Please help - 12sp / free hub Questions

[BreadPitt]

Hello, I'm new here so 'hello to all' and wondering if I could get some advice regarding Shimano 12 speed, hubs and different cassettes. Seems to be a lot of knowledge around there.

The Problem: I'm looking to build up a new trail (old) bike and while I've pretty much got everything bought now I'm struggling with the wheels / cassettes / freehub combinations. I've got a non boost frame and a 12 speed SLX groupset and I am in the process of trying to find a set of non boost wheels. What I'm confused about is what matches and can work with what.

My questions are:
- Can a 12sp Microspline free hub fit on non boost hub?
- If not then can I get a 12sp cassette that will work with a normal 11sp Shimano free hub? Some one mentioned that a NX or Deore or sunrace will fit (?)
- I've seen a set of wheels that will work with my budget but I don't know if I can get a a 12sp micro spline free hub for the Csixx hubs as it has a XD on it at the moment. Can I use a Sram cassette with the XT gear set? 
- Lastly, and sorry for the large amount of questions in my first post, do Hope make Pro4 hubs in dedicated Boost or are they essentially non boost with different end caps? 
 

May thanks in advance for any help you can give and if anyone has any decent width non-boost trail type wheels that are gathering dust in the garage then please let me know as I am searching for some without much luck. 

🙏

Edited August 29, 2023 by BreadPitt

[Conrad SPR]

Also learning my way through 12 speed tech so can't answer your questions definitively. But there is one thing I'm fairly certain of that may be of help in general terms: Boost hubs are wider only between the spoke flanges. On rear hub gear 'division' remains the same. To make more gears fit in the same space they just made everything thinner. (Hopefully an expert will be along soon to confirm/debunk that.)

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Conrad SPR

[Koos Likkewaan 2]

47 minutes ago, BreadPitt said:

Hello, I'm new here so 'hello to all' and wondering if I could get some advice regarding Shimano 12 speed, hubs and different cassettes. Seems to be a lot of knowledge around there.

The Problem: I'm looking to build up a new trail (old) bike and while I've pretty much got everything bought now I'm struggling with the wheels / cassettes / freehub combinations. I've got a non boost frame and a 12 speed SLX groupset and I am in the process of trying to find a set of non boost wheels. What I'm confused about is what matches and can work with what.

My questions are:
- Can a 12sp Microspline free hub fit on non boost hub?
- If not then can I get a 12sp cassette that will work with a normal 11sp Shimano free hub? Some one mentioned that a NX or Deore or sunrace will fit (?)
- I've seen a set of wheels that will work with my budget but I don't know if I can get a a 12sp micro spline free hub for the Csixx hubs as it has a XD on it at the moment. Can I use a Sram cassette with the XT gear set? 
- Lastly, and sorry for the large amount of questions in my first post, do Hope make Pro4 hubs in dedicated Boost or are they essentially non boost with different end caps? 
 

May thanks in advance for any help you can give and if anyone has any decent width non-boost trail type wheels that are gathering dust in the garage then please let me know as I am searching for some without much luck. 

🙏

- Can a 12sp Microspline free hub fit on non boost hub?

Yes. Boost/non boost is not the deciding factor. Type of hub is. 

As an example, Rapide hubs are standard, XD and Microspline compatible in both boost and non boost.
 

[BreadPitt]

7 minutes ago, Koos Likkewaan 2 said:

- Can a 12sp Microspline free hub fit on non boost hub?

Yes. Boost/non boost is not the deciding factor. Type of hub is. 

As an example, Rapide hubs are standard, XD and Microspline compatible in both boost and non boost.
 

Thanks for that. Makes sense. 

[droo]

2 hours ago, BreadPitt said:

Hello, I'm new here so 'hello to all' and wondering if I could get some advice regarding Shimano 12 speed, hubs and different cassettes. Seems to be a lot of knowledge around there.

