Hubs. How loyal are you?

[XXtwindad]

Just got a screaming good deal on these Reynolds Assault disc wheels with i9 hubs. They'll be shod in the Schwalbe G-One Speed 30c.

I'm an i9 guy, all things being equal. I started off with i9 Pillar Carbon hubs/Reynolds rims on my MTB and they're still going strong five years later. I like the logo and I like the distinctive "angry bee" sound.

Plus, if I ever left sunny CA, Asheville NC would be the next destination.

[nmrt]

not loyal at all at least among the high end hubs.
i have had ck, i9, dt, tune, and wi. i would ride any of them. only reason why i would pick one over the other is if i am looking for bling - color - i would not pick dt swiss. but if i am looking to building a lightweight wheelset for road/gravel riding, dt240 centerlock hubs simply cannot be beat.

we live in a time of great choices when it comes to bike stuff.
:banana:

[Blue Jays]

Campagnolo, PMP, Chris King...love ‘em all. :banana:

[jtbadge]

Hard to go wrong, really. I've currently got 2 sets of WI T11s, 2 sets of Shimano 6800s, a set of Bitex. I've also had CK R45s, and they were great, too.

i9s are badass! Wouldn't hesitate for a second to get some, especially if I was ballin' out on an MTB.

[John H.]

I used to be super loyal to DT hubs.
Then I got a set of Industry9 wheels with I9 hubs- I like them better than my previous DT hubs.

[R3awak3n]

Not loyal at all...

I never really had a bad hub, they all have worked just fine to me. I have had reynolds, king, campy, tune, bitex, powertap, boyd, DT, ect

I am not very found of king hubs because I don't like the sound and don't like that they need special tools to service. Really love the sound of campy hubs, I like my hubs loud but not whiney.

But yeah, I will buy whatever is a good deal.

[thwart]

Pretty loyal.

Although the average performance of hubs is really high nowadays.

But... cosmetics matter, too.

[bob heinatz]

My last 3 are King so I must be somewhat loyal. I want to try Campy hubs one day.

[d_douglas]

I love Hope except for the noise. I bought Onyx and love them except for the price.

I have King road wheels and DT commuter wheels.

Never had i9 or White industries and think they’re both worth trying...

[CSKeller]

Have mainly Campy hubs (bullet-proof, super smooth and super fast) but wish they were available in other spoke counts. Also have a pair of Royce hubs (silky smooth and simply gorgeous) on Nemesis rims, a pair of silver WI 11 hubs (nice and fast when broken in) on Nemesis rims and finally a pair of I9s on Enve 4.5 SES built by our very own Ergott...super sweet wheels and hubs but they are louder than the others...all are really reliable and run great!!!

I love them all but I may have to build up another wheelset with Royce hubs!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[SlowPokePete]

I was very loyal to King Hubs...have 5 sets of wheels with them.

When I bought my Lynskey, I went with I-9...after 6k miles, my lbs opened up the rear hub, serviced it (bearings still good) and it was minimal cost compared to when he does a service on my King rear hubs.

Finally, the 650b wheelset I just bought has a WI XMR rear hub...no complaints here either.

SPP™

[marciero]

Love Shimano 9 and 10sp road. 7700 and 7900. Beautiful, high quality, and QUIET. Even 6600, 6700. I have wheels with all the above. Have value shimano hubs on the gravel bike, XT/Deore, they are fine, even awesome, and I dont mind buzz on the gravel. I have to say I like the vibe of the i9-the Asheville connection, the insane quality, the points-of-engagement craziness, the look.
Finally, some day I must get silver Campy 10sp (or 8-11 whatever it is) like the ones thwart posted. I have the NOS shifter parts and deraileurs ready to go, sitting in a box.

[mcteague]

I'm very loyal to hubs...all my wheels have them! :D

Tim

[fignon's barber]

Anything but Zipp.

[COYO1]

Not loyal to any, it's more about function and aesthetics for me: My road and commuters are all Campy and Mavic. MTBs are CK and Hope.

[bicycletricycle]

I am pretty loyal . Basically only use white industries. I’ll will also use 7700 Dura Ace or Phil wood. Front hubs are mostly Schmidt these days.

[tsarpepe]

I am pretty loyal . Basically only use white industries. I’ll will also use 7700 Dura Ace or Phil wood. Front hubs are mostly Schmidt these days.

Do you have a specific preference for 7700 over 7800 or 7900? I'd be curious to hear why.

