Why choose a brand name hub over an OEM?

[davidalone]

The problem with most brand name hubs- DT, WI, alchemy, tune, xtralight- is that they are all using cartridge bearings anyway. CK uses their own brand of propietary bearing, which makes it even harder to find and replace. The only brand name hubs still using cup and cone baerings are shimano and campy, and I think Phil wood and maybe royce ( havent actually owned a royce hub.). So you could say that all those brands that are using cartridge bearings don't offer significant advantages?

Cup and cone is good, unless you manage to damage the races, then you're screwed. cartridge bearings only need you to pull the bearings and replace them to get them working again. if you're good, you could even remove the seals and service the bearing.

[bm0p700f]

The bearing cups in campagnolo hubs are replacable so your're not screwed with these Royce hubs use cartridge bearings.

[mattr]

AFAIK the cups on some shimano hubs are replaceable, not widely publicised, or widely available.

[mattr]

And from a purely performance standpoint, no one would use cartridge. The main (only?) reason to use them is cost. Cheaper to make, cheaper to replace, cheaper to fit.

[ultimobici]

Your high end Campagnolo, Shimano, Hope, Chris King are really not in the same league as stuff made by Taiwanese OEM manufacturers like Novatech. But if you have never owned a set of DA or Record or Hope Pro you might not have noticed that. However, hubs are a place where you can cut costs, unlike rims. Most people these days move on to a new set of wheels long before the hub bearings are worn.

It's true, if you've never tried something you don't know what you're missing. Ignorance is bliss they say.

But to lump Record & DA in with cartridge bearing hubs like Hope and even CK is misguided. They outperform the boutique products in every way in the real world. Record are as light as CK for a fraction of the price. They also undercut Hope on weight and price. Only drawback is the lack of choice on drilling, but that may change. My only gripe is the premium 28h Record hubs command on eBay.

[kgt]

+1

[Valbrona]

The cartridge bearing hubs that you can actually adjust are, I think, a thousand times better than the cartridge bearing hubs that you can't adjust. And if you swap out the bearings for ceramic ones you end up with a really nice hub that can put up with a lot of abuse.

[RussellS]

The only brand name hubs still using cup and cone baerings are shimano and campy, and I think Phil Wood

I am pretty positive Phil Wood has NEVER made a cup and cone adjustable bearing hub. Phil Wood only uses cartridge bearings. Phil Wood started 30-40 years ago and they did not have the capital or equipment to make cups and cones for hubs. The only thing they could afford was some equipment to mill spots/slots in hubs to shove a cartridge bearing. Phil Wood did not have the knowledge or money to make quality cups and cones like Campagnolo and Shimano. All they could do was use the cheap and easy method of milling a spot on the hub to press a cartridge bearing. Cups and cones require forging and milling to make them perfect. Cartridge bearings require you to grind a flat/round spot to shove a bearing onto. One is cheaper than the other. All those Chinese/Taiwanese wheelsets have cartridge bearings. Not cups and cones requiring high priced machinery to make.

[Geoff]

Exactly. The reason that only Campagnolo and Shimano make hubs with angular contact bearings is that they are the only ones who can.

[Nefarious86]

I'm actually thinking CX75 hubs with Grail hoops as a second pair of wheels to go on my tarmac with some 28mm tyres after looking through this.

[davidalone]

Interesting. so can we conclude that the only REAL brand name hubs worth a premium are campy record and shimano hubs?

[Mackers]

Of course Joy-tec also use cup/cone for their GCC and RCC type hubs
(pretty porky with their steel axles though)

[Miller]

Campag hubs with the adjustable cartridge bearings are lovely, it's a shame they've reduced the offering to Record in 32