The Problem: I'm looking to build up a new trail (old) bike and while I've pretty much got everything bought now I'm struggling with the wheels / cassettes / freehub combinations. I've got a non boost frame and a 12 speed SLX groupset and I am in the process of trying to find a set of non boost wheels. What I'm confused about is what matches and can work with what.

My questions are:
- Can a 12sp Microspline free hub fit on non boost hub?
- If not then can I get a 12sp cassette that will work with a normal 11sp Shimano free hub? Some one mentioned that a NX or Deore or sunrace will fit (?)

NX or Sunrace will fit, but shifting won't be as good.

- I've seen a set of wheels that will work with my budget but I don't know if I can get a a 12sp micro spline free hub for the Csixx hubs as it has a XD on it at the moment. Can I use a Sram cassette with the XT gear set? 

You should be able to get a MS driver for the CSixx hub, drop them a mail with a photo of the hub in question. Otherwise you can run a SRAM cassette.

- Lastly, and sorry for the large amount of questions in my first post, do Hope make Pro4 hubs in dedicated Boost or are they essentially non boost with different end caps? 

They used to, they've now moved to Pro 5. But boost and non-boost versions of the Pro 4 exist, as do adapters to convert boost from non-boost to boost. A proper boost hub is better though.
 

May thanks in advance for any help you can give and if anyone has any decent width non-boost trail type wheels that are gathering dust in the garage then please let me know as I am searching for some without much luck. 

🙏

 

[Prince Albert Cycles]

2 hours ago, BreadPitt said:

Hello, I'm new here so 'hello to all' and wondering if I could get some advice regarding Shimano 12 speed, hubs and different cassettes. Seems to be a lot of knowledge around there.

The Problem: I'm looking to build up a new trail (old) bike and while I've pretty much got everything bought now I'm struggling with the wheels / cassettes / freehub combinations. I've got a non boost frame and a 12 speed SLX groupset and I am in the process of trying to find a set of non boost wheels. What I'm confused about is what matches and can work with what.

My questions are:
- Can a 12sp Microspline free hub fit on non boost hub?
- If not then can I get a 12sp cassette that will work with a normal 11sp Shimano free hub? Some one mentioned that a NX or Deore or sunrace will fit (?)
- I've seen a set of wheels that will work with my budget but I don't know if I can get a a 12sp micro spline free hub for the Csixx hubs as it has a XD on it at the moment. Can I use a Sram cassette with the XT gear set? 
- Lastly, and sorry for the large amount of questions in my first post, do Hope make Pro4 hubs in dedicated Boost or are they essentially non boost with different end caps? 
 

May thanks in advance for any help you can give and if anyone has any decent width non-boost trail type wheels that are gathering dust in the garage then please let me know as I am searching for some without much luck. 

🙏

Have a set of very nice non boost wheels connect via WhatsApp 0833959038 Arno

[RobertWhitehead]

My opinion: Don't get too bogged down with Microspline and XD. Go with Sunrace or Sunshine or even NX normal HG (Hyper Glyde). You will find that the normal HG 12 speed hubs are cheaper than the XD and Microspline and give you acceptable or even more than acceptable km's. The moment you go with Micro spline and XD you're kinda stuck and have to pay whatever the big mogul wants to charge you 

[BreadPitt]

A big thank you to everyone for taking the time to go through this for me. It is really helpful and a lot clearer. I just was worried about buying a set if wheels and then being stuck not able to use them and not able to sell them on as there aren't so many people wanting non boost wheels these days. 

🙏

[Koos Likkewaan 2]

7 minutes ago, BreadPitt said:

A big thank you to everyone for taking the time to go through this for me. It is really helpful and a lot clearer. I just was worried about buying a set if wheels and then being stuck not able to use them and not able to sell them on as there aren't so many people wanting non boost wheels these days. 

🙏

You should always be able to use them. Can even get an adapter kit to use non boost wheels on boost frames.