MTB Hubs Debate

[Headshot]

Personal preferences based on nothing more than well, personal preference, have no real place in a debate like this surely. Capecyclist - you say you've never really liked Shimano - maybe you've only used SRAM, maybe not, but unless you can offer some objective reasons why you think their hubs are no good why bother? CK hubs cost a bomb - R for R they cannot be as good value as an XT. More bling, noisier and with huge street cred, but better? As for Shimano reels - really good stuff, as are their graphite fishing rods

[capecyclist]

Point taken. I've had many bikes over the last 15 years of MTB riding. Most of them had Shimano. I switched over years back after riding a buddy's bike with SRAM. IMO it's a far superior system all round. Regarding their hubs, while yes the parts are cheap to replace and lots of people use them, this certainly doesnt make them better. What you gain from Chris King hubs is performance and reliability. By your reasoning it's like saying that there's no difference between driving a 150k car and a 500k car. While yes, the 100k car probably represents good value etc etc, it's undeniable that the 500k car will perform better. Sure to some going the expensive route might seem like a waste of money, but as I said, the added performance means something to my ride. It's great that you're cool on the XT hubs though, and if thats all you want to spend then they will be perfect. And for sure, they will work well too. I might be wrong here, but forums are also about opinions. Most people on this forum seem to give theirs freely. You are welcome to google every review, MTBR write up, spec sheet etc etc if you're after pure fact.

 

 

[Taps]

I enjoy some k@k praat too, keeps life interesting. Facts are for lawyers and accountants .

[Johan Bornman]

Point taken. I've had many bikes over the last 15 years of MTB riding. Most of them had Shimano. I switched over years back after riding a buddy's bike with SRAM. IMO it's a far superior system all round. Regarding their hubs' date=' while yes the parts are cheap to replace and lots of people use them, this certainly doesnt make them better. What you gain from Chris King hubs is performance and reliability. By your reasoning it's like saying that there's no difference between driving a 150k car and a 500k car. While yes, the 100k car probably represents good value etc etc, it's undeniable that the 500k car will perform better. Sure to some going the expensive route might seem like a waste of money, but as I said, the added performance means something to my ride. It's great that you're cool on the XT hubs though, and if thats all you want to spend then they will be perfect. And for sure, they will work well too. I might be wrong here, but forums are also about opinions. Most people on this forum seem to give theirs freely. You are welcome to google every review, MTBR write up, spec sheet etc etc if you're after pure fact.
[/quote']

 

Let's analyse this statement of yours.

 

 

I've had many bikes over the last 15 years of MTB riding. Most of them had Shimano.

 

It is an attempt to influence your status and experience as well as a statement that you are very familiar with Shimano.

 

 I switched over years back after riding a buddy's bike with SRAM. IMO it's a far superior system all round.

 

One day a beam shone on you and you saw the light. Immediately you managed to analyse the different brand and came to the conclusion that is better all around. We'd like you to qualify this with some facts. This is merely opinion.

 

Regarding their [shimano] hubs, while yes the parts are cheap to replace and lots of people use them, this certainly doesnt make them better.

 

No, this doesn't make them better, what makes them better is the bearing design and combinationof contact and labyrinth seals. Why not compare the seal and bearing construction of your preferred hubs to Shimano's instread of regurgitating stuff you read on rewiev forums?

 

What you gain from Chris King hubs is performance and reliability.

 

OK, I can live with that but first you have to explain. How do you define performance and what units is it measured in?  What makes CK's more reliable and how did you quantify that?

 

 By your reasoning it's like saying that there's no difference between driving a 150k car and a 500k car. While yes, the 100k car probably represents good value etc etc, it's undeniable that the 500k car will perform better.

 

No, this is by your reasoning. Your analogy is invalid and doesn't help with the debate. Besides, you're the vague term of perfomance again. Your explanation in the point above may help here too.

 

I don't see how one hub performs better than another. Hubs don't perform.

 

 Sure to some going the expensive route might seem like a waste of money, but as I said, the added performance means something to my ride.

 

Performance is big with you? How does one hub improve your ride over another?

 

It's great that you're cool on the XT hubs though, and if thats all you want to spend then they will be perfect. And for sure, they will work well too.

 

I can read a lot into this, including snobbism (read the thread: "Jy dink jy's cooler as ekke"), sarcasm and smugness. Either way it reads as if they're kinda, sorta, good enough to work.... but not perform. Your performance explanation might just clear this up too.

 

I might be wrong here, but forums are also about opinions. Most people on this forum seem to give theirs freely. You are welcome to google every review, MTBR write up, spec sheet etc etc if you're after pure fact.

 

Yes, it is about opinion. Although, on the Tech Q&A forum here we try and back up our opinion with fact. You'll see that the best debaters here do just that. You have not yet come up with a single fact, just a regurgitation of the stuff written on spec sheets? (back of product boxes and adverts?), or the opinions of writers on MTBR - most of that not backed up by facts either but by motivation to sell or in the latter case, whatever the latest fashionable emotion might be.