[bicycletricycle]

Do you have a specific preference for 7700 over 7800 or 7900? I'd be curious to hear why.

7700 has titanium freehub body which I like (aluminum freehubs for shimano cassettes is silly). Doesn't work with road 11 unless you modify the cassette but this also means they have less dish than newer 11 specific hubs. They also use a regular 10mm style axle which means the freehub body has plenty of room for "traditional" size pawls and bearings and you can also re-space these to 135mm. I like these because I have used them for a long time and have had zero issues, they also look great IMHO.

7800 went to aluminum freehub with special taller splines, these only work with 10 cassettes. They later updated it with a ti freehub with regular splines that takes 8/9/10 cassettes but these are more rare. I have seen some pics of these hubs breaking at the interface of the freehub and hub shell but I do not know how common this is. These also use an oversize axle which makes the spacing fixed.

7900 hubs look nice and seem like a good option. Ti freehub which is great. I have no experience with them but would probably use them if I got some for a good deal. I prefer the look of the smaller 7700 hub shells. I know that some of the oversize axle mountain freehub bodies from shimano have had some broken pawl issues but I am not sure if the 7900 hubs have had the same issues.

My basic preferences/requirements for a hubs are-
Reliable
Repairable, will I be able to get parts in 10 years?
36h
Ti or steel shimano freehub
135mm spacing options
Sealed bearing is nice but not required


This calculus gets me to-
1. Hope with steel freehub (good, a little heavier than WI)
2. Shimano 7700/6500/6600 (better for summer bikes because of bearings, some parts are getting hard to find)
3. WI (Perfect)
4. Phil (boat anchors)

[tsarpepe]

Thanks for the detailed response! One thing that always amuses me is that we choose parts as if we're going to use them a hundred years, but we swap them in a few months for something else. How many people on this forum, do you think, keep a set of wheels long enough for the difference b/w alu and steel/Ti to actually come into play?

[saab2000]

I like White Industries because I have had very good experiences with them on my bikes and because the noise (or lack of noise) is pleasing to my ears. I strongly prefer quiet hubs with a light, muted mechanical ratchet sound. Additionally, my WI hubs have required zero maintenance and are as smooth today as they day I got them.

I am not sure I would express a strong loyalty to the brand, but they are on my short list for a set of carbon gravel wheels I plan to have built up soon. Also on that list are the less quiet, but otherwise high quality DT-Swiss 240 straight-pull hubs. They can be made to be less obnoxious than some other brands.

It seems the higher the engagement point number, the less I like the sound. That said, I'll probably end up with higher-than-in-the-past engagement point hub because I see the reason for it, especially on steep climbs.

Anyway, WI hubs are high on my preferred list, to answer the OP.

[bicycletricycle]

I am not sure. I try to buy quality wheels and keep them.

this next part might sound a bit strange......

Even if I did sell them I like to know that they will continue to service other people well. It takes a lot of energy to make any hub, even a cheap one. I would rather support companies that honor the potential of the materials they start with in the best way possible.

Thanks for the detailed response! One thing that always amuses me is that we choose parts as if we're going to use them a hundred years, but we swap them in a few months for something else. How many people on this forum, do you think, keep a set of wheels long enough for the difference b/w alu and steel/Ti to actually come into play?

[livingminimal]

I guess DT Swiss? I only have two sets of wheels for my 95% bike and both are DT. Reliable, strong, good versatility (axle options). No reason to use anything else. The consistency when changing wheels when changing with disc is helpful, too.

I don't really know about loyalty as a concept with hubs though. I just had some Kings/Jones wheels that I sold after like, five rides and a set of White Industries/

My peg, which doesnt seem much riding time, has Fulcrum/campag wheels. Unlikely to change.

[kingpin75s]

Quiet hubs for road, gravel and endurance MTB:

- DT180/240/350s on most bikes
- White Industries on some

Loud quick engagement hubs for singletrack. Better than a bell:

- Chris King
- i9
- Paul w/i9 internals
- DT hubs with upgraded ratchets (36t)

[choke]

Back in the freewheel days I was a loyal Bullseye hub user, nearly every bike had them. Now that I've converted many to cassettes it's either Campy or WI.

I still think that nothing rolls as smooth as a Bullseye though.

