Saturae C50 - play in front hub - help!

luv2ride

Hi. I've been pleased with my new wheels but have noticed that the front hub has developed lateral play. With no manuals bundled with the wheels (bought new from Wiggle) I'm not sure how to service the hub, or reduce the play, as I'm not familiar with this design of hub. I've logged a case with the Wiggle product enquiry line, but can can anyone here advise whether it's easy to cinch these up to reduce the play? Also, would continuing to ride on them with this play in the hub be likely to cause wear to the bearings? Cheers

ugo.santalucia

If they have a preload cap, then that's the one to tighten... if they don't then you can try to tighten the hub caps with 5 mm allen keys.

Failing that, it's a case of a faulty hub or faulty bearing installation, as the bearings are new

luv2ride

Both sides look identical to me, so not sure if one side has a preload cap? Just checked and a 5mm Allen key won't fit, and a 4mm passes straight through where the QR skewer would go - not notched surface inside:


I wasn't aware that some hubs wouldn't be serviceable? BTW, both "caps" do turn under finger pressure.

Usefully Saturae don't seem to reply to emails from their customers...

ugo.santalucia

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19629032#p19629032]Luv2ride[/url] wrote:

Both sides look identical to me, so not sure if one side has a preload cap? Just checked and a 5mm Allen key won't fit, and a 4mm passes straight through where the QR skewer would go - not notched surface inside:

Usefully Saturae don't seem to reply to emails from their customers...

So probably the caps are just press-fit. Try pushing the caps all the way in either by using a rubber mallet or by putting some weight on the wheel both sides with the wheel on the floor.

Failing that you might have a defective shell...

Defective front hubs are not a rarity... they are often so light that the bearing casing tolerances can easily get screwed... I lost money by replacing at my expense some taiwanese front hubs that were faulty, yet the supplier did not want to acknowledge and kept saying it was a bearing issue, when in fact the bearings were new

I'd love to say "I told you not to... " but I am not sure I did...

Ben6899

A full set of carbon clinchers from Saturae that feature 50mm deep section rims, FONA sealed bearings, super-light magnesium hubs and DT Swiss spokes.

Does that mean they're not serviceable? I just looked at the photos of the product on Wiggle and there doesn't seem to be anything that could be tightened... unless I'm seeing a 'dust cover' which pops off... and the gubbins is behind that?

luv2ride

Ugo - I think you probably did tell me so :oops:

Ben - I'm getting slightly worried now, as I never really considered that these wouldn't be serviceable. I note their website says they should only be serviced at "authorised centres" or some such, but these aren't yet detailed on their website, nor do they respond to email requests from customers. Shame as I did like them.

Anyone prepared to say whether I should definitely NOT use them with some (albeit minimal, but nevertheless present) play in the hub?

thanks again...

ugo.santalucia

Minimal play won't kill you, but it is a symptom of something not quite right. If it gets worse you will notice.

All hubs are serviceable... the problem is that with sealed bearings and no preload, play typically means either shot bearings which is unlikely at this stage or a deformed bearing casing, which is a warranty replacement if anyone bothers to talk to you.

Customer service seems poor... I would give them a good ole wack for a review... :?

luv2ride

Yes...that was the plan, pending how Wiggle respond. Pretty gutted as it was between these and the Cero C45s which have a) a known uk base with faces and names on their website and b) quoted costs and services for bearing replacement / servicing, etc. That's learned me....

EDIT: and now I see the RC45s are out of stock. Hopefully Wiggle will be able to sort...

azoreano

Considering to get these wheels... did you hear back from Wiggle/Saturae or are you happy with just the minimal play in front hub?

Cheers

luv2ride

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718440#p19718440]azoreano[/url] wrote:

Considering to get these wheels... did you hear back from Wiggle/Saturae or are you happy with just the minimal play in front hub?

Cheers

Hi. Wiggle did come back, saying Saturae would take them back for an inspection. However, I ended up taking some further advice and cinched them a touch tighter at the QR and the play has completely gone. I've been using them regularly up to the rubbish weather starting this week, and do still like them a lot. However, Saturae have never responded directly to other queries I'd raised (I'd asked about replacement bearings and rim tape) so not convinced about the after sales aspect. Although they would have been £137 more than I paid for the Saturae's I may still have gone for the Cero C45s just for the knowledge of getting replacement hubs, bearings, etc, etc. My LBS didn't seem concerned that they wouldn't be able to service them when the time came, but I would prefer to do it myself and couldn't see a way of dismantling the hub to get at the bearings. However, fast, comfy, wide'ish rims and great braking - look good too I think.

azoreano

Thanks a lot for your thoughts and experience! Glad to hear your problem got sorted easily, never a great feeling to return brand new wheels.

I was down really between Cero RC45 and Saturae C50 but today just decided to order the former.

Price: The Cero are only £70 more expensive (750 vs 680) if one considers the retail price of the tyres that the cero comes with.

Weight: As you mentioned on a post before the Cero are 100g lighter and just at the same weight as my Ksyrium Elite S.

Rim profile: The Cero have a wider and more round profile than the Saturae, suggesting increased robustness for the British roads in addition to aerodynamic gains. My concern is that the wider rim compared to the Ksyrium will force me to have to adjust the brake aperture in addition to changing the pads. We'll see.

Looks: I honestly prefer the Saturae as they look pretty smart. Cero's logo design and choice of colour could have used a second opinion.

Support: It seems Cero would have more support compared to the none existing from Saturae. Saturae's website seems abandoned to its good faith and the fact there's no address or phone number doesn't help. I would suggest for you to contact MEKK bikes as they seem to be the "umbrella" company for Saturae and their top models come with these wheels (http://www.mekkbicycles.com)

Looking forward to try the new wheels although I'm certain that my new BKOOL and TrainerRoad will make me faster than these wheels.

imposter2.0

Saturae is Mekk's component brand. If all else fails, give them a call. Don't expect too much though...

ugo.santalucia

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19719991#p19719991]azoreano[/url] wrote:

Rim profile: The Cero have a wider and more round profile than the Saturae, suggesting increased robustness for the British roads in addition to aerodynamic gains.

Basic engineering: the most robust shape is a triangle, any deviation from the ideal shape will be less robust. So a V rim is more robust than a U rim and not viceversa.

In addition, a V shaped rim will have a thicker nipple bed than a U shaped rim of the same section.