BluFalconActual

I know this is purely opinion, but as far as weight goes, the hub has to be one of the least important place to save a few grams.

mstateglfr 

yes this too.

mstateglfr 

Its overall weight, but not rotational weight, so it doesnt affect getting up to speed or anything like that where tires or rim weight matters. Agreed there.

But its still part of overall weight- just like the saddle, bars, stem, seatpost, pedals, etc. Its weight and it exists as I climb hills.
Part of my care when it comes to even hub weight is that itll be on a steel frame, which obviously isnt the lightest thing around. So since I start behind the 8ball a bit, I look to not have the heaviest components to keep the overall weight from being excessively high.

redlude97

Why build up a steel frame if you care about grams?shimano hubs will be fine and cheap

mstateglfr 

Im a complicated guy, i guess?


I am building the frame and since i have no experience with carbon layup or welding aluminum, its gonna be a steel frame with carbon fork.
Really though- why would I want a wheelset that weighs 2050g when one for the same price can weigh 1700g and have the same reliability? Same applies to pretty much everything else. Why buy a stem for $50 that weighs 140g when I can buy one for $25 that weighs 110g? Seatpost, cassette, crankset, tires, etc.
Just because a frame is built with steel doesnt mean weight should just then be ignored and given up on when it comes to components.

redlude97

But in the case of the hubs that isn't how much the difference is. The Shimano hubs ~100g heavier total, are user serviceable, and come with a steel freehub body, its not just free weight, and it gets you what you want, a quiet sound. Nothing wrong with bitex/novatec i run quite a few wheels with them as well, but usually weight only becomes a significant factor on certain weight weenie builds I do that start with a carbon frame. On steel bikes I've owned weight is pretty far down on the list of priorities

gus6464

I think it just boils down to what you getting for your money. Why would anyone pay $200 for a bitex/novatec rear hub when you can get a Hope? Although I agree that anyone looking cheap and reliable should only be using Shimano hubs.

SilverRubicon

Because the Hope rear hub is $100 more and the front is $30 more than the Bitex and Pro Wheel Builders stands behind the performance of the Bitex?

gus6464

You are buying hopes at the wrong place.

jideta

I don't know about you folks, but besides weight, engagement is a deal breaker for me.

Riding some cheap Shimano was like a game, guessing when the hub would engage. I could just feel the cassette biting into the hub. Okay, I jest but some times it did feel like a quarter turn of the cranks.

I seriously started to miss my Chris Kings.

Moving up to some cheap DTs (AXIS I think), engagement became less noticeable.

Now I have two wheel sets with older White Industries H3s, and all is good in the world.

I would get the most hub I could afford, maybe even step up a bit, especially if building a custom wheel set.