bblair

It is getting increasingly difficult to find quality hubs for a new rim brake wheel. And I know nothing about disc wheels, but other than the ability to mount a rotor, is there any difference?

Stupid idea?

veganbikes

https://www.whiteind.com/product-cat...hubs/t11-hubs/
https://www.whiteind.com/product-cat...hubs/mi5-hubs/
https://chrisking.com/collections/r45
https://onyxrp.com/store/road-gravel...0-qr-rear-hub/
https://www.industrynine.com/hubs/ro...im-brake-rear/
https://velo-orange.com/collections/...ilver-and-noir
https://velo-orange.com/collections/...ilver-and-noir
https://www.carbon-ti.com/products/hubs/x-hub-road-sp
https://tune.de/en/parts/hubs/rim-brake/
https://rotoramerica.com/products/rv...brake-rear-hub
https://phil-wood-co.myshopify.com/c...-100mm-spacing
https://phil-wood-co.myshopify.com/c...speed-road-hub
https://phil-wood-co.myshopify.com/c...-classic-model
DT Swiss also makes a bunch of rim brake hubs but their website is hard to easily show just those options

I would mention some of these companies like Phil Wood and White Industries are smaller companies so they can be out of stuff but they will make it and some companies are just low on stock thanks to the endemic. Phil Wood made me some freewheel road hubs anodized pink not that long ago.

There are also probably a ton of other options I didn't mention but these were some I knew or could easily find. However yes you could use a disc hub but spacing will be off at the back if you have standard 130mm spacing if it is a mountain bike or touring bike with 135mm spacing a disc hub could work at the back assuming it is the same spacing however they don't make disc brake bikes in 130mm so you won't really find a hub for that. If I was going for a disc brake hub for some reason I would go center lock because it will look a little cleaner but in the end I would just get the proper rim brake hubs from anyone above or look around and find a ton of other options and plenty of full built wheels as well.

Iride01 

So you are building a wheel? Seems like you should know this stuff already.

What sort of wheel are you building that you can't find a hub for a rim brake wheel? If your bike is older standards you might find the hub for the disc brake has a wider OLD.

cyccommute 

There isn’t any problem with using a disc hub on a rim brake but there are changes that need to be made to accommodate that disc. The flanges are closer together than a nondisc hub which means that the angle that the spokes leave the hub is steeper. That makes for a slightly weaker and less stiff wheel. Bikes have been going to wider and wider hubs to address this problem.

That said, there are large numbers of very good hubs floating around out there that are for rim brakes. Shimano still makes affordable hubs for road bikes (130mm) and mountain bikes (135mm). There’s also lots of boutique hubs available. And then there is the used market.

stevel610 

My Novaro Safari's came with rim brakes on disc hubs. Also have disc brake mounts. This was 2008 / 2010 time frame. No problem with strength, but they are touring bikes so not lightweight. So yes it can be done. Others have addressed some of the mechanical issues.

Rolla

I thought cxwrench was on vacation.

squirtdad

dont forget hope https://www.hopetech.com/

Iride01 

Yeah, I'm a little more grouchy this morning. And I realize that. You should see some of the replies I've written and wisely not hit the Submit Reply button!

zandoval 

Come on Man...

zandoval 

I get ya bblair, I guess it's a process. I have been able to avoid bicycle disc brakes and tubeless tires so far but I am sure not for much longer. Gotta go with the flow.

Note that I had an interesting time showing my neighbor how to use the Down Tube Friction Shifters on one of my bikes. Young guy had only used Brifters... Ha

Also, there is a difference between a Disc Wheel and a Disc Brake Wheel. Be sure to post your solutions.

Dave Mayer

I volunteer regularly at a big-city high-volume bike Co-op. I would never consider buying or building a new set of rim-brake wheels, at least for the next 5 years or so, due to the volume of rim-brake wheels we are getting in as donations. Most of it is junk of course, but there have been some quality sets come in. Sponsored racers: they are your best friends.

I agree that for the remainder of my life I'd never want to be in a position where I am forced to use disc brakes or tubeless on the road, but I'm good for now.

On the weekend we had a decent rear wheel come in with an Ultegra 10-speed hub, stainless spokes and a Mavic SUP rim. I could have bought this for like $10, but when you spend much of the week around bike stuff, you get sated and could not be bothered any more. Pass. Surest cure for bike crap hording disease: volunteer at a Co-op.

grumpus

I have a disc rear hub on a rim-brake bike because it's what i had lying around when I built the wheels (the hubs I intended to use turned out to be the wrong spoke count). Apart from the mount for the rotor, the flange on that side has to be closer to the centre-line (assuming it's not on a Boost axle) which results in less tension difference between DS and NDS spokes but potentially reduced resistance to lateral flex. If I was choosing to use disc hubs with rim brakes I might go for Centerlock rather than 6-bolt because it might look a bit less bad.

delbiker1 

There have been a lot of very nice, vgc, used rim brake wheels available, some at fantastic prices. I do not need wheels, but it has been quite tempting to buy a set with some of the offers seen recently.

bblair

No...not building my own wheels. Did that 30 years ago, but now I leave it to the experts.

