Who makes the best road hubs?
09-29-09, 08:20 AM
#1
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Who makes the best road hubs?
Did a search and couldn't find anything definitive.
See all these wheels with different hubs and wonder whose hubs are best?
See all these wheels with different hubs and wonder whose hubs are best?
09-29-09, 09:52 AM
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For light weight, probably Tune. For just being ace, PMP or Royce...
48g Tune Front
156g Tune rear hub (there is a lighter one coming soon that involves magnets and stuff)
48g Tune Front
156g Tune rear hub (there is a lighter one coming soon that involves magnets and stuff)
Last edited by AlexTaylor; 09-29-09 at 11:43 AM.
09-29-09, 11:21 AM
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Alchemy (I'm a dealer), White Industries (I'm a dealer), DT (I'm kind of a dealer).
I don't like Chris King (I'm not a dealer).
Just wanted to state that so that you can take it with a grain of salt.
I don't like Chris King (I'm not a dealer).
Just wanted to state that so that you can take it with a grain of salt.
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09-29-09, 11:23 AM
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shimano for price/performance
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09-29-09, 11:28 AM
#9
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actual answer:
anyone who knows what they're talking about will be hesitant to say anything is the "best", there are no absolutes. what is the "best" mean? all the good hubs mentioned above have strengths and weaknesses, relatively speaking. first - define what you want in a hub, go from there.
anyone who knows what they're talking about will be hesitant to say anything is the "best", there are no absolutes. what is the "best" mean? all the good hubs mentioned above have strengths and weaknesses, relatively speaking. first - define what you want in a hub, go from there.
Last edited by AngryScientist; 09-29-09 at 11:35 AM. Reason: for a better answer
09-29-09, 11:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Psimet2001
Alchemy (I'm a dealer), White Industries (I'm a dealer), DT (I'm kind of a dealer).
I don't like Chris King (I'm not a dealer).
Just wanted to state that so that you can take it with a grain of salt.
I don't like Chris King (I'm not a dealer).
Just wanted to state that so that you can take it with a grain of salt.
Owned a set. Beautifully made, but not very light and the heavy duty sealing does add some unavoidable drag, even with adjustment, IME.
09-29-09, 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by AngryScientist
actual answer:
anyone who knows what they're talking about will be hesitant to say anything is the "best", there are no absolutes. what is the "best" mean? all the good hubs mentioned above have strengths and weaknesses, relatively speaking. first - define what you want in a hub, go from there.
anyone who knows what they're talking about will be hesitant to say anything is the "best", there are no absolutes. what is the "best" mean? all the good hubs mentioned above have strengths and weaknesses, relatively speaking. first - define what you want in a hub, go from there.
One shouldn't be frozen by the difficulty of making judgments and generalizations, so long as there is evidence to back them up.
09-29-09, 11:46 AM
#13
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Best hubs have 2 design elements:
- The main load-supporting bearings are as close to the ends of the hub as possible. Ideally the bearings would be flush against the frame dropouts, but there are some compromises in design required. The closer to the center of the hub are the bearings, the heavier has to be the axle - a suboptimized design.
- Angular contact ball bearings. Cartridge bearings are used in hubs by small-fry manufacturers who don't have the tooling or sales volume to support custom hub parts such as forged and polished cones and cups. Angular contact balls support axial loads better (mainly the clamping force of the quick release), and are easier to service and replace wearing parts. Balls cost pennies each. Cones cost at most $20 per set.
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09-29-09, 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Dave Mayer
Best hubs have 2 design elements:
- The main load-supporting bearings are as close to the ends of the hub as possible. Ideally the bearings would be flush against the frame dropouts, but there are some compromises in design required. The closer to the center of the hub are the bearings, the heavier has to be the axle - a suboptimized design.
- Angular contact ball bearings. Cartridge bearings are used in hubs by small-fry manufacturers who don't have the tooling or sales volume to support custom hub parts such as forged and polished cones and cups. Angular contact balls support axial loads better (mainly the clamping force of the quick release), and are easier to service and replace wearing parts. Balls cost pennies each. Cones cost at most $20 per set.
All-righty then.
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09-29-09, 12:35 PM
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Campagnolo of course! too bad they do not make their fabulous highflange hubs any longer. I wish they would atleast bring front HF hubs back.
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09-29-09, 12:37 PM
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I have a set of White Industries H1 hubs which I am very happy with. Reasonably priced as well.
09-29-09, 12:59 PM
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Originally Posted by AngryScientist
actual answer:
anyone who knows what they're talking about will be hesitant to say anything is the "best", there are no absolutes. what is the "best" mean? all the good hubs mentioned above have strengths and weaknesses, relatively speaking. first - define what you want in a hub, go from there.
anyone who knows what they're talking about will be hesitant to say anything is the "best", there are no absolutes. what is the "best" mean? all the good hubs mentioned above have strengths and weaknesses, relatively speaking. first - define what you want in a hub, go from there.
Sometimes you have to go in and propose something based on cues you pick up.
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09-29-09, 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted by El Diablo Rojo
Campy.
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09-29-09, 02:14 PM
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09-29-09, 02:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Psimet2001
Alchemy (I'm a dealer), White Industries (I'm a dealer), DT (I'm kind of a dealer).
I don't like Chris King (I'm not a dealer).
Just wanted to state that so that you can take it with a grain of salt.
I don't like Chris King (I'm not a dealer).
Just wanted to state that so that you can take it with a grain of salt.
09-29-09, 02:49 PM
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Originally Posted by robotkiller
Owned a set. Beautifully made, but not very light and the heavy duty sealing does add some unavoidable drag, even with adjustment, IME.
09-29-09, 02:55 PM
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M5 flanged front: 33 g
M5 rear: 183g, rated for 100,000 km of service.
At least that's what I know from Google, so take this with a metric ton of salt.
M5 rear: 183g, rated for 100,000 km of service.
At least that's what I know from Google, so take this with a metric ton of salt.
09-29-09, 03:17 PM
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I can buy a pair of Campagnolo Record hubs for the price of just the rear hub of most of the above and in some cases have alot of $ left over
Royce, King, DT Swiss all look like a big waste of money to me.
Royce, King, DT Swiss all look like a big waste of money to me.
Last edited by RichinPeoria; 09-29-09 at 03:33 PM.
09-29-09, 03:23 PM
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Originally Posted by sstorkel
If you're racing your mountain bike across Outer Mongolia during the rainy season, you want to have Chris King hubs (and bottom bracket, and headset). If you're riding a road bike on pavement, they're ridiculous overkill. Or at least that's what my buddy who used to work for King tells me... he can't help but laugh every time he sees/hears King hubs on a road bike.
