The Ultimate MTB Hub Buyers Guide | With Hub Sounds!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- We compare the differences between most of the major mountain bike hubs including recordings of how each hub sounds while coasting.
Special thanks to!
The Gravity Cartel for loaning us the cut away Hex hub: thegravitycartel.com
The MTB Lab for the video with Project 321's quiet pawls: themtblab.com
Time Stamps:
Spank Hex: (00:00)
DT 350: (1:44)
Hope Pro 4: (3:37)
Industry Nine 1/1: (4:55)
Hadley: (6:05)
White Industries CLD / XMR: (7:56)
Project 321: (10:05)
Industry Nine Hydra: (12:35)
Onyx Vesper: (13:50)
Chris King: (15:15)
DT 240s: (17:25)
DT 240 EXP: (18:49)
Find us online: www.elevationwheelcompany.com
Instagram: / elevationwheelcompany
Our Partner: / performunite - Спорт
Sometimes I sneak down to my bike in the middle of the night just to give my P321 hubs a good spin...
Hahaha! I think we have all been there...
😂
Don’t get caught
this is just the video I was looking for... Thank you so much!!
Thank you for watching!
This is a very good video on hubs. I have a set of quick release Chris King disc hubs on my Titus Switchblade. I have a project bike that I plan on putting some purple anodized Hope hubs on. This was very helpful and informative. Thank you.
Happy it was helpful!
This was a _great_ overview of some high quality hubs! Excellent info and ofc bonus points for including the sound of each hub. :) Got a pair of Onyx (classic) hubs on my bike so I'm not bothered by any sound, but if I has to choose a pawl/ratchet based hub, I think I'd go with Hadley. Best sounding hub imho.
Thanks! I am a sucker for good hub sound myself so had to add that in!
I’d like the Onyx, actually. Too much *$$$$* though.
Great stuff Chris!
Thanks Kristian!
Probably the best and the most exhaustive vid on hubs (miss Shimano but...). I love my Onyx Vesper but that's true the weight is heavy... not the fastest to accelerate for sure, but the silence when smoothly descending a lloooooooong road in freewheel... just listening to the wind and the tires on the tarmac.. nice !!!
Thank you Ama! Sometimes silence can be golden for sure!
Amazing informative video, cool to see you’re based here in CO too!
Always good to meet more people from Colorado! Thanks!!
So much Bling... Thanks for the excellent rundown on these beautiful hubs Chris video editing was on point. I have been using the old faithful bombproof DT350 for many years riding in super hot, dry and dusty peagravel west aussie style. Down here our options buying locally are a lot more limited and due to availability people tend to choose between DT 350 for quiet ninja styles and Hope 4 for the loud swarm of killer bees coming down the trail. I have seen a few I9 Hydras in the wild and they look and sound super nice but unfortunately our Aussie pesos dont stretch very far towards purchasing these quality made US products.
The Hydras are definitely nice but Hope/DT definitely wont let you down if thats all you can get a hold of.
Thanks for being honest about Chris King products... And the people at Onyx are really great to deal with.
Thanks CHUD! Onyx recently impressed me covering a part under warranty that I thought was way outside of that time frame.
Yo CHRIS, you're a KING
No pun intended xD
Thanks for giving us ideas before buying hubs hehe
Ha! Thanks Ariel! Happy it helped.
I was hoping you would spin the onyx hub…lol. This will be my reference segment for my next wheelset.
I would have but just didn't have one built into a wheel at the time. Glad it was helpful!
Great review. I have been a long time user and fan of Hadley, both geared and SS models. I also have the Hope SS/T hub and WI XMR hubs. I’m not sure what brand I’ll buy next but have been keeping these going for a while with servicing and replacing bearings, seals and occasionally pawls on my older hubs.
Thanks! Honestly between those choices you will have a great hub either way. The real world differences between them all is pretty minimal and all perform great thankfully.
I’m glad my i9 101 made the high end hub list. It feels good. Love the sound.
I9's version of "budget" is still an extremely nice hub for sure!
great overview with tech details and sound. Thx.
Thank you!
Man, such a concise Video, Thanks a lot!
Thanks for watching!
Colorado boi with hope pro 4's and their wheelsets are amazing. big fan
Same!
White industry hubs made a wonderful sound back in the mid 90’s. I had a custom wheel set on my GT RTS2. 👍🏾
I LOVE White Industries hubs!
wow nice video thanks for your great content
Thank you!
best video on youtube. thank you
Thank you!