[tv_vt]

I am trying out a Miche Racing rear 11 speed hub. Just got it built up. Swapped it in to a wheel that had a DA 7900 28h rear hub 'cuz I wanted this wheel for 11 speed use and the Miche hubs came in silver to match the front DA hub. We'll see how it goes.

It also means I have a 28h DA 7900 rear hub available if anyone is interested...

[BikeNY]

I've become loyal to DT over the last 5-6 years, mainly because they are bombproof, super simple to service if needed(which is rare), and also easy to swap freehubs & endcaps for different standards. I think I'm up to 6 sets now, with another on the way. I have mostly 240s, but also some 350s, and also now have a collection of end caps and freehubs to swap around if needed. I've upgraded a few of them to 36t ratchets (MTB and SS MTB) where that's useful. I've never had an issue with any of them.

But yeah, they're all black...

[Bradford]

I'm less loyal about hubs, although all my hubs are either WI, Dura Ace, or Ultegra 6800.

I am, however, super fanatical, probably even superstitious, about who laces them to the rims. When I lived back East, I only went to Peter White. Now that I'm in Colorado, only Oldpotatoe. As long as his garage door stays open to me, all my wheels come from the Spud Cave in Boulder.

[steelbikerider]

DA hubs only since 87. 7400, 7700, 7850(2 sets), and now 9000(2 sets). All are still usable and the 7400 (started as 7 speed, now 8/9/10 both HG and UG compatible} and 7700 (28 hole) hubs will go up on the classifieds when I get to it. Thousands and thousands of troublefree miles, why ride anything else?

[SteveW]

My Chris king rear hub disintegrated internally and
threw me over the handlebars. Hurt my shoulder and
thought I had broken my leg, so i'm not loyal to CK
anymore

[Joxster]

Campag all day long, except on the MTB where it's Miche

[Hilltopperny]

Tried everything out there with a few exceptions and I am not loyal to any brand in particular, but I do currently have three wheelsets with t-11 hubs, two with Reynolds branded i9 hubs, three sets with Campagnolo hubs and a few miscellaneous others in the shed.

All have worked well and some spin better than others, but no complaints from me.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[weisan]

Hubs. How loyal are you?

Not very. Ever since I started building my own wheels, I have been "recycling" the used hubs I found in my local co-op, and they happened to be mostly low-to-mid level Shimanos.

What I have learned is, hubs are one of those things that we have plenty of time and experience to refine the design and the manufacturing process to the point that "you have to be really an idiot to screw it up" and sometimes we do...esp. when we try to push the boundary or come up with something creative. It's like the old adage: "If it ain't broken, don't try and fix it."

Unless you are riding in some really gnarly conditions and on a daily basis, hub's service life lasts a long time with minimal maintenance...even the so-called budget and cheap ones. I don't feel like I need to pay a premium to get the kind of quality and performance out of a regular hub. A mid-level one will get me 98% there and get the job done.

[oldpotatoe]

I'm less loyal about hubs, although all my hubs are either WI, Dura Ace, or Ultegra 6800.

I am, however, super fanatical, probably even superstitious, about who laces them to the rims. When I lived back East, I only went to Peter White. Now that I'm in Colorado, only Oldpotatoe. As long as his garage door stays open to me, all my wheels come from the Spud Cave in Boulder.

Mille grazie sir!!

Like Campagnolo(duh) and DT(350)..not sure what you get for almost twice the $ of 240. Ability to adapt FHB/axle type is neat(DT)...HG(shimano) FHB for Campag also nifty.

Really like shimano hubs altho shimano/sram compat only..too bad DA have gotten so expensive and no cross compatibility(DA->Ultegra) innards wise buts that's nuthin new. 6800/8000/5700/7000 nice hubs(32/36h only tho).

Like WI also, ti FHB but big $. Not a huge fan of bearing preload method tho..seems like lots have a adjust plate but rework WI design probably big Bux..

BITEX with lotsa options also nice hubs and it seems they have made their spoke holes smaller..easier to calc proper spoke length.

CK-WAY to complicated with lotsa proprietary innards, tool kit..not a fan.

Just built a few wheelsets using Carbon-Ti hubs...nice hubs.

[jet sanchez]

Used to be loyal to Chris King but they are unnecessarily expensive to service so I stick to campy or White Industries nowadays.

[guyintense]

My Chris king rear hub disintegrated internally and
threw me over the handlebars. Hurt my shoulder and
thought I had broken my leg, so i'm not loyal to CK
anymore

This sounds like one of those "I was just riding along" stories that Paul Harvey would tell.
And now the rest of the story.

