Rear hubs: 105 vs. Ultegra

UndercoverElephant

Right, I have a load of vouchers to spend, and given that my winter rear wheel sounds like a bag of spanners, I see it as a perfect time to build up a replacement. I've spent some Halfords vouchers on a Ryde* "Jump" road rim, looks veeeery similar to an Open Pro only cheaper, I think I can make do with some spokes off the old wheel so now we're up to the hub.

Basically, this will be an all-weather, fast-as-chuff commuting wheel, so obviously longevity and performance are equally important. I could get either a 105 or Ultegra hub, the prices aren't too far from one another, but really, is there much difference?

* Ryde, the new name for Rigida now that Sapim own them.

pitchshifter

Probably only difference is weight. My 105 hubs have been brilliant through all weathers, just had it serviced and runs like new.

raymondo60

Obviously Ultegra is 'better' than 105, or so we are led to believe, but I've been running 105 hubs on my DTSwiss commuting wheels for over 2 years now, through all weather conditions, and they've been absolutely superb and still run as smooth as new - ain't done nothing to them!

First.Aspect

They have the same internals as each other. So go 105.

UndercoverElephant

First Aspect wrote:

They have the same internals as each other. So go 105.

This may well be true, but one of them says "Ultegra" on it...

First.Aspect

UndercoverElephant wrote:

First Aspect wrote:

They have the same internals as each other. So go 105.

This may well be true, but one of them says "Ultegra" on it...

Tip-ex?

walkingbootweather

First Aspect wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

First Aspect wrote:

They have the same internals as each other. So go 105.

This may well be true, but one of them says "Ultegra" on it...

Tip-ex?

If you are going to get the tip-ex out you might want to write Super Record

In my experience 105's will be plenty good enough. Not sure I'd pay a premium to have Ultegra.

asprilla

You can get 5600 105 hub sets for peanuts, it's not worth paying the extra for 5700, 6600 or 6700.

raymondo60

walkingbootweather wrote:

First Aspect wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

First Aspect wrote:

They have the same internals as each other. So go 105.

This may well be true, but one of them says "Ultegra" on it...

Tip-ex?

If you are going to get the tip-ex out you might want to write Super Record .

I would write Dura-Ace Di2

DonDaddyD

The logic ladder:

There is a lot of different betwen Ultegra and Tiagra but only marginal difference between 105 and Ultegra and 105 and Tiagra. So you may as well go for Tiagra.

Also if you go with Tiagra you can associate your bike with being a tiger "roar" [yep I really did just do that]. Alternatively if you go with Ultegra people will associate it with being the Ultimate something or other. 105 sounds like a bus or the price of the damn thing.

So goes the societal bike riders logic.

SteppenHerring

Asprilla wrote:

You can get 5600 105 hub sets for peanuts,...

I don't think he needs that many.

sketchley

I run Ultegra hub on both bike bike they roll very nice.

Bargain tastic http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... himhubr330

UndercoverElephant

SteppenHerring wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

You can get 5600 105 hub sets for peanuts,...

I don't think he needs that many.

N+1 is a harsh mistress...

Logic is definitely saying 105, though for the sake of £20, Ultegra does say Ultegra on it. This wheel is to replace a Tiagra hub based wheel which died after 11,000 miles of hellish abuse. Hopefully the higher groups will have better seals meaning that they last even longer.

walkingbootweather

Is this for your Equilibrium? If you want longevity could you not bend the frame a bit and squeeze in some xt hubs? Think you can widen slightly but can't go back again afterwards.

UndercoverElephant

walkingbootweather wrote:

Is this for your Equilibrium? If you want longevity could you not bend the frame a bit and squeeze in some xt hubs? Think you can widen slightly but can't go back again afterwards.

Good grief! What? Mutilate my beautiful Equilibrium just to stick some filthy mountain bike wheel?

The very idea! :evil:

SteppenHerring

UndercoverElephant wrote:

SteppenHerring wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

You can get 5600 105 hub sets for peanuts,...

I don't think he needs that many.

N+1 is a harsh mistress...

You know who had a massive collection of bicycles? That's right - Jimmy Savile. Makes you think.

Note to self: get a bigger garage. And some puppies.

asprilla

Was it Planet X that bought a load of Saville's bikes at auction?

sketchley

Asprilla wrote:

Was it Planet X that bought a load of Saville's bikes at auction?

Iirc they brought the whole collection so it wouldn't get broken up, they were going to display in the showroom.....

Edit http://road.cc/content/news/62676-plane ... es-auction

UndercoverElephant

UndercoverElephant wrote:

walkingbootweather wrote:

Is this for your Equilibrium? If you want longevity could you not bend the frame a bit and squeeze in some xt hubs? Think you can widen slightly but can't go back again afterwards.

Good grief! What? Mutilate my beautiful Equilibrium just to stick some filthy mountain bike wheel?

The very idea! :evil:

Well, this suggestion so horrified me that I decided that my poor maligned Equilibrium deserved cheering up (not that I told her what that beast, WBW, said). As such I plumped for the Ultegra, as was likely all along.

The recurring theme around the internets was that they're pretty similar, but Ultegra apparently has better sealing. Given the all weather nature of my commute, the more the better. Plus it saves me having an upgrade itch later, so it saves me money, really...

walkingbootweather

Can't fault your logic.

