Forum home› Road cycling forum› Road buying advice

Road Hub recommendations

il_principeil_principe Posts: 9,155
edited February 2015 in Road buying advice
Fed up with the Zipp 188 hubs on my 404's. Am going to get them rebuilt onto new hubs. Does anyone have any recommendations? They must come in 16H F and 20H rear (which rules a few brands out I think). Am considering DTSwiss 240s or maybe Chris King R45ss. Any other options? I've love something with a steel or Ti Cassette body as Alu ones seem to get chewed through too easily.

Anyone had any experience with Hope Hubs?

Posts

  • TheStoneTheStone Posts: 2,291
    Very unimpressed with the Chris King R45s
    Expensive and the rear completely failed after about 6000km.
    exercise.png
  • dhopedhope Posts: 6,699
    No problems with the Hope hub on the Condor, though it's a disc brake hub and wont have done huge mileage yet.

    Paging Ugo to the thread?
    Rose Xeon CW Disc
    CAAD12 Disc
    Condor Tempo
  • spasypaddyspasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    love my Chris kings
    BMC TM01 - FCN 0
    Look 695 (Geared) - FCN 1
    Bowman Palace:R - FCN 1
    Cannondale CAAD 9 - FCN 2
    Premier (CX) - FCN 6
    Premier (fixed/SS) - FCN3
  • Kieran_BurnsKieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    My Hope Pro Evo IIs have gone through a rough Winter (and this one) while still feeling like new. Completely smooth and roll very easily. You just need to be able to put up with the noise on the freewheel though :)
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • il_principeil_principe Posts: 9,155
    I like a noisy freewheel. Main concerns are durability & weather resistance. I can get DT Swiss on trade so they're looking like my first choice at the moment.

    I've heard very mixed feedback on the R45s...
  • sloppyschleckondssloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    Il Principe wrote:

    I've heard very mixed feedback on the R45s...

    They sound fantastic
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • menthelmenthel Posts: 2,484
    I have a set of hope mono rs hubs and they run very nicely. They are bloody noisy though.
    RIP commute...
    Sometimes seen bimbling around on a purple Fratello Disc or black and red Aprire Vincenza.
  • asprillaasprilla Posts: 8,440
    I've had R45s, Hopes and Royce in the last couple of years.

    The Hopes offered the best value, the Royce looked and felt amazing and the Chris Kings were disappointing.

    I still have the Hopes and if funds weren't an issue then I'd have the Royces again in a flash.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • UndercoverElephantUndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    A lad at work has a set of titanium Royce hubs - they are frankly beautiful, they have a pearlescent shine about them which is quite lovely. Not massively light, though.

    If you're after lightweight as well, you could look at Tune hubs.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • bondurantbondurant Posts: 858
    PMP hubs are lovely
    http://www.pmpbike.net/pmp-bike-en/?product=k023-mozzo-posteriore-11v
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,048
    I think you are pretty much bound to go for Hope if you are on the 20H. They're good solid rather than light hubs. The best thing about them is how easy it is to take things apart, service, replace bearings and stuff.

    These jobs are never cheap though, as fancy CX Ray spokes are over 2 quid a pop and the rear hub is 140 or so... you really need to be fed up with the Zipp hub

    I seem to be on the unlucky side with Royce, having had to send three back to Sussex to do various jobs to them
    left the forum March 2023
  • lostboysaintlostboysaint Posts: 4,250
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I seem to be on the unlucky side with Royce, having had to send three back to Sussex to do various jobs to them

    Probably easier to send them back to Hampshire where they're made isn't it?! ;)
    Trail fun - Transition Bandit
    Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
    Allround - Cotic Solaris
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,048
    lostboysaint wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I seem to be on the unlucky side with Royce, having had to send three back to Sussex to do various jobs to them

    Probably easier to send them back to Hampshire where they're made isn't it?! ;)

    Yeah, whatever... bordering counties. I have actually never sent the back myself, as I have never supplied them, but the moral is that they are not so bulletproof in my experience. The other annoying thing is that they could have fitted a couple of slots to undo them, either by Allen Key or cone spanner, it wasn't a big job, while the caps are screwed but only by hand. Inevitably over time they get seized and impossible to unscrew by hand. Then you have to clamp them in a vice and grab them with something and inevitably scratch/ruin the delicate alloy caps... not service friendly
    left the forum March 2023
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,050
    Tune MAG 8)
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,048
    itboffin wrote:
    Tune MAG 8)

    Not exactly known to be problem free either... :roll:
    left the forum March 2023
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,050
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    Tune MAG 8)

    Not exactly known to be problem free either... :roll:

    that was the 180s not the 170s i've not heard any complaints about those yet
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • greg66_tri_v2.0greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    Royce or DT Swiss 240s. Easy.

