Hubs hubs hubs

housemunkey
housemunkey Posts: 237
edited March 2013 in Road buying advice
Okay so I'm attempting (failing) to decide on the bits and bobs for a bday present wheel build. Rims and spokes are all sorted, archetype and cx-rays. What I can't decide on are the hubs. Spoke count is 20/24 so that rules out any shimano offerings. I've been drawn to the hope pro 3's, good colours, good noisey freehub and good quality at a reasonable price. Now my issue is (and I know I'll get flamed for it) they are slightly on the heavier side.

Lets get some of the standard responses out of the way, I know you can't have everything, go light and you lose durability. I also know that weight at the hub makes a lot less difference than weight at the rim. I get all that.

What i'd like to know are any sensible options for slightly lighter hubs. Almost every other option is going to add price I know. I had been eyeing up Goldtec hubs. Also on the list would be Chris King (little more high maintenance?) and I have also looked at Tune (some durability issues perhaps). What are peoples thoughts? Cheers guys.

Comments

  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Tune Mig/Mags are solid. The old 180 had issues but the 170 is good. Or you could go Alchemy as they're amazing.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • surfgod
    surfgod Posts: 97
    Been riding Hope pro 3 hubs for a couple of months now and generally find them very good.
    Yes the rear freehub is noisy, much the same as nearly all other high quality hubs. They do offer pretty instant and solid engagment, and when you hit the gas on a steep hill it becomes apparent that you are on are good quality product. Plus I find it great for alerting walkers/pedestrians..

    The freehub body splines are made very soft alloy that scores quite easily.making cassette removal somewhat of a chore. This has no ill effects on performance however. I believe a steel freehub body is available, but this would be much heavier. I did notice some seal drag that quickly dissapears once underway, it only seems to happen if they have gone unused for a couple of weeks. The hubs do seem incredibly well sealed against the elements. and have seen me through a whole winter without needing any attention...I guess it's a legacy of hope's MTB roots.

    Hope make some absolutely lovely straight pull 20h front 24h rear hubs that woud rival anything produced in the states, but they refuse to sell them separately...I would have bought some of these in a heartbeat...
    I find this policy quite difficult to understand especially so in this ecomomic climate????.

    Finally don't buy the gold colour...they look great on hope's website...but they clash with everything..
    Maybe if I asked hope nicely, they would be kind enough to send me on a pair of silver hub shells :?:
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    why 20/24?

    Spokes weigh very little (relative to overall build) and you open up your hub options if you go for more drillings.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • antikythera
    antikythera Posts: 326
    You wouldn't regret a pair of Mack hubs (see http://www.machubs.com. I needed to replace my rear Goldtec, so thought I'd see what's out there and these came up. All the reviews rated them along with Chris Kings. Personally I think they're better (IMO).

    20.jpg
  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    White Industries?
    PMP?
    DT?
    Extralite?
    Alchemy?

    Can't go wrong with Hope in my opinion though.
  • Calpol
    Calpol Posts: 1,039
    styxd wrote:
    White Industries?
    PMP?
    DT?
    Extralite?
    Alchemy?

    Can't go wrong with Hope in my opinion though.
    Unless you run Campagnolo Groupset it seems.
  • Flexisurfer
    Flexisurfer Posts: 249
    Calpol wrote:
    styxd wrote:
    White Industries?
    PMP?
    DT?
    Extralite?
    Alchemy?

    Can't go wrong with Hope in my opinion though.
    Unless you run Campagnolo Groupset it seems.

    Are Hope hubs not Campagnolo compatible then?
  • bisoner
    bisoner Posts: 171
    Dura Ace hubs are highly regarded. You can get a 28 hole rear 7900 hub for a highly respectable £172 on Ribble at the moment. Be quick though as the 10% discount ends soon.....I think.
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    Unless you're very light on wheels I'd up the spoke count to 24/28 at least. Only costs you 25g per wheel and it will result in a much more 'Great British road friendly' wheelset.

    Chris Kings certainly aren't high maintenance but you can't service them yourself unless you buy the freehub tool. For the price the Hopes are very hard to beat.

    Personally I just went with DA7900, durable, serviceable, good geometry, reasonable weight, weather proof and unlike all the really light options they have a freehub body that won't get chewed to bits.

    Don't know about the Mack hubs but certainly everything else listed here is quality (no mention of Royce yet though).
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Royce make nice hubs as do Phil Wood :)
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • skyblue337
    skyblue337 Posts: 135
    Calpol wrote:
    styxd wrote:
    White Industries?
    PMP?
    DT?
    Extralite?
    Alchemy?

    Can't go wrong with Hope in my opinion though.
    Unless you run Campagnolo Groupset it seems.

    Are Hope hubs not Campagnolo compatible then?

    10 speed only. Hopefully Shimano's move to 11sp will encourage Hope to make some 11sp Campag hubs
  • IronWolf
    IronWolf Posts: 13
    I have a set of Tune mig/mag's on DT RR415 with CX rays, used them for racing, commuting, was on my winter bike for a year and a half. Never gone wrong, never gone out of true...awesome
  • housemunkey
    housemunkey Posts: 237
    Good to hear some nice words about the mig70/mag170 combo. I had seen the dodgy reviews of the old 180 and was nervous but it does seem the newer 170 is absolutely fine. Does anyone know how easily the tune hubs can be serviced?

    With regards to the spoke count, I might consider 28 on the back if I go tune just incase a spoke was to go I'll have a better chance of being able to ride it home.

    I guess I should have said before that tartiness has its place on my list of objectives. I'm not interested in spending my money on something I don't really like the look of. So that limits the choices a little to something I can get in red and preferably something with a bit of noise (hence no shimano).

    I'm on 10 speed shimano so no worries about hope not doing 11spd campy. It feels like its moving towards being between hope and tune. I wish I was better at making decisions!!!
  • FatTed
    FatTed Posts: 1,205
    You could have these since you are on Shimano
    http://www.hedwheels.com/proddetail.asp?prod=HopeArd
    I have Chris King with these rims for what its worth, had a 40kph crash recently, wheels fine 24/28 spoke count.
  • stueys
    stueys Posts: 1,332
    Out of interest, what are the thoughts on ceramic bearings?
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Stueys wrote:
    Out of interest, what are the thoughts on ceramic bearings?

    Overpriced and overrated. Wear out quickly too.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • IronWolf
    IronWolf Posts: 13


    Tune hubs are simple 2 x 5mm hex keys, in 3 and a half years I've never had to even open them up though.

    Mine weighted in at 1400 a set too :)
  • smidsy wrote:
    Stueys wrote:
    Out of interest, what are the thoughts on ceramic bearings?

    Overpriced and overrated. Wear out quickly too.

    Been running them for ages and love them. I can't see how you can argue they wear out faster unless you ride sub standard (read cheap) bearings and races.

    anything along the lines of Ceramic Speed or the new Chris King ceramics will last you an age.

    I don't see this as a wheelset you'll drag through winter so if ceramic is an option (Tune run a ceramic hybrid) then go for it.
  • sedente
    sedente Posts: 8
    novatec hubs have always done me well and they seem to be reasonably light