New rear wheel/hub/brake compatability advice

GT Destroyer

My rear freehub is sticking due to me ignoring advice about not jet-washing the bike, my LBS tells me its sticking and has probably lost some grease.

So as a treat I am going to buy a new rear wheel, hub, chain and cassette. I'm sticking with XT for the cassette and the chain, and I'm planning on going for a white HALO freedom rear wheel with a spin doctor hub.

The questions I have are,

How is the spion doctor hub compared to my current 07 XT hub? Stronger? Lighter?

My brakes are also '07 XT, and I believe that means they are centre-lock? How does that stack up with the type of hub I'm planning to get?

Thanks in advance.

Oh and my style of riding is UK trail centres such as Dalby, Llandegla but I also like Stainburn and the tougher side of riding, its aggressive XC. So if I've made a huge error with these decisions feel free to call me a nob, but suggest an alternative!

supersonic

Your brakes could be centre lock or 6 bolt - the Halo hubs are definitely the latter. You should be able to see with a quick inspection. Adaptors are available to convert from one to the other.

Looks stronger, and certainly heavier than the M775 hub.

zaris

I'd suggest a SRAM cassette and chain, the powerlink system on SRAM chains are brilliant, makes it so simple for mainteneance. i've got the PG991 chain and PG 850 casette on my rockhopper they're really realy good and haven't let me down in over 2 years now

in terms of wheels and hubs am no pro, but a lot of people mix hope hubs with mavic rims...might want to look into that too.

GT Destroyer

I've tracked down a Halo freedom and spin doctor hub combo for just £82. I'm just a bit concerned that its so cheap, surely that means its not as good as the XT stuff I currently have?

I could just get a new rear hub and get the wheel built that way, then I get to keep the XT hub as thats what I'd buy.

I'll have to find out the cost of doing it separately as opposed to just buying the full wheel already pre-built.

Would you keep the XT stuff or make the change to Spin doctors?

zaris

if am right the spin doctors are louder...but i have no idea if they have such a difference between that and the XT, though buying new a new rim and spoke would only set you back abot £50;

Spokes;
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=12630

Rims;
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Sear ... =PRICE_ASC

It'd be more complicated and not so hassle free with building the wheel, making sure it runs true...as well as making sure you have the right tension in there....my opinion get the new wheel....life is so much easier that way xD