Thx Chris. Great info
Thanks Derek!
That sound , reminds me the time I had a three speed 40 years ago in the florida keys . I'm pretty sure it attracked the rattle snakes which I had to avoid on star lit nights cycling from key west to the saddlebunch keys . Spiced up they tasted good , ya my friend /co-worker ran one over and cooked it up
Well done!
Thanks!
Great video.
I'd have to disagree on a couple of points regarding King however. What you get for the cost is indestructability, which matters if you're a large powerful individual. Pawls will shatter, it's a fact. Also, in my long experience with King hubs, maintenance has never been an issue. I open mine once every two years? If that? They'll run just fine with water in them, everything is stainless. I'd still be on my first King hub if it wasn't for changing standards. If someone has maintenance problems, I guarantee it's "pilot error".
13 years/40k km/wet BC mountains. Literally the only thing less than perfect is that the anodizing had faded from pure black to a deep dark purple.
Thanks! King's are undoubtedly great hubs but they are not the only option for bomb proof hubs. I've rode a ton of different hubs over the years and have broken a ton of lesser hubs but all the ones in this test have worked great and I've never seen a shattered pawl from any of them. I do think King holds up better maintenance wise in wetter climates, when I lived in a much wetter area they seemed to handle that better than anything but once moving out west where it is super dry and dusty they don't seem to do as well as some others.
I've had I9s for the last 5 years. I love my I9s never had a problem and love the engagement. Sadly I'm over the noise I switched to onyx vesper I love the engagement and it's absolutely silent...
Honestly, I can't go back to the noise.
Nothing at all wrong with wanting to just hear nature and the wind! Thanks Lucas!
Honestly it's difficult to say as I couldn't do a side by side comparison. It does seem like there is less rolling resistance, but I also switched from a 2.6 wide tire down to a 2.25 wide tire at the same time. So it's difficult to compare apples to apples.
Thank you for all this effort. It seems though something's wrong with the hub sound recordings. If you still have the hubs maybe you can do a sound only one? More hubs to consider: Nonplus, Syntace, Newman ... :) Cheers!
Very useful thing to have. Shaving everything,
Thank you!
My favourire is still the halo mt supadrive single speed hub. at 300$, 120 P.O.E., 315grams and an amazing sound.
Those can work well for a lot of people! The engement is super nice.
Thanks so much! Great video. I’m just staring my wheel building journey, ordered the TS-4.2 yesterday. Any pointers for a newb wheel builder?
Thank you! Honestly there are some basics on my youtube channel but the best resource for really in depth reading on the subject is the wheel fanatyk page which I will link to below. I do hope to spend a lot of time this winter if things slow down making more in depth wheel build videos which will hopefully be helpful too.
Here is that link, the guy behind the page was a cofounder in Wheelsmith so he really knows his stuff. Happy building!
www.wheelfanatyk.com/wheelbuilding-library/
Tremendous video Thank you! In your opinion which one rolls the longest?
Thanks! I think of all these, the White Industries has the least rolling resistance from the freehub. Bearing drag can pretty much be equalized by pressing in different bearings with different fill levels of grease.
One thing you skipped was White Industries has steel axles and preload control. Some of these brands only offer six bolt.
Thanks for the vid..
My pleasure!
I believe there is more of a difference than milling on the onyx vesper vs classic. The sprag is a bit wider on the classic and it comes with ceramic bearings vs the steel bearings in the vespers. I think that they use different axles too.
There are definitely a few other minor differences I forgot to mention. You can get them with ceramic bearings as an upgrade but the standard is they ship with steel. Great hubs for sure though if you don't mind a little extra weight!
Fantastic video! Any thoughts on Novatec?
I owe both spank hubs. The old one could be better sealed. I'm in UK and we ride in a mud pretty much whole year and I wash bike in back garden after every ride. I didn't bother to service the free hub for few months and my paws rusted badly. Good thing is that spank sells fresh set with springs at £6
New hub with high engagement is sealed like tank 👍🏻
That's great to hear! You all in the UK definitely are harder on hubs than we are here in the super dry Colorado Springs! Thanks for the feedback!
Are the prices listed in the video for the hub set or just the rear hub? Thanks for making this video btw, great info!
Thank you! The prices listed were the suggested retail for a hubset when I made the video initially. Most of them have changed a bit since then unfortunately.