    The DT Swiss have a quiet freehub - at least the LWs I had were v quiet.

    You know there's a Zipp recall for some of their front hubs right now. Probably a bit older than yours.

    What problems have you been having? Interested/anxious to hear details as I now have a couple of dogs in this fight.

    Ps: loving the Boras. Just lovely lovely lovely.
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,048
    itboffin wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    Tune MAG 8)

    Not exactly known to be problem free either... :roll:

    that was the 180s not the 170s i've not heard any complaints about those yet

    I see... the problem was the hub being 10 grams too heavy... :lol:
    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,048
    Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:
    Royce or DT Swiss 240s. Easy.

    The DT Swiss have a quiet freehub - at least the LWs I had were v quiet.

    Is the DT 20H easy to source? According to DT it does not even exist, while other sources say it does

    http://www.dtswiss.com/Components/Hubs-Road/240s-en
    left the forum March 2023
  • greg66_tri_v2.0greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    Straight pull, no. Regular, yes. http://www.wheelbuilder.com/dt-swiss-road-hubs/
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,048
    Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:
    Straight pull, no. Regular, yes. http://www.wheelbuilder.com/dt-swiss-road-hubs/

    I would not use Wheelbuilder.com as a reference of what you can and cannot have. They have access to things normal human being & businesses can't: Reynolds and Zipp rims for instance, even customd drilled ones.
    left the forum March 2023
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,050
    Its always about the weight, have you seen the extralite products?

    740g complete wheelset :shock:
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,048
    itboffin wrote:
    Its always about the weight, have you seen the extralite products?

    740g complete wheelset :shock:

    800-900 grams has never been hard to achieve... all you need are a pair of shallow carbon tubs, the lightest hubs and spokes you can buy and you are around that number. You can easily build deeper wheels that are much better to ride at around 1000-1100 grams.
    Regardless of who make them, 750 grams wheels are bound to be shxt. Until someone strts messing with materials like aerogel, it's not realistic to achieve those numbers and have something decent with standard composites.

    The funny thing is that even with a fully built bike that weighs 1 Kg and handles like a dream, you won't be able to climb the Alpe d'Huez anywhere near the 40 minutes mark. In fact, on paper it is the only realistic chance I have to break the hour mark.

    So it's all pointless, really... :mrgreen:
    left the forum March 2023
  • greg66_tri_v2.0greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:
    Straight pull, no. Regular, yes. http://www.wheelbuilder.com/dt-swiss-road-hubs/

    I would not use Wheelbuilder.com as a reference of what you can and cannot have. They have access to things normal human being & businesses can't: Reynolds and Zipp rims for instance, even customd drilled ones.

    Well, if they sell them, you can buy them.

    OT question, one I've wondered about. Can you take a 32h hub (eg Campag Record) and use alternative holes to lace it with 16 spokes? Your hub would look a bit like the weightweenies had decided to fashion it from what I think they call Drillium, but aside from that, would it hold together?
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • UndercoverElephantUndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:
    Straight pull, no. Regular, yes. http://www.wheelbuilder.com/dt-swiss-road-hubs/

    I would not use Wheelbuilder.com as a reference of what you can and cannot have. They have access to things normal human being & businesses can't: Reynolds and Zipp rims for instance, even customd drilled ones.

    Well, if they sell them, you can buy them.

    OT question, one I've wondered about. Can you take a 32h hub (eg Campag Record) and use alternative holes to lace it with 16 spokes? Your hub would look a bit like the weightweenies had decided to fashion it from what I think they call Drillium, but aside from that, would it hold together?

    Generally speaking not a good idea, the flanges are weakened by the extra holes. Not normally a problem when you're building with the correct number of spokes, as the spokes spread the load evenly.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,048
    That's not the main issue. The problem is that spoke holes alternate between the flanges and if you only use every other hole, you screw the pattern, meaning the occupied hole on flange 1 will not sit between two occupied holes on flange 2 and viceversa. That means you can't make a radial pattern, which you need for a 16-18 holes wheel... the spokes will come out of the hub at a slight angle.
    left the forum March 2023
  • cyclecliniccycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Get Royce hubs. Cliff will do a 16 front and 20 hole rear. They are worth every penny. And those ti carbon hubs they do may be expensive but my they are a work of art. Mine however are doing winter duties, why not though the titanium won't corrode.

    The only problem is Royce hub will last a lifetime and those 16h and 20T rims won't. So is it worth probably not.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • il_principeil_principe Posts: 9,155
    itboffin wrote:
    Its always about the weight, have you seen the extralite products?

    740g complete wheelset :shock:

    This is for the Aeroad so I'm not bothered about weight really.
Sign In or Register to comment.