 

 

 

 

[Caerus]

Does anyone know of the reliabilty of the Industry Nine Classic Hubs, from what Ive read in many a review they are the bomb(bling factor aside), are they actually worth the money? Anyone else know much about the Stans hubs?  The confusion continues

[capecyclist]

Point taken. I've had many bikes over the last 15 years of MTB riding. Most of them had Shimano. I switched over years back after riding a buddy's bike with SRAM. IMO it's a far superior system all round. Regarding their hubs' date=' while yes the parts are cheap to replace and lots of people use them, this certainly doesnt make them better. What you gain from Chris King hubs is performance and reliability. By your reasoning it's like saying that there's no difference between driving a 150k car and a 500k car. While yes, the 100k car probably represents good value etc etc, it's undeniable that the 500k car will perform better. Sure to some going the expensive route might seem like a waste of money, but as I said, the added performance means something to my ride. It's great that you're cool on the XT hubs though, and if thats all you want to spend then they will be perfect. And for sure, they will work well too. I might be wrong here, but forums are also about opinions. Most people on this forum seem to give theirs freely. You are welcome to google every review, MTBR write up, spec sheet etc etc if you're after pure fact. [/quote']

 

?

 

Let's analyse this statement of yours.

 

?

 

?

 

I've had many bikes over the last 15 years of MTB riding. Most of them had Shimano.

 

?

 

It is an attempt to influence your status and experience as well as a statement that you are very familiar with Shimano.

 

?

 

?I switched over years back after riding a buddy's bike with SRAM. IMO it's a far superior system all round.

 

?

 

One day a beam shone on you and you saw the light. Immediately you managed to analyse the different brand and came to the conclusion that is better all around. We'd like you to qualify this with some facts. This is merely opinion.

 

?

 

Regarding their [shimano] hubs, while yes the parts are cheap to replace and lots of people use them, this certainly doesnt make them better.

 

?

 

No, this doesn't make them better, what makes them better is the bearing design and combinationof contact and labyrinth seals. Why not compare the seal and bearing construction of your preferred hubs to Shimano's instread of regurgitating stuff you read on rewiev forums?

 

?

 

What you gain from Chris King hubs is performance and reliability.

 

?

 

OK, I can live with that but first you have to explain. How do you define performance and what units is it measured in?? What makes CK's more reliable and how did you quantify that?

 

?

 

?By your reasoning it's like saying that there's no difference between driving a 150k car and a 500k car. While yes, the 100k car probably represents good value etc etc, it's undeniable that the 500k car will perform better.

 

?

 

No, this is by your reasoning. Your analogy is invalid and doesn't help with the debate. Besides, you're the vague term of perfomance again. Your explanation in the point above may help here too.

 

?

 

I don't see how one hub performs better than another. Hubs don't perform.

 

?

 

?Sure to some going the expensive route might seem like a waste of money, but as I said, the added performance means something to my ride.

 

?

 

Performance is big with you? How does one hub improve your ride over another?

 

?

 

It's great that you're cool on the XT hubs though, and if thats all you want to spend then they will be perfect. And for sure, they will work well too.

 

?

 

I can read a lot into this, including snobbism (read the thread: "Jy dink jy's cooler as ekke"), sarcasm and smugness. Either way it reads as if they're kinda, sorta, good enough to work.... but not perform. Your performance explanation might just clear this up too.

 

?

 

I might be wrong here, but forums are also about opinions. Most people on this forum seem to give theirs freely. You are welcome to google every review, MTBR write up, spec sheet etc etc if you're after pure fact.

 

?

 

Yes, it is about opinion. Although, on the Tech Q&A forum here we try and back up our opinion with fact. You'll see that the best debaters here do just that. You have not yet come up with a single fact, just a regurgitation of the stuff written on spec sheets? (back of product boxes and adverts?), or the opinions of writers on MTBR - most of that not backed up by facts either but by motivation to sell or in the latter case, whatever the latest fashionable emotion might be.

 

?

 

?

 

?

 

?

 

 

 

Clearly I dont have as much free time on my hands as some people here do. Thanks Johan, I'll try sift through this 'analysis' at some point.

 

To the OP, ride whatever hubs you like.

[Bos]

Does anyone know of the reliabilty of the Industry Nine Classic Hubs' date=' from what Ive read in many a review they are the bomb(bling factor aside), are they actually worth the money? Anyone else know much about the Stans hubs?  The confusion continues[/quote']

 

 

I saw some cheaper No tubes hubs on CRC the other night, not badly priced, think R700 rear and R600 odd for the front. However they are not yet on the website. They do look very similar to the BRAVE hubs also on CRC, which I recon is  from a OEM manufacturer in china...

 

As for all the other debates on hubs etc, I have had to replace more Ball & cone shimano hubs than any other parts on my bike, Once youve been through water or had a wap close to those things, Its service time.

 

As for the colour.. have you all grown old over night? I meen a bling hub is a bling hub man, Really, Do all you nanahs drive white cars for the resale value?

 

live a little will ya.