Super nice review. DT Swiss 240 are nowhere near 700$ retail. They can be bought around 250 US on the euro sites. That's a massive difference if they come up at 1/3 of the price of a Chris King.
I listed the prices at what the manufacturer suggested retail pricing was for the hub sets. You can definitely find them cheaper online than the prices listed though.
Spank Hex are way cheaper now, and come in colors. I got Purple just last week. sick!
I was excited when I saw they started offering colors! Already have built up some green and silver but the purple went out of stock quicker than I could grab them!
Awesome video :).
Have you noticed any issues with the vesper (as opposed to the classic) with stronger or over 200lb riders? The internet gives some worries about it but you never know how/if it’s overblown
Thanks!! If you search you can find failures on every hub out there but I've not personally seen any issues with the Vespers and stronger riders yet. It definitely doesn't mean a failure can't happen but thankfully it's not common enough that I have seen it first hand and we have a lot of people riding Onyx around here.
Chris, have you built the new xtr hubs up into wheels yet? if so what was your early thoughts?
Hey Brian! I’ve not had a chance to build with them yet. They look promising but I am a bit gun shy to recommend Shimano mountain hubs after how many freehubs I have blown apart over the years.
Nice vid man, i have ck in miy 26 er specialized demo 8 and i think the ck mechanism is far more superior then the others and they use own bearings too. My hub is about 13 years old nov and smooth like a new one.
Great video. What do you think of Race face’s Vault hub.
I honestly don't have a ton of experience with them beyond replacing bearings in them a few different times. It seems decent but again I have little first hand experience, good or bad with them.
Awesome video! i'm confused about the Onyx though. They claim their new Vespers hub is a lot lighter than before. On their site a MTB rear hub with boost weighs in at 414g (14.6 oz) and costs $460. Could the 680g/$675 you quoted be from the 1st gen Onyx?
They may have changed something they failed to update on our dealer spec sheets but I went and double checked mine and it does say a pair of boost hubs with HG driver is 675g with the rear listed at 500g even.
The 680g is the combined weight of the front and rear (same as the other hubs he listed), it is based from the old onyx design that comes with a fat shell. The new version comes down to a total of 555g for the boost microspline.
DT Swiss 240 and 180, have a oil slick version, limited edition, but available in more than black
Those were really nice but came out after I made this video. My 240 breakdown does have the oil slick version in it though!
I like my 36 hole Phil wood tandem style hubs.. I’m a Clydesdale on a bike, strong wheels on my pugsley.. I wish they were louder like the new hubs
Phil Wood is always a good call! I wish I had a geared one to add to this comparison. Sometimes servicing the freehub and using a light weight oil will make them a little bit louder if you have not tried that yet.
Two years ago you gave me the recommendation for White industries which was super rad. I’m interested in Hadley now. is there any advantage over the industry nine hydras? I appreciate rolling speed more than engagement.
Glad it was helpful! Hadley remind me an awful lot of White Industries. I do think Hadley seem to roll a bit nicer than I9 if you are not worried about losing a little bit of engagement but to be fair, both are great hubs.
How about a video with best budget options for hubs? Great content as always
Emerson Cortes great idea, thanks!
Chris Murray next time. Just let me know. They been really good.
Sal Delatorre will do and happy to hear they are working well! Thanks Sal!
Slowly upgrading parts on my 1st bike. Want to upgrade the hubs next. As a newbie don't know what change will make the biggest difference. As I'm learning fast engagement seems like an important selling point but is it really that significant? What would you recommend for the best mid-level quality hub?
It really comes down to riding style. If you like riding technical terrain then high engagement hubs are a game changer. If most of your riding is closer to fire roads or not very technical its not as big of a change. With that being said, the difference between a $300 set of Spank hubs and a $650 set of I9 hubs isn't as drastic as the cost would make you believe. Todays mid level hubs are all very good thankfully. The top end hubs are generally better, but there is a sharp point of diminishing return above $350ish hub sets when looking just at performance.
I have Spank wheelset and super happy with them The hub is not very loud which suits my liking.
Nice! I really like most Spank rims.
Not very loud with 6 pawls?:O
@@luisfuentes3094 the number of pawls doesn't change the volume much. How loud the hub sounds is mostly dependent on how strong the pawl springs are and to some extent, the mass of the pawl. Stiff pawl springs is part of why Hope is one of the loudest.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC ok ok nice, so for example the hub Hope pro 4 with 4 pawls is most louder than spank hex ? I would like to buy a hub very very loud, thanks for your comments
@@luisfuentes3094 Happy to help! If you want as loud as possible, I would say the Hope is the loudest. You could make it even louder if you cleaned the grease out of the pawls and replaced it with a light weight oil too.
