What freewheel to get on new wheels (Hope Pro IIs)

Da Mighty Chicken

Hi guys,


I'm looking to get some new wheels built up by my LBS and i'm having the Hope Pro II hubs but what freewheel do I get, the steel or alloy? As I know the alloy ones can get damaged over time as even the cassettes with an alloy carrier arent all fully covered?

But what about steel, I'm more than likely to be using an XTR cassette, but will the steel body eat into the casstte, ie. the reverse of what happens to the alloy ones?

Weight isnt really a priority as I'm no small guy and have a steel frame.

What do you reckon?

Thanks

RealMan

Never heard of a freehub eating into a cassette, it was always the other way round I thought. I'd go for steel.

Monkeypump

My (alloy) freehub is slightly worn/damaged, so although I don't plan on replacing my ProII's any time soon, next time I'd go for steel.

The Northern Monkey

Monkeypump wrote:

My (alloy) freehub is slightly worn/damaged, so although I don't plan on replacing my ProII's any time soon, next time I'd go for steel.

pro 2 hub comes in 2 varieties.

Steel or alloy freehuh.

Alloy freehub = a cassette on a carrier only. Other cassettes will eat into the freehub body.

Steel = any cassette.

If its wearing, its likely that you have an alloy freehub and are using a cassette without a carrier.

BlackSpur

Go for the alloy one

Da Mighty Chicken

Thanks your input guys

Keep em coming.

jayson

For my money i would just buy a steel body and avoid any worries of the cassette damaging the freehub body. If you've ever tried removing a cassette from a damaged alloy body you'll know its the job from hell.

Unless ur a serious weight weenie a steel body is the only option as far im concerned.

BlackSpur

If the cassette has a carrier (like XT or XTR) then the alloy one is fine. Its only when using a cassette without a carrier that you will have a problem.

Da Mighty Chicken

If it helps, Hope have told me that the weights of the freehubs are: Steel = 148g & Alloy = 86g, so a difference of 62g.

dave_hill

Da Mighty Chicken wrote:

If it helps, Hope have told me that the weights of the freehubs are: Steel = 148g & Alloy = 86g, so a difference of 62g.

And it comes down to this -

Pro IIs come with an alloy freehub rotor as standard.

Questions -

1. Do you pay £60 for a replacement steel rotor and £20 for a cheapo Deore cassette?

2. Or do you pay £40 to £44 for a Deore XT carrier type cassette (linky if you don't believe me...) and have done with it?

I know what I'd rather do...

Da Mighty Chicken

dave_hill wrote:

Da Mighty Chicken wrote:

If it helps, Hope have told me that the weights of the freehubs are: Steel = 148g & Alloy = 86g, so a difference of 62g.

And it comes down to this -

Pro IIs come with an alloy freehub rotor as standard.

Questions -

1. Do you pay £60 for a replacement steel rotor and £20 for a cheapo Deore cassette?

2. Or do you pay £40 to £44 for a Deore XT carrier type cassette (linky if you don't believe me...) and have done with it?

I know what I'd rather do...

I havent yet bought the wheels and IIRC my LBS can get the hubs with a steel freehub as standard (they are one of the Hope Tech centres) so I wont need to pay the extra £60, otherwise I'd agree with you.

Just see lots and lots of posts where people have damaged alloy freehubs even when using a cassette with an alloy spider!

Torres

Well if you can get the steel one for the same price as the alloy one, and weight isn't a factor to you; then it seems like a no brainer to me, steel!

dave_hill

Torres wrote:

Well if you can get the steel one for the same price as the alloy one

My thoughts exactly...

HandjobDan

Steel means no worries, I have an alloy carrier XT casette and alloy free-hub and they sometimes need persuading to part company, I think the freehub was already damaged when I got it though 2nd hand wheelset.

supersonic

Reason why Hope don't spec them as standard, or offer the choice when new is because then it would weigh the same as XT ;-)