 

 

I hope I live to see If they are sh*tty or not but at least the oke ahead of me on the trail knows Im comming and doesnt bekak himself and then shout at me

[Johan Bornman]

[
Clearly I dont have as much free time on my hands as some people here do. Thanks Johan' date= I'll try sift through this 'analysis' at some point.
To the OP, ride whatever hubs you like. [/quote]

 

OK, if you're pressed for time, I'll give you the short version: tell us why you say what you say and in particular, elaborate on the performance thing.

 

 

[RossW]

CRC has been out of Hope Pro 2's 32H for weeks now... anyone have an idea what's going on there?

 

 

 

I bought some just before the volcano first hit...they were sold out again with in 17 hours of getting stock. You got to be fast! Although here I am talking about the Hope Hoops ...

 

 

 

I have 355's on hope pro2 and loving them at the moment' date=' Can't comment on the others but they all have good reputations. My wheels really make a difference when it comes to climbing, just feels easier. Get a custom built pair, you might wait a bit longer but well worth it. PM JB[/quote']

 

 

 

I have the Hope Pro II's on 355's. Did the Karkloof on them and it was magic! Compared to my XT's on DTSwiss X455's it was rolling over tar. I could simply freewheel and keep up with guys pedaling on the ST. In doing the move I also managed to shift 1,1kg from my Superlight, which now comes in at 11.95kg. Hills did not feel like hills at times. While guys were using granny gear I was middle chainringing it; awesome feeling.

 

 

 

certain parts should not be bling and wheels are one of those. A good pair of wheels will outlast a frame. And as fashion changes so does bike colour schemes. If you colour code your wheels it will look crap on a frame that does not match. Keep them black and they will go with everything in the future.

 

 

 

My thought exactly. Also, having them black (boring as some might say ) Means you can slip under the radar until you freewheel, ha ha ha.

[SteveS]

 

 

Firstly have a look at the ZTR Crest instead of the ZTR355. They are new in the Notubes range, they cost almost the same as the 355's but are disc specific and lighter. In my opnion I would go with shimano XTR hubs, they are light and well priced (compared to DT swiss and only R600 more than Hope2) for what you getting, and there are stock @CRC.

 

If you want to save money consider the shimano SLX hubs (R600 for the pair) and they are lighter than the XT hubs. JB built me a 29er wheelset with SLX hubs and ZTR355 rims that weigh 1800g with which I am very happy.

 

My next wheels will be 29er ZTR Crest with XTR hubs which will be stong and come in under 1600g

 

SteveS2010-05-13 03:20:55

[Headshot]

Point taken. I've had many bikes over the last 15 years of MTB riding. Most of them had Shimano. I switched over years back after riding a buddy's bike with SRAM. IMO it's a far superior system all round. Regarding their hubs' date=' while yes the parts are cheap to replace and lots of people use them, this certainly doesnt make them better. What you gain from Chris King hubs is performance and reliability. By your reasoning it's like saying that there's no difference between driving a 150k car and a 500k car. While yes, the 100k car probably represents good value etc etc, it's undeniable that the 500k car will perform better. Sure to some going the expensive route might seem like a waste of money, but as I said, the added performance means something to my ride. It's great that you're cool on the XT hubs though, and if thats all you want to spend then they will be perfect. And for sure, they will work well too. I might be wrong here, but forums are also about opinions. Most people on this forum seem to give theirs freely. You are welcome to google every review, MTBR write up, spec sheet etc etc if you're after pure fact.
[/quote']

 

I can assure you that I would not have noticed any increased performance over the last 4 years between my XT's and your CKs Sure the CK's would have glistened in the sun and looked pimp, but they would not have made my wheels go round any better, and reliability - well my XT's have proved themselves. So no, I wont be spending the money on CK hubs. For what its worth I have a friend with a Foes that came with CK hubs. He had bearing issues that were not resolved by the agent  very well at all, so every brand gives problems at some point... Headshot2010-05-13 07:51:05

[Bloukrans]

Hi hubbers, I'm considering replacing my "silent" Shimano hubs with a more noisy hub - I just love the sound of some hubs when free wheeling.

 

Any recommendations - I had a look at the Hope hubs at CWC.

 

The missus suggested I get the Hub's view before I spend the moola   :ph34r:    

[usxorf]

Hope.

[MTBeer]

Hi hubbers, I'm considering replacing my "silent" Shimano hubs with a more noisy hub - I just love the sound of some hubs when free wheeling.

 

Any recommendations - I had a look at the Hope hubs at CWC.

 

The missus suggested I get the Hub's view before I spend the moola   :ph34r:    

I've got Hopes and the only important consideration is the ZZZZZZZ sound when you come up behind a slow chop who won't move out the way on a lekker downhill singletrack. That ZZZZZZ gives them a wake-up PK in the back of the pip.

 

Apparently Chris King does the same at a much higher price.

 

Hope for the win in the value for money ZZZZZZZ PK stakes...

[Monark]

don't spend the money just to get a noise... wait until your bearings need replacing and then swop out the hubs. Or just replace the bearings... your call ultimately but you wont feel that much of an improvement. 

[Rock Guy]

If you really want noisy hubs, take a look at Syntace. I run Hope Pro 2 Evo's and they were silenced by a guy coming past on a set of Syntace hubs.

 

Hope's are awesome though, probably the best value for money you're gonna get.