If I just want the best hub, don't care about sound, want black, and can get them for similar price, is the Industry Nine 1/1 hub an easy choice over the DT Swiss 350 36T hub? I want it to be somewhat easy to service, but I can learn.
Best is going to vary a lot based on personal preference but the 1/1 hub is probably my favorite mid level hub on the market right now.
Any experience with the DT 180's? Wondering if I should build a new wheelset for a yeti arc with 180's if they can be as durable as the 240's.
They are great hubs but I don't think the performance per dollar is really there. If you don't mind the high cost and want really like but durable hubs they are great though!
How long does the sprag clutch model last compared to the other 2 types? (I heard that small diameter sprag clutches are susceptible to wear due to the high pressure at the contact area).
I've never actually seen one wear out before. I think I have seen 1-2 of them physically broken but that is really rare so I would say they hold up really well. Hope this helps!
Aside from onyx what hub has the least drag? I am after rolling speed not really engagement
Personally I think White Industries is very similar to Onyx feeling like it has virtually no drag once broken in.
I have a Turbo Levo and it seems the stock hubs don’t last to long under the power of the electric motor. Which of these would be best in terms of durability only? Basically which engagement style is capable of holding the most torque?
I don't think engagement style is as important as much as how well executed the design is. Some of the best hubs in the world still use a traditional pawl style engagement while some absolutely horrible hubs use a design that looks similar but their tolerances and material choice lead to loads of issues.
Personally my favorites would be I9 or Hadley for your Levo but any of the hubs from this video should work well.
I wish you have included the
NOVATEC PREMIUM XD602SB-B12
Well it happened. Just stripped out the rear hub on my 2022 Turbo Levo e-bike in less than 100 miles. I want to upgrade & only do it once. I want durability above all else. I’m leaning towards the Onyx, but is there anything else I should consider?
Onyx is a good call but honestly any of the hubs in this video should be able to easily handle your Turbo Levo. My personal favorites for great MTB hubs would probably be I9, Hadley and the new P321 hubs once they become available. Onyx is great too but personally I like loud hubs.
Great video! My question is if you know which one of these hubs have removable/replaceable drive rings
Thanks! You should be able to replace drive rings in all of them except Onyx but the only ones I have ever removed drive rings in myself were DT and White Industries. DT you have to remove them to get to bearings and White Ind was to upgrade to their faster engaging option when they released it a while back.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC I ended up ordering the Onyx Classic for my wheel since I stripped the ratchet ring on that OEM hub (twice). I also ordered a backup wheel SunRinglé Duroc SD37 with the Bubba Hub. That sounds like a neat hub to add to a video like this if you do an updated version in the future.
@@billyschmidt7184 Nice! The Bubba Hub looks like it is most likely a rebadged Chosen hub but Chosen usually makes a good product at least. If I can get the time, I would love to do a much deeper dive into hubs over the winter as I always find them fascinating. Things have just been slammed at the shop so I have not had much time for video work lately. It's definitely my goal to get to where I can do a lot more with this channel though!
@@ChrisMurrayEWC your info is helpful to us bikers, we greatly appreciate it! 🙂🚵🏼♂️
@@billyschmidt7184 Thanks for the support!
Can any of these besides dtswiss be used on 1250watt E-bike? Because no one i talk too has said they will warranty them for my bike.
Sorry for the slow reply here. I have seen all of these used on e-bikes and so far I have not seen any issues with any of them. I am not sure of the official stance by the hub manufacturers though. My personal favorite would probably be P321 (although currently going through a redesign) and Hadley for a powerful e bike.
Cool video. 2 years later what would you say is the verdict on the Spank Hex hubs durability? They seem light enough, have good engagement and price. I'm struggling to see what the downside is. Are they hard to service or something? Whats their weakness?
Honestly they are extremely good for the money. I don't think the stock bearing quality is quite as good as some others but whenever they go bad you just replace them with something nicer and you are set. So far the only failures I have seen from Spank hubs are the bearings needing replaced which is an easy fix and can happen to any hub.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC thanks, its nice to get impartial advice form someone who's dealt with most all of them.
@@prenlin2804 My pleasure!
