mannion

My OEM freehub has failed, and I'm having difficulty getting specs / parts from the manufacturer, their local authorized dealer, and the internet. I'm considering buying a new wheel, or perhaps a new hub and building a wheel.

• My primary consideration is purchasing something that I will be able to maintain over time
  

I care less about wheel performance than I do about finding a company that will still be here in 5 or 10 years, provides specs / diagrams / customer support, sells replacement parts, and is sufficiently popular to have a community who knows how to service their components. Therefore, I am asking for advice from the mechanics forum about which brands to consider, rather than for specific recommendations about a wheel/hub model. My primary question is:

• QUESTION 1: Which companies have you found to make a decent entry-to-mid level wheel/hub and provide reliable customer service and replacement parts over time?
  

I've done a bunch of reading about wheels in the past few days, and also have three general technical questions to help narrow my search. I understand that hub/freehub sub-components need careful planning for compatibility, but I don't know if the same is true of a finished wheel. So:

• QUESTION 2: If I keep the original 12x142 thru axle that fits my dropouts, can I buy any finished wheel listed as a "12x142 thru axle" type and expect that it will work with my bike?
  
• QUESTION 3: In particular, can I expect that the rotor (Centerlock) and cassette (HG 11 speed) mounts on the new hub will align with my caliper and derailleur?
  

I don't know how much of these hub-related standards are actually standard, and how much requires spacers, etc. to fit a specific frame.


Lastly:

• QUESTION 4: All else being equal, would you recommend loose or cartridge bearings?
  

I've owned bikes with both, but don't have enough experience over the long term to know which are best from a maintenance perspective. If I had to choose today, I'd probably choose cartridge because I've had a tough time rebuilding some loose bearing hubs. But, those were all low-quality hubs to start with, so I'm guessing that a higher-quality hub with loose bearings is practical for me to keep running smoothly over the years, given proper maintenance. I have the interest, patience, and budget for specialty tools to learn to do this right.


Thank you in advance for helping me make a good investment.


(P.S. I can give details about the existing components, if that would help, but I'd prefer for this thread to focus on the future and not the past.)

Andrew R Stewart 

Given the rapidly decreasing market cycles a product has and the consolidations that many small companies have been subject to I doubt one could predict what rear hub now made would have repair parts available in X number of years. In my early time in the LBS world the answer would have been Campy NR, this group lasted for a few decades until the Asian invasion took over. What Campy discovered was that the consumer might say they wanted a long lasting and repairable product, and this that would mean nothing when the next feature was brought to market.

Q1- Shimano
Q2- Yes if the rest of the specs match up, like freehub compatibility or disk/rim hub.
Q3- Sort of but there can be small tweaks needed for best performance. The industry does try to have a plug and play set of dimensional specs but tolerances and other real life stuff gets in the way.
Q4- Once set up with the right tools I have learned to prefer cartridge bearings. I don't expect them to last forever and some hubs have better sealing than others.

I went from mostly Campy NR hubs to Phil Wood a couple of decades ago and didn't regret it even if their freehubs have changed at least 3 times since. Andy

squirtdad

depends on what you want to pay in a lot of ways

1) avoid any sort of proprietary spoke set up, the all seem to go away with time, but classic J spokes are still around

2) hard to predict which companies will be around but White industries and Chris King note the re buildable nature of their hubs

some examples


$409 with ultegra hubs
https://www.velomine.com/index.php?m...oducts_id=6369

#1219 wheel set with chris king (for example xdr hub, not shimano right now)

https://www.velomine.com/index.php?m...oducts_id=6215

SoSmellyAir

DT Swiss and Hope do not make the list?

