Budget lightweight hubs and cheap but good brakes

amack23

Ok, I've bought some light rims for a new build and now looking at hubs. I'm swaying heavily towards xt m785 qr front and rear. Weights around 500g combined, for £60. Is there any other hubs I should be considering. Are the slx hubs any stronger for the extra weight? Also looking for brakes and came across these http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/shim ... aid:742077
I've had deores on another bike for the past 6 months and they've been faultless through hail, wind and mud (touch wood). Would the lower end shimano be a big drop in performance in comparison?

The Rookie

While I like Shimano hubs, they are heavy which is why I didn't use them on my wheel build, they certainly won't be 500g combined when the rear is quoted at 396 and the front 235 (for c/l which is the lighter option versus 6-bolt - but you can get much lighter 6 bolt discs making it the lighter overall option).

You can get a pair of Circus Monkey off ebay for that money, I know of 2 people who have used them and were quite happy, but they havn't done many miles yet, for not much more you can get a pair of Novatec's which are very much a known quantity. That or be patient on ebay and see what you can luck into, I got a brand new A2Z front for £4 delivered, or you are fairly safe with used Hope's. Novatec and Hope are about the same weight and will come in at about 450-480g the pair.

I would recommend tartybikes for spokes (if you are going 26" wheel - they don't stock 29er length) as they do new double butted Sapim for circa £40 for 72 (extra if you want nipples but I bought alloy ones).

wildc4rd

As for the brakes, I have the new m615 setup on my singlespeed, and the older deores on my hybrid. The 615's are fantastic. A bit heavy, and no bite point adjustment, but exceptional for the money.

amack23

The quoted weight for xt are 330g and 166g
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/shim ... aid:515785. Haven't looked at Rotors though, didn't realise there was a weight difference . The circus monkeys are £90 minus skewers. So add in those and they end up double the price.
As for the brakes, it's the m615's I have and I'm well pleased with them. Wondering how the cheaper ones compare

The Rookie

Those rosebike weights are different to everyone elses, although maybe the others are weighed with the QR's as I have found a photo now with an M785 rear at 337.

Still lighter can be found, by circa 100g the pair.

The shimano discs aren't light, by using C/L hubs you lose the opportunity of using lighter discs if you want to, for example my pair of 160mm discs are 89g (A2Z full braking surface) front and 72g (Alligator lightweight) rear, RT86 (M785 XT centrelock) are 125g each so adding another 90g versus what I have.

The Northern Monkey

if you are after QR wheels, I have an XT tubless wheelset in the classifieds with disks and XT skewers...

amack23

Thanks but I've already bought a pair of stans alpine rims. On the hunt for hubs n spokes now and some shimano brakes.

Chunkers1980

CRC are doing XT for £110 both ends - less if you get hold of some vouchers.

amack23

After something around the £40 mark

njee20

Deore, probably second hand, and shagged. When OEM pads cost that, you're gonna struggle with a whole set of brakes!

amack23

Are the xt's a marked improvement on the deore's

rockmonkeysc

I like Shimano hubs, they work well and go on forever.
I would just go for SLX brakes. XT just offer a little more adjustment over SLX.

amack23

Are the ice tech slx worth the extra over standard. Slx brakes can be had for £77 and xt hubs for £53. When ordering brakes from the the German stores, are the left and right levers back to front. I guess can be switched when shortening hoses anyways

The Rookie

amack23 wrote:

Thanks but I've already bought a pair of stans alpine rims. On the hunt for hubs n spokes now and some shimano brakes.

I used an A2Z front hub, Novatec rear and Sapim DB spokes with alloy nipples inside my Alpines, 1432g the pair, you can get a Hope front hub for circa £20 used off ebay and that was what I was going to use until I lucked into the A2Z (80g weight difference).

Ice tech is only a benefit if you would otherwise overheat a normal disc, if you wouldn't then it's of no benefit, but for the sort of riding you'll be using Alpine rims for I don't think you need icetech and should really be looking at lightweight options.

Have a look at page 5 of my Kraken thread (link in sig) at my wheel build.

amack23

Is this the novatec hub you used
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/MTB-Novatec-Red ... 1186363879

The Rookie

amack23 wrote:

Is this the novatec hub you used
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/MTB-Novatec-Red ... 1186363879

Not quite, I have the one with the one steel spline insert (772) as it removes any significant digging in by the cassette.