure) took over after Phil moved on things got better but they still are not up to the level that bigger brands are. I deal with them once or twice a year. When I do I call, not email, and I make sure I have my ducks in a row to not waste their time. I call earlier in the day, their time zone. I don't ask for questionable warranty coverage. I do ask for advise when I am unsure about a detail but as I have done as much of my homework first this aspect tends to be a fairly quick element of the call.

BTW there's another high end US company that is well reputed for their bearings (and is generally lighter in weight then Phil) that has worse dealer/consumer" service. I no longer suggest their products (but for their heritage one) to my customers and friends. This is always one's option to do, stop selling or working on a company's products to limit your frustration. Andy

veganbikes

Weird, I have always heard back from Phil Wood, granted my last interaction was one of them not having what I was looking for but to be fair it was an old product they didn't make a ton of for something that isn't really needed (a Rohloff disc compatible front hub). In all my past dealings with Phil they have been easy to work with and reasonably responsive. Some companies are better than others but especially now a lot of folks are hard to reach with offices being closed or limited staffing and other things like that.

Unfortunately, I don't have the parts needed that aren't in use on a set of lovely freewheel hubs I purchased from them maybe last year or two years ago or something (I can't remember anymore)

Dylansbob send me a PM with your email and I might be able to help you communicate with them and figure out parts when I am back at work tomorrow.

Koyote

ck?