TiHabanero

About 4 years ago I was exposed to DT Swiss hubs, particularly the 240 and 350 hubs and was immediately sold. The build quality of the hubs is top notch and the design is simply simple and reliable. I doubt I will ever have to replace anything on the 350 hubs I use. I have pulled the ramp "ratchets" out to clean and grease. Super easy to do, and can be done on the side of the road if desired. The bearings are cartridge bearings and very smooth. At 10000 miles I cannot speak to how long lasting they are, however I have never had any real issues with cartridge bearings that were of high quality to begin with.
The set of Mavic hubs I had on a daily rider/commuter had 50,000 miles on them without any trouble in the bearings. The rear axle broke (aluminum) and there were no replacements available from Mavic, but ebay had them. I replaced the wheels with the DT Swiss hubs and Mavic rims. I built them myself and have been happily cruising along since. I chose the 350 hubs because they have steel axles.

squirtdad

did not do a complete list... hope for sure, don't know about swiss but probably, and of course there is the grand daddy of all which would be Phil Wood hubs

HillRider

The OP needs a t12x142 thru axle, disc brake hub which rather reduces his choices. Shimano GRX wheels meet all of these requirements and should be current, durable and maintainable for quite a long time. They are made in both 650B and 700C format and use an 11-speed freehub and are not prohibitively priced. So,
Q1: Shimano as above
Q2:Yes
Q3: Yes, GRX hubs use centerlock rotors.

Q4: I've used cup-and cone bearing hub almost exclusively, and almost all Shimano or Campagnolo. They are easy to overhaul and lube and, with even half-decent care, super durable. I have an older Dura Ace freehub with almost 90,000 miles and a Campy front hub with over 56,000 miles and they are both in fine condition and in daily use.

hokiefyd 

DT Swiss makes nice hubs and has a pretty nice product selection wizard that asks you the critical questions about what you have or want and filters their portfolio to only what'll fit.

https://www.dtswiss.com/en/component...s/hubs-mtb/350 (scroll to the bottom, to the Model Finder section)

As I understand DT's lineup, the 350 is the "basic" (though still somewhat spendy) option. Known for reliability, ease of maintenance, etc. Their 240 and 180 are lighter and more expensive options. I don't know a whole lot about them.

I have a 350 hub in the rear wheel of my Surly Pugsley. It was there when I got the bike and wasn't involved in specing it or anything like that. I have, however, enjoyed and appreciated how easy it is to service. And it sure is smooth.

mannion

Wow - I am humbled by and grateful for the proliferation of prompt, thoughtful responses to my inquiry. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with me.

I've started looking at some of the products recommended here, and I'm impressed with what's available. As squirtdad said:
What I want to pay is $21 for the low-quality replacement part I need and get back on the road today But, I'm willing to pay at least hundreds, maybe a grand or so, for something that 1) won't leave me stranded again, and 2) that I can maintain/fix when necessary.

Several folks recommended DT Swiss hubs, so I was browsing over coffee break and I like 1) the simple ratcheting system, and 2) their outstanding YouTube maintenance videos. Honestly, I buy Park Tool tools partly because they're good, and partly to reward them for their awesome blogs and videos. Likewise, I'd be willing to send my money DT Swiss' way because of their willingness to help a shade tree mechanic like me be successful with their product.

Others recommended Shimano, whose components I've been using increasingly in recent years with generally great results. They offer good value for the money, there's always replacement parts available (OEM or 3rd party), and the user community is huge. I find Shimano's manuals and support to be mediocre, but there's inevitably someone locally or online who can fill in the gaps in my knowledge. Suffice it to say, they were the first company I looked to for a new hub and, as HillRider recommended, I landed on the GRX product line page.

I initially dismissed the Shimano GRX hubs because of the E-THRU system, but after some more research I'm wondering whether they might actually work for me. If I may ask another question:

• QUESTION 5: Can I use a Shimano E-THRU hub with my existing non-E-THRU axle?

I'm unclear as to whether the E-THRU hubs require E-THRU axles, or if it's only the dropouts that must be E-THRU compatible (and, in turn, that the hubs will work with any appropriately-sized axle).

Thanks again everyone. This thread is turning out to be the silver lining to the cloud that is my broken wheel.

blacknbluebikes 

one side point to make: very good wheels rarely, if ever, need any maintenance or repair.

SoSmellyAir

I do hope you are right! When I hear people talk about fiddling with their wheel bearings or adjusting the cups and cones preload and all that, I just thought I was not riding enough.

CarbonwheelTech

DT Swiss hub is the most ubiquitous hub you can get and change part,you can still choose 180 240 350 according to your budget
Or find the wheelset which has plenty of sale agents you can find spare part easily and locally.