Disc hub confusion - hope v xt v novatech 711/172

samsbike

I understand the difference in price between them but I don't understand what distinguishes one as better than the other.

I currently have a kaffenback and am thinking at some point it should have better wheels. Ignoring budget (as all it means is saving up for longer) - what are the differences in useability between these.

I also understand that the xt are cup and cone, hope and novatech are something else and that bearing sizes make a difference (bigger is better) and that the older xts (756) are better than the newer ones.

Spokes and rims will be a whole new topic.

thanks

veronese68

XT are cup and cone as you say, so need adjusting every now and then. Hope and Novatec are cartridge bearings so you knock them out and replace them when they are worn. Depends which you prefer. Hope have a very noisy freewheel that some don't like. I don't know how much better than Novatec they are.
I run Novatec as recommended, and built, by Ugo and am very happy with them.
To answer the question. They are all good so personal preference on bearing type and Novatec are better value for money of the cartridge type.

ugo.santalucia

Hope are not better than Novatec, they have a superior/ longer lasting freehub mechanism, that's all. However, with the difference in price you can buy 2/3 spare freehubs for the Novatec and end up having a longer lasting freehub after all.
They are both easy to service and excellent quality

supersonic

The xt 756 is an anvil, 450g.

The Rookie

Yeah,, but I can't recall the last time I saw a broken anvil.....

I have Novatech on my MTB, very happy with them, but then I also have Shimano m475 on my commuter, bought preloved and now racked up 4000 trouble free miles with just a precautionary strip and clean and regrease 1000 miles ago (they were still performing flawlessly).

rubertoe

I use Xt on my current bike, and i did so on my previous bike.

I cant fault them as bomb proof commuter hubs,

ugo.santalucia

The thing with cup and cone is they require regular service. If you don't bother to clean and regrease, the cones will pit and you won't necessarily be able to find spare cones. Cones are brand AND model specific... it's a bit annoying having to bin a set of wheels because you have a pitted cone and can't buy a spare.
Cartridges don't need service (only the freehub needs periodic cleaning, but it's easier to do)... you ignore them until they're dead and then you replace them. Spare bearings don't need to be brand specific and they are always available from the usual manufacturers (INA, SKF, Enduro etc. ).
I see a lot of people with wheels issues and probably 10% of them have bothered to even consider to have a look inside the hub. I recommend cartridges

samsbike

Ugo thats really helpful. Given the type of guy I am, cartidges are probably better for me.

dav1

ugo.santalucia wrote:

The thing with cup and cone is they require regular service. If you don't bother to clean and regrease, the cones will pit and you won't necessarily be able to find spare cones. Cones are brand AND model specific... it's a bit annoying having to bin a set of wheels because you have a pitted cone and can't buy a spare.
Cartridges don't need service (only the freehub needs periodic cleaning, but it's easier to do)... you ignore them until they're dead and then you replace them. Spare bearings don't need to be brand specific and they are always available from the usual manufacturers (INA, SKF, Enduro etc. ).
I see a lot of people with wheels issues and probably 10% of them have bothered to even consider to have a look inside the hub. I recommend cartridges

Wheels manufacturing make a wide array of cones. I recently got a new set for my old tiagra 4400 hub but they were £7 a pair.

Still need servicing though but it is easy enough. That said if I were custom building a new wheel set I would opt for cartridge bearing hubs.

holiver

When I was looking at disc hubs I narrowed it down to 3 options:

- Shimano XT M785
- Novatech 521/522
- Superstar Switch Evo

Might be a couple of new options to explore!

samsbike

holiver wrote:

When I was looking at disc hubs I narrowed it down to 3 options:

- Shimano XT M785
- Novatech 521/522
- Superstar Switch Evo

Might be a couple of new options to explore!

Whuch one did you choose?

samsbike

Am I correct that the novatech only come in a 32 hole and have a rubber seal washer now, rather than the older version (which shows something different)?

Also does anyone know what the duty amount is from Taiwan/China?

thanks