luxury commuter bike - hubs

Rudd
Rudd Posts: 264
edited July 2010 in Commuting chat
Hello all,

I am in the process of building a 'luxury' commuter. I have had a 531 merlin frame from the 1980's re sprayed and re chromed with the original transfers and it looks fantastic (great job by bob jackson). I am going to add record brake levers and cranks with ambrosio rims but i am a little bit stuck when it comes to single speed hubs. I would like something like the quality and style of campag record ones but understandably they come only as fixed (i think). I'm not brave enough to commute elephant & castle on fixed so does anyone have ideas or suggestions about potential hubs?

Many thanks

Comments

  • itsbruce
    itsbruce Posts: 221
    I glided by Elephant on a fixie on my way back from Brick Lane this evening. It's amazing what you can master with a little practice.
    Charge Mixer (2010)
    Schwinn Madison (2009)
  • Oddjob62
    Oddjob62 Posts: 1,056
    I'm a big fan of Phil Wood hubs.
    As yet unnamed (Dolan Seta)
    Joelle (Focus Expert SRAM)
  • lardboy
    lardboy Posts: 343
    Oddjob62 wrote:
    I'm a big fan of Phil Wood hubs.

    Pretty alright

    trackfront.jpg
    Bike/Train commuter: Brompton S2L - "Machete"
    12mile each way commuter: '11 Boardman CX with guards and rack
    For fun: '11 Wilier La Triestina
    SS: '07 Kona Smoke with yellow bits
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    I'm running Phil Wood's on my mills and they are great... pretty and very well put together

    Not cheap mind

    Miche do some solid stuff at a cheaper price
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • wgwarburton
    wgwarburton Posts: 1,863
    Rudd wrote:
    ... i am a little bit stuck when it comes to single speed hubs. I would like something like the quality and style of campag record ones but understandably they come only as fixed (i think). ...

    A "fixed" hub can be used with a freewheel, it's the other way round that doesn't work.

    The thread is the same, the difference is that a proper fixed hub has a (smaller) counter-threaded section outside the main thread for a lockring to secure the sprocket. You don't need a lockring for a freewheel, so you can usually just ignore it.

    Cheers,
    W.
  • Zachariah
    Zachariah Posts: 782
    I haven't any personal experience, but if it's bling you're after then Chrisk King hubs or Tune might be what you're after. Cost clearly isn't an issue if you're getting Record brake levers and cranks!
  • Rudd
    Rudd Posts: 264
    Thanks for all the help, so am I right i thinking (and excuse my ignorance) that I cen run fixed hubs as a free wheel. In which case - problem solved!

    Money is a bit of a problem but I guess the good thing about building a bike is that you can do it month by month.
  • wgwarburton
    wgwarburton Posts: 1,863
    Rudd wrote:
    ...am I right i thinking ... that I cen run fixed hubs as a free wheel. ....
    Yes. Instead of screwing on a sprocket, screw on a freewheel.
    Cheers,
    W.
  • Rudd
    Rudd Posts: 264
    lovely, problem solved- thanks very much

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