Captain Blight

Yesterday I didn't feel like doing much. Piddled around the house, cleaned behind the stove (ic, ick, ick) and then watched some reruns of West Wing on Netflix. But still... felt like doing something, just not anything too rambunctious. Wandered out to the garage, looked at stuff for a few minutes, and decided I was going to clean up the wheels that came with my Trek 560 when I bought it and I'd immediately set aside for further consideration. Okay, up for consideration now.

Problem numbo one: filthy. They made the back of the stove look like an operating room. Cleaning wheels is never any fun. But it's a lot better when they're apart, so apart I took the rear wheel. Ick, ick, ick.

The rim is a Rigida Red-Label; there were a couple dings and a couple bulges I was able to manhandle back into shape, more or less. The rim polished up nicely after I scrubbed it down with a brush and some Dawn. Cleaning the hub off, I managed to drop it into the garbage disposal, and getting it back out was not nearly as much fun as you'd think it would be (I won the day by making a wee lariat with old derailleur cable and wiggling things around-- how can the blessed thing go in but not come out, for all love?!). Finally got that thing out and cleaned up.

Turns out it was, according to VeloBase, a Shimano first-generation 600 hub-- missing the oil port clip, but I have a spare, so no bigs there. And nothing intrinsically wrong with the hub-- cleaned up nicely, axle's not bent, cones not pitted, just the most minor frosting in the races. But I now have a choice to make.

I also have what I believe to be an Avocet-branded Ofmega Master rear hub with the same 126mm spacing, and spoke circle diameter and flange widths are very, very similar. And I also, also have a 600EX freewheel hub, with more or less identical measurements.

So, I pose the question to you guys: Which hub would you choose? Intended use will be credit-card touring and some commuting. All 3 are freshly rebuilt with Phil grease. All 3 are in very good cosmetic shape. The anodizing on the Avocet is absolutely pristine, and the Shimanos are both blinged up proper. So... which has the better mechanicals? Or is it all just a distinction without a difference?

bradtx

Probably this.

Brad

WNG

If they are all standard hubs, it's eeny meeny miney moe.

But if you meant freehub for the 600EX, then it's a superior design.

Captain Blight

It's all freewheel, WNG. I don't much go in for cassettes.

Honestly, I'd like to use my Helicomatic hub, but I used it for a dropout spacer when I shipped one of my bikes to my sister.

WNG

OK, then it's blonde, brunette, or redhead (Avocet).
Can't lose with any of them.
But I'd opt for the Avocet just because it's not so common, and seeing it in service would be sweet. It's a fine Italian hub up there with Campagnolo's.