Nice comparsion, thanks for that! However, It seems, that you recorded the 240s-sound with an 18T star ratchet installed?
Thank you! I honestly don't remember for sure, I just grabbed a bike in the shop that had 240's on it for the recording but it does sound like it was the 18t ratchet.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC Yes, the former models of the 240s came with 18T (mine as well) Not sure, when exactly they upgraded to 36T, but these sound of course differently. The newest models of the 350 (lauched a few weeks ago) are coming now with 36T as standard als well. In your video I counted the clicks while the wheel spins out to be sure ;-)
@@georglinde3910 Im not sure either when they made that change but these were an older model. I am pretty excited they finally upgraded the new style 350's to 36 tooth. It feels much less sloppy and I like their updated look as well.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC Yes, that is good - ok, an update to 36T was always possible, but not cheap. For the new 350 they stay with the older design with two floating star-ratches rather than one in the new EXP-system in the new 240s... I heard about problems with stripped ratchet system there, so I will wait and see... They also launched the new "ratchet LN", which is an upgrade rotor with ratchet system to upgrade the cheaper 3-pawl type hubs like the 370 or all the '..1900' wheelsets out there. That is also good to hear... Cheers, Georg
@@georglinde3910 Ive only seen a couple rare issues with the 54t ratchets but thankfully the 36t is extremely reliable. I've not seen too much time on the 240 EXP to see if it holds up as well as they claim but I would imagine DT put a ton of RD time into it. Thanks Georg!
Is there any company that makes a quiet hub??? Besides onyx vesper...$$$$... I want to hear nature not my loud hub
Unfortunately not a ton of options. Box makes a hub that is similar to Onyx and slightly cheaper but not by a huge margin. Shimano stuff generally is quieter but I have not had good luck with it holding up under stronger riders.
Use Dumonde Tech Freehub grease
@@jltrack I love their freehub grease! We have a giant tub of it on the bench.
Hey Chris,
So what do you think about Project 321 hubs still? They had a bad batch of pawls that caused the hubs to make popping sounds. Apparently they fixed it, but people are also reporting that the hubs leak oil so the silent hubs don't stay silent. I was considering them, but now I have second thoughts.
I am actually still a huge fan of them. Thankfully that pawl issue didn't last long and they handled the one warranty I had with my customers great. They are dropping the quiet version of the drive system for now but that's mostly due to raw material supply issues. They did end up switching to a different seal style for the quiet to help with oil leakage but I honestly always ran them fairly light on oil as they were still quieter than others with less risk of leakage.
If you are looking for a very silent ride I would recommend Onyx though, especially if you dont mind a little extra weight.
Thanks for your insight Chris, your awesome!
That's unfortunate that Project 321 are pausing the quiet version. Onyx hubs are cool, but they're expensive & heavy. I was just considering a hub with high POE, that wasn't so loud, so I could still talk to my buddies while coasting without shouting. Anyway idk if there are any other "quieter" hubs that you know off?
@@saulhernandez738 Honestly there are not too many other options out there. The Hex and XMR hub isn't crazy loud and you can quiet down most hubs by adding a bit more grease but that does thin out as you ride so you have to reapply it every couple months to keep it quiet but surprisingly not many choices for truly quiet hubs that still hold up well.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC Thank you brother, the White Industry XMR does have a nice buzz. Do you know what is the degree of engagement for that hub? The only info I've found is that it has 46 POE.
@@saulhernandez738 honestly I am not exactly sure. I am pretty sure it is around 7.5-8 degrees though. It's in that middle ground where if most of your experience is on factory hubs it feels really fast but if you have a lot of time on quicker hubs like I9 it feels a little slow but not horrible. Thankfully you mostly notice it on steep and techy climbs but not nearly as much in other areas of the trails. Happy to help where I can!
Hi, i am trying to get some info about wheels.. and i wanted to ask those who understand about bike wht is the real difference between a budget wheel and an expensive one. I mean beyond the weight/material I think what really increase the prize is the hub, right?
Well if i am not really interested in degree of engagement or the sound-like and weight, but only in durability/toughness/shreddness can we say is not really important to spend much on wheels?
It really depends on what your needs and personal budget are. There is definitely a steep point of diminishing return once you go past mid level components with bike parts.
From entry level to mid level, pretty much everything improves, durability, weight, etc. Once you are upgrading from mid level to the high end stuff, you are mostly saving weight or getting slightly better hub engagement but the improvements are not as big.
