Sourcing a 40 hole cassette rear hub
I know this is the touring forum
I'm a big lad. I have killed several sets of 36 hole narrow tubular rears. There was nothing quite as fun as walking 5-10 miles on a hot day pushing a bike because no one could come and rescue me. I like the tubular ride and want a couple of good sets that will last. I will be using them on my PT-4500 tourer for small local tours and also my road bikes for local rides.
I have sourced two (2) NOS 40 hole Mavic GP4 rims. I am still seeking two NOS 36 hole GP4s to match as fronts. I have a set of Mavic 700 hubs, rear is 40 and front is 36. Freewheel is french threaded which may one day cause heartache.
I would like a cassette hub (preferably 6,7 or 8 speed). If I move to a 9/10 or 11 speed, then I'd have to buy a complete drive train to go with it as all my stuff is 6 and 8 speed. Further, all my bikes are rim brakes.
Can anyone point me towards a source for such a hub. I don't believe Phil Woods has any for sale right now. I am watching the eBay and CL ads like a hawk but only ones I'd seen were a used no-name set, some new Atomic Novatecs for $56USD for front and rear, new Wheel Master MT-1110 MTB Hubs for $75USD and some Quandos for $70USD which have really bad write ups. The Atomics and the Wheel Masters had ok write ups but are both about a sixth of the cost Phil Woods so I question their longevity.