I can understand the attraction of something that looks pretty and goes well, but for the long term I like a study frame, low maintenance, something that won't let me down and not something that all my friends want to ride. It's a bit like bikes really......

ugo.santalucia

There is virtually no difference. I suspect (but I have no evidence) that Shimano use a better grade balls for the Ultegra, which would explain the marginally better feel they have. The seals are marginally better too, but overall the price difference is hard to justify. That said, you can buy Ultegra hubs for under 100 pounds these days and they are still a damn good buy, compared to the silly price of some boutique products like Chris King, White Industries, Tune and DT Swiss

Headhuunter

Just make sure you regrease the internals regularly. Just about every wheelset I have had - RS80s, Tiagra hubbed Open Sport, Shimano WHR550 etc etc have had hub problems. The grease always seems to disappear and the cones end up pitted and damaged... Always. I don't know what it is I do but it's nigh on impossible to get replacement cones, I think manufacturers expect you to thrown away the entire wheel once you have trashed this tiny piece of metal

UndercoverElephant

Headhuunter wrote:

Just make sure you regrease the internals regularly. Just about every wheelset I have had - RS80s, Tiagra hubbed Open Sport, Shimano WHR550 etc etc have had hub problems. The grease always seems to disappear and the cones end up pitted and damaged... Always. I don't know what it is I do but it's nigh on impossible to get replacement cones, I think manufacturers expect you to thrown away the entire wheel once you have trashed this tiny piece of metal

This is excellent advice, and almost exactly the opposite of what I did with the last wheel - hence the replacement. :oops:

rolf_f

UndercoverElephant wrote:

First Aspect wrote:

They have the same internals as each other. So go 105.

This may well be true, but one of them says "Ultegra" on it...

You must be really slow if you can read the hub script whilst riding the bike

rjsterry

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Just make sure you regrease the internals regularly. Just about every wheelset I have had - RS80s, Tiagra hubbed Open Sport, Shimano WHR550 etc etc have had hub problems. The grease always seems to disappear and the cones end up pitted and damaged... Always. I don't know what it is I do but it's nigh on impossible to get replacement cones, I think manufacturers expect you to thrown away the entire wheel once you have trashed this tiny piece of metal

This is excellent advice, and almost exactly the opposite of what I did with the last wheel - hence the replacement. :oops:

+ a rather embarrassed 1.

dilemna

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Right, I have a load of vouchers to spend, and given that my winter rear wheel sounds like a bag of spanners, I see it as a perfect time to build up a replacement. I've spent some Halfords vouchers on a Ryde* "Jump" road rim, looks veeeery similar to an Open Pro only cheaper, I think I can make do with some spokes off the old wheel so now we're up to the hub.

Basically, this will be an all-weather, fast-as-chuff commuting wheel, so obviously longevity and performance are equally important. I could get either a 105 or Ultegra hub, the prices aren't too far from one another, but really, is there much difference?

* Ryde, the new name for Rigida now that Sapim own them.

New rim, new Ultegra hub, crappy old high mileage spokes. This will make a nice strong durable wheel that rides really nicely, not. Go for a totally new hand built wheel with new spokes. It's like buying a new car and putting the old tyres on it from your old car you are chopping in .........

dilemna

ugo.santalucia wrote:

There is virtually no difference. I suspect (but I have no evidence) that Shimano use a better grade balls for the Ultegra, which would explain the marginally better feel they have. The seals are marginally better too, but overall the price difference is hard to justify. That said, you can buy Ultegra hubs for under 100 pounds these days and they are still a damn good buy, compared to the silly price of some boutique products like Chris King, White Industries, Tune and DT Swiss

Hope hubs?

UndercoverElephant

dilemna wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Right, I have a load of vouchers to spend, and given that my winter rear wheel sounds like a bag of spanners, I see it as a perfect time to build up a replacement. I've spent some Halfords vouchers on a Ryde* "Jump" road rim, looks veeeery similar to an Open Pro only cheaper, I think I can make do with some spokes off the old wheel so now we're up to the hub.

Basically, this will be an all-weather, fast-as-chuff commuting wheel, so obviously longevity and performance are equally important. I could get either a 105 or Ultegra hub, the prices aren't too far from one another, but really, is there much difference?

* Ryde, the new name for Rigida now that Sapim own them.

New rim, new Ultegra hub, crappy old high mileage spokes. This will make a nice strong durable wheel that rides really nicely, not. Go for a totally new hand built wheel with new spokes. It's like buying a new car and putting the old tyres on it from your old car you are chopping in .........

Nah, already have Sapim Race spokes of the correct size on the old wheel. Good, stainless steel spokes will generally last forever if they're built with correctly.

UndercoverElephant

dilemna wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

There is virtually no difference. I suspect (but I have no evidence) that Shimano use a better grade balls for the Ultegra, which would explain the marginally better feel they have. The seals are marginally better too, but overall the price difference is hard to justify. That said, you can buy Ultegra hubs for under 100 pounds these days and they are still a damn good buy, compared to the silly price of some boutique products like Chris King, White Industries, Tune and DT Swiss

Hope hubs?

A Hope hub would have been double the price of the Ultegra, which while not in the same league as some of the above, is still a big leap. Much as I did fancy them, I couldn't justify that for a winter wheel.

cyclingprop

UndercoverElephant wrote:

dilemna wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

There is virtually no difference. I suspect (but I have no evidence) that Shimano use a better grade balls for the Ultegra, which would explain the marginally better feel they have. The seals are marginally better too, but overall the price difference is hard to justify. That said, you can buy Ultegra hubs for under 100 pounds these days and they are still a damn good buy, compared to the silly price of some boutique products like Chris King, White Industries, Tune and DT Swiss

Hope hubs?

A Hope hub would have been double the price of the Ultegra, which while not in the same league as some of the above, is still a big leap. Much as I did fancy them, I couldn't justify that for a winter wheel.

They're lovely on my summer wheels. AND, when I freewheel past you down hill, you know about it!

UndercoverElephant

cyclingprop wrote:

They're lovely on my summer wheels. AND, when I freewheel past you down hill, you know about it!

Yes, but with the Shimano freewheel, when I re-take you on the flat or uphill, you won't know until it's too late