If you are a powerful rider you can absolutely blow up freehubs on cheaper mountain bike hubs but if you are lighter or don't produce as much power, you can likely get away with cheaper parts lasting you longer.
Hope this helps!
Bontrager Line Elite and Pro have 108POE. Super underrated hub. Also the Nukeproof Horizon V2 is a good price/performance hub
The Bonty hub is solid for sure, no first hand experience from my side with the Nukeproof yet though.
Bearings , do they make a difference in the performance and how often or when shud they be replaced , my bearings needed replacement at the same time as my tires . I have four of the same wheels and two wheels the bearings were replaced . The bike mech. commented saying the first bearings were of lesser quality and the newer ones shud be better . I ride on rought surfaces with no suspension and the wheels are the front ones on a tadpole trike . One trike is cromoly and the other is steel and I suspect not having a suspension and stiff frames is responsible for faster bearing wear .
Usually what causes bearings to wear quickly is when dirt gets into the bearing but there are definitely some lower quality bearings that do not last as long.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC Dirt in the bearings , that explains why trolling motor bearing last so long .....the bearings are in a water/air sealed inclosure . Did I see you remove and clean bearings in one of your video .
321s, by far the best sounding.
Those are my favorite as well!
@@ChrisMurrayEWC Hey i just sent you my info to get some custom wheels built.
@@kingchakazulu7762 Thank you! These will be fun wheels!
Planning to buy spank hex drive or dt swiss 350 my only downside to this both hubs is alloy axle the reason is because i use enduro hardtail plus my weight is around 230 lbs..
I wouldn't worry too much about that, the only aluminum axles I ever see issues with are on Stans Neo hubs. I've got some riders that weigh a lot more than 230 and ride aggressive on both those hubs and they have never had an issue.
I am stuck right now for a Hub that backs its hub for Bafang mid drive M600. My mid-drive is tuned and built into my bike like a Shimano EP8. But I have a ton more power SPANK J-hex Type E- Bike model, Hope Pro 5 E-bike model & DT-Swiss 350 upgrade to 54T are the only two willing to back their hub, I still need to ask Project 321, FOCUS, & BITEX. I9, CK, Onyx said no way. So far Spank is winning, Hopefully, I can get someone with equal or greater than POE of the Spank J-HEX Hub. Its only 95nm Max Torque output and I never use it all. But Shimano engines are backed, so are Bosch.
I'm hunting for a high-engagement, silent rear hub for my MTB. Any recommendation(s)? Thanks in advance!
Onyx is definitely the way to go for you then! They are a little heavy but otherwise great hubs.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC Thanks, eh mate! I'll surely consider Onyx.
what hub you would recommend for speed, sir ! Ratchet or Classic Pawls
Both work well but I do have a slight preference to White Industries
anybody here likes quiet hubs?
I did a poll over on our TikTok about about 40% were into quite hubs. Currently resisting the urge to make a dad joke about how they are just not as loud about their opinions....
Absolutely the best overview I’ve found. Thank you
Awesome, thank you! I hope to remake this one soon with more current info since this video is a couple years old now.
Im pretty sure the Onyx Vespers and Classics have quite a bit more differences than just the machining of the hub shell.
You are not wrong but their marketing pretty much focuses on weight savings. "Choosing between Classic and Vesper hubs? The Vesper product line is our lightest cross-country and trail hub. The Classic product line is designed for heavier activities like electric-assist bikes, bike packing, tandems and bigger riders."
So, the lightest hub is around 360 grms and is ridiculously expensive. Compare that to sub 200 grms and a quarter of the price (roughly) for the old 135 mm standard. Waddayamean progress?
That is for the hubset and there are lighter options out like the DT 180, Tune, etc but they are pretty stupid expensive. The bike industry has definitely shifted away from chasing light weight though. While heavier, they definitely work better than past hubs. I remember blowing up freehubs pretty regularly back when I started riding mountain bikes about 15 years ago.
My bad, I was convinced this was for the rear hub only. I think the siffer oversized axles and increased dimensions of pawls, rings and bearings are a big contribution towards longevity, for sure.
do you think pawls hubs are less reliable than ratchet hubs? I've smashed my roval traverse after 3 years and now in the market for some new ones for enduro riding
Theoretically the ratchet hubs should be stronger but in reality a well designed pawl hub doesn't fail outside of the occasional bearing replacement.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC thanks mate! I was looking at dt 350s but I want to consider also some pawls to also feel a hive of bees following me and make my neighbors hate me :P
@@santiagoalbertoaraujo7255 Hahaha, you won't regret going with a good pawl hub!