I have looked at some of the hubs on that list, but some are out of that line. Industry Nine specifically-they sent me an email. Chris King won't return my inquiries, but I understand they are hard to get.

My LBS wants me to buy his branded wheels. I know that they get their CF rims from the same source as other venders...such as one commonly discussed here. But they have their own branded hubs....and I am cautious about them. He'll build me whatever I want, hence the search. He sold me my bike and gives me fantastic service, so I would to buy either his, or something through his shop.

veganbikes

Well White Industries still makes them and they are good with communication. Chris King is usually good but not quick. Phil Wood has always been helpful. Plus the others mentioned.

I9 probably did discontinue their non-disc hubs but WI is still great and I wouldn't hesitate to go with them again and again and again. My T11s have been flawless and all my other WI bits are also great.

ClydeClydeson

No reason not to use disc hubs with rim brake rims. The narrower angle on the non-drive/brake side means the rear wheel can be built with less 'dish' and is therefore slightly stronger. Front wheels, however, will have a small amount of dish that would not be there on a rim-brake-only hub, so the front wheel will be ever so slightly weaker.

Another advantage of disc hubs is that the wheels may be compatible with a disc frame if the rim-brake frame or fork needs replacing. Newer bikes have thru-axles that are less common on rim-brake bikes, so don't assume you can easily swap in the latest and greatest frame, but you definitely have more options than with a rim-brake-only hub.

cyccommute 

Not quite that simple. The narrower the flanges, the lower the bracing angle. Lower bracing angle means a less stiff wheel which translates to weaker wheels. The reason for going to wider and wider hubs is to increase the bracing angle to make for a stiffer, stronger wheel when you take out 10 to 15mm for the disc rotor attachment.

I agree with you on the front wheel but that is because the wheel is now dished like the rear wheel. The wider hubs used there are a solution to that problem.

Camilo

Did you look at wheel building and wheel supply sites like prowheelbuilder.com? Lots of hubs in all price points last time I looked.

Lombard

Plenty of rim brake hub options are still out there. As mentioned here already, the White Industries T11's are still around and available here:

https://www.bikehubstore.com/product-p/t11f.htm

https://www.bikehubstore.com/product-p/t11r.htm

And Shimano 7000's though only available in 32 and 36 hole options:

https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-10...8aAt2sEALw_wcB

https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-10...IaAsAcEALw_wcB

bblair

Thanks for the links, I like the look and reputation of the White Industries hubs. The other common one there is Bitex. They seem to be the low cost option on other sites too. Good value or to be avoided? I would think that most purchase their baring cartridges from outside sources, but I could be mistaken.

Lombard

I've heard good things about Bitex, but all anecdotal. Haven't heard anything bad about them. They are a good low cost option and although they have an aluminum alloy cassette carrier, they have "anti-bite" steel splines to prevent gouging that often happens with alloy carriers.

Overall, I have heard nothing but good things about Bicycle Wheel Warehouse and they always back what they sell. Brandon, the owner, is great to communicate with.

cyccommute 

I have several sets of White Industries hubs from old 90s versions to Mi5 to T11 to XMR. I also own several sets of Phil Wood hubs and some other sealed bearing hubs. The Whites are, by far, the smoothest of all the hubs I own. They are also nice and light. I built a 32hole wheel to replace a set of low spoke count wheels. I lost 2 lbs in the process.

Phil Wood’s have the advantage of being easier to take apart but they aren’t nearly as smooth.

Don’t know. I’ve never used them.

I would say that no hub manufacturer makes their own bearings. They might have them made to a certain specification (the sealing, not the size) but they are buying them from a manufacturer. The bearings used are a standard size and most all of them can be found or ordered from an auto parts store in a pinch.

veganbikes

Bitex is from all sources a decent cheap option but if I had the option of speccing WI I would go WI in a heart beat no questions. A titanium freehub and loads of spoke hole options and colors and knowing they are well received. White uses Enduro bearings which are good quality bearings and well received.

Lombard

Could you describe what you mean by "smooth"?

I built up a set of wheels with T11's and they are nice hubs indeed. The only thing I don't like about them is the freehub is noisy. Then again, I'm used to the almost whisper quiet Shimano hubs. Granted the reason many of the boutique hubs are noisier is they have more points of engagement. I can't say the 48 points of engagement are anything so great vs. Shimano's 18 points. Now if this were a mountain bike with ultra-low gearing, I might appreciate it. But on a road bike, it's a big nothingburger.

cyccommute 

As in roll for a very long time. I’ve spun them on a stand and they just keep rolling. My son came into the garage once to talk to me about something just as I was spinning the front wheel. We talked for a long time (about 10 minutes) until he said “how long is that thing going to spin?”

The sound of the ratchet is separate from “smoothness”. Yes, a lot of hubs buzz and White Industries are getting louder over the older versions but that isn’t what I would describe in terms of smoothness. They just roll easier than Phil Woods do as well as many other hubs I’ve compared them to.