[r_mutt]

I've had great luck with DTSwiss 240 and 350. I'm also on my 2nd set of WI - 1 disc and 1 non-disc. they have been pretty bulletproof but I just wish they were a bit lighter.

I love my Campagnolo hubs on the Zonda/Shamal/Bora rims. I wish they made hubs with other spoke counts rather than just 32 hole.

[AngryScientist]

i am loyal to my family and friends.

objects do not get their feelings hurt, so the second a part crosses me, it's dead to me. dead, i tell you, dead!

[Spdntrxi]

Hubs ? Not loyal ... but my pocket book in the end likes DT Swiss..

Bearings easy to get and change
Freehubs - shimano , XD driver etc are way cheaper then CK or i9 for example.. I share wheels between multiple bikes and so swap drivers and cassettes
Higher ratchet internals have good engagement

[Gummee]

Anything but Zipp.

I absolutely despise Zipp hubs.

I can't say I'm loyal, but I prefer DT Swiss and Shimano hubs. Only problem with the Shimano hubs is that they're not convertible if 'standards' change.

M

[cgolvin]

I have a set of wheels with WI T11 hubs that a local wheelbuilder made for me. They've performed well and I like them but…last week I noticed that the rear was a bit rough so I took them in for service and he told me all 4 bearings need replacement. They are less than 3 years old, probably something like 15K miles. This seems early to me, I would have expected much longer life out of them but prior to these I hadn't bought wheels in a long time.

What's the consensus for reasonable bearing life in a rear hub?

I think I'd be inclined to try something different with my next set, likely Campy.

[SteveW]

This sounds like one of those "I was just riding along" stories that Paul Harvey would tell.
And now the rest of the story.

Well, I was waiting for traffic to clear to make it across the street.
I was at a standstill straddling my bike. Clipped in with my right foot and started to pedal, bam, instantly over the bars. The local bike shop
mechanic suggested that something internal was most likely cracked
and I got the end result. I am a big guy, 255lbs but have been riding for
close to 40 years. I don't abuse equipment as most of my rides now are
fitness rides on smooth roads. The hubs were about 6 years old but probably
didn't have 8k on them.

[bicycletricycle]

Depends on the kinds of weather you ride in. I think 15k is reasonable, all sunshine riding would get you some longer life.

My campy hubs required rebuilds every year (rain riding) and I would go through the sealed freehub bearings in about 5 thousand miles.

I have a set of wheels with WI T11 hubs that a local wheel-builder made for me. They've performed well and I like them but…last week I noticed that the rear was a bit rough so I took them in for service and he told me all 4 bearings need replacement. They are less than 3 years old, probably something like 15K miles. This seems early to me, I would have expected much longer life out of them but prior to these I hadn't bought wheels in a long time.

What's the consensus for reasonable bearing life in a rear hub?

I think I'd be inclined to try something different with my next set, likely Campy.

[oldpotatoe]

I have a set of wheels with WI T11 hubs that a local wheelbuilder made for me. They've performed well and I like them but…last week I noticed that the rear was a bit rough so I took them in for service and he told me all 4 bearings need replacement. They are less than 3 years old, probably something like 15K miles. This seems early to me, I would have expected much longer life out of them but prior to these I hadn't bought wheels in a long time.

What's the consensus for reasonable bearing life in a rear hub?

I think I'd be inclined to try something different with my next set, likely Campy.

I'm a little surprised the bearing at the base of the FHB and the one in the hub below that would go south since they are pretty 'buried' in the hub..Yup, 'sealed' bearing but sealed bearings aren't really 'sealed' in that if the seal really worked, they wouldn't turn. I often open new hubs, gently pry the seal off and squirt some grease in there. Lotsa 'factory' bearings come pretty dry.

[Andreas]

loyal

Campy/Shimano/DT

Problems with poor rear hub seals with Phil (cassette hub only) and WI.
Same for Phil BB.

Disclaimer: Lots of riding in wet/snow/cold

[bikinchris]

My favorite hubs are Phil, Chris King and Campy, but there is nothing wrong with Shimano. I just don't really like Shimano as a company. They don't support their products well.
I have had poor luck with White Industries.
I use Phil on my tandem and touring bike, but I will probably use Phil lightweight hubs if I ever build a racing bike again. I use CK on my wife's road bike and have had perfect service with them.