Well you might actually regret it, it depends how large and savage you are. Personally I've shattered too many pawl hubs to count, and it hurt like hell every time they disintegrated. Bought a King and it was literally perfect for 13 years/40k km and I'd still be riding it if it wasn't for changing standards. Bearings are smoother than new even with my minimal/negligent maintenance schedule. Most cost effective/km hub ever made, you just have to be able to afford the initial cost. :)
@@tularjaggs334 King's are definitely great hubs but a quality pawl hub can hold up under stronger riders so you don't need to limit yourself to those. I am 230lbs and can do over 2000 watts and I have never broken any of the hubs in this video despite my best efforts. Cheap pawl hubs absolutely can be problematic though, especially those from Stan's.
Profile racing elites? Best hubs I've tried
Great hubs for sure! Unfortunately I didn't have one to shoot for the video and rarely get asked about them outside of for BMX stuff so didn't expect to see one soon.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC I have 240s on the enduro race bike and profile elites on my dj really bring me joy the profile elites that sound is just a joy
@@VikMTB Profiles definitely sound amazing!
How are the hubs now. Lasting, durable, high maintenance , no maintenance, seals, grease, free hub body, flanges...? DRAG or waste of energy when the wheels are broke in?
They really have not changed much at all since this video. Thankfully most mid level and nicer hubs still perform really well and last a long time.
Cyclingtips says EXP hubs are super loud, is that true?
It definitely varies a bit based on how much grease you pack into the star ratchets but they can definitely get loud if the grease is on the thinner side. I finally got a chance to do a breakdown of the 240 exp and it has the sound for them if you wanted to check it out. ua-cam.com/video/_Jre3ajefro/v-deo.html
Thanks for watching!
which is best for single speed mtn bike? quietest with best engagement
If you don't mind a little extra weight, Onyx are totally silent and have instant engagement. They also have single speed specific options. Other than that, I really like Project 321 and I9 but they are not the quietest hubs out.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC Thanks!
@@millerman692 my pleasure!
Where's the profile hubs in this ? There's a reason people rippers are using the racing hub and even the ZCoaster
Does this come assembled?
The hubs all come assembled if that is what you are asking. There is one exception with Spank where they sell hub assemblies without the freehub but that may only be offered on their wholesale side.
Which one would you say is the best option if I want one that doesn't make that much noise?
Onyx or Project 321 whenever they are able to offer quiet again. They currently dropped it due to material supply issues. White Industries is also relatively quiet too.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC Thank you Chris. I'll check it out. Do you think that by adding grease to a Hydra 9 I'll be able to reduce the buzz? I know people love those sounds but I like hearing the sound of nature where I ride.
@@fernandopoblete6064 my pleasure! It will help a little bit but will require a bit more maintenance to keep the sound down as the grease thins. You do have to be careful not to use too much as too much grease will keep the springs from engaging well. Thankfully its very easy to do so trail and error wont be too painful.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC I'll look for the Onyx, I've heard shimano has a new one called Silent or something like that.
@@fernandopoblete6064 Shimano used to make a silent hub but phased it out a while back. Recently there were rumors floating around about a new hub they were working on but I don't think they ever went to production on it. Onyx is definitely nice if you dont might the weight/cost though.
What’s the loudest out of all of them
I think Hope is probably the loudest of them all but I9 is definitely up there too!
Must be nice to measure the sound frequency those hubs make? Something mesmerising about their sounds
It's definitely satisfying!
Sound not working on the spin tests?
There may be something buggy with UA-cam as I can hear the sounds on my end. Hopefully it sorts itself out soon
Is that price for both rear and front?
Sorry for the slow reply, those prices were suggested retail at the time for a pair of hubs.
The bike is solid and my Ebike conversion went great. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Very smooth ride at 30mph with no problems (135 miles ridden so far). The picture is a bit deceiving - there is WAY less space in the center of the frame than it shows. The suspension connection takes up the entire thing. So I needed to attach my battery on the bottom of the frame and my controller on the top. Instructions for assembly were lacking but honestly it wasn't too hard to figure out even though I have very little bike knowledge. Watched some youtube videos on adjusting the disk brakes but that was it. Still, I am loving it and very happy with the purchase.
Just shoot us an email through our website and we would be happy to get you going! elevationwheelcompany.com/contact/
bought my dt swiss 350 front and rear. boost hubs microspline for P14,500 around $301.90 without the shipping fee
There are always deals to be had but for fair comparison I was listing the suggested MSRP from each manufacturer.
How’s the hub holding up after 3 years?
My DT swiss m1700 wheelset came with polished 350 hubs with no markings, they are pimping. Shame you can't buy those separated.
I would love it if we could get those!
You could order a 350 decal set in any color ... I'm like you, like things stealth and have all black on mine.
Hi Chris, we have tried a few hubs over the years on our one wheel packing cart and have struggle to find the strongest hub. It seems the failure is not the engagements (pawl etc) its what they are connected too? What is your opinion on the strongest hub available?
When you say where they are connected, do you mean the hub flange or the spokes/rim? I didn't have one to add to this video but when you need insanely strong and under very heavy loads Phil Wood is probably the toughest on the planet. I have one customer with one on a bike built for 5 adults he has had for almost a decade and many thousands of miles without any hub issues. How much weight does your cart see?
@@ChrisMurrayEWC it breaking inside the hub
@@ryananderson9202 I would definitely look at Phil Wood if it fits your budget then. If you need it to be a little less expensive, the DT 350 or Hope with their steel freehub option could also work quite well.
Those Hadleys seemed to have the least amount of drag of all these high engagement hubs. This is something not a lot of people talk about.
Id say Hadley and White Industries are the two best when it comes to minimal drag. Both are VERY good.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC coming off an older I9 Enduro Torch hub, I now have two hydra sets. (Enduro S, Enduro 305). Engagement is insane on the hydras. Torch was great, very draggy even with new bearings. (Enduro bearings, they’re not all they’re cracked up to be). Hydras are far less draggy, now built up a singlespeed with a Hope Pro 4. Spinning it by hand, drag is noticeable, although freshly greased and zero pedaling miles to work the grease in and let it thin some. How much drag should I expect from this hub? It was a steal and fit the bill for a budget built single speed.
As others have also said in these comments, I would actually give up *some* engagement for less drag
@@jeremyprovonsil7886 Realistically as long as the drag isnt so bad that it is causing your chain to wrap up when coasting you should be OK. Things will definitely loosen a bit as you ride but the trade off is usually better sealing but more drag vs less aggressive seals but less drag. Some designs are better in that regard though.
Could of asked me for the Spank hex hub sound.
Doh! I really should have, thanks man!
This needs an update
Can't stand noisy hubs! Onyx Vesper for the win, super quiet and will absolutely out coast everybody!
Shouldn't have left n out the new shimano hubs.xt and xtr and that non labeled xtr that's still available They are really good. Light. And the freehubs are kinda silent.. and operate very similar to chris king hubs. Come in j bend and straight pull and that gloss charcoal color is great..
and they are crazy cheap.. 100 bucks for xt
I mostly leave Shimano hubs off as I have very little faith in their hubs for mountain biking. Admittedly I don't have as much experience with their newer generation hubs but for the past decade I have seen so many blown apart Shimano freehubs that I am really hesitant to recommend any Shimano hub for mountain biking. They do work great on the road and for loaded touring though. Thanks for watching!
Why would someone choose the I9 1/1 over the hydra?
Cost, it is around $200 less for the 1/1 hubset vs the hydra. Both are great hubs though.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC Is the POE different?
@@halnogaies1256 the 1/1 is slower engaging but still pretty quick. I forget the number off the top of my head but I think it was around 100 POE vs the Hydra's 600ish
TrailMech?
If I ever get my hands on a set I would be more than happy to pull one apart for a video. Ive honestly just never been asked about them nor seen them at any of my distributors. It looks like their drive mech is fairly similar to King from what I can tell.
Hadley was the shit when I was a kid
It still is a great option! Hadley just does a poor job marketing themselves but I feel like they are not wanting to prioritize hubs over the other business their machine shop does.
@@ChrisMurrayEWC I’m going with industry nine hydra classic
@@Bolie420 those are always a great call too!
The DT Swiss 240s sound a LOT better than the 350s
Great vid but i can't hear the hub sounds
Thanks! UA-cam might be a little buggy as they seem to work on my end. Hopefully it clears itself up but sometime clearing your cache can help there so it reloads the page completely.
I like the presentation, but where's the guide?
What specifically were you looking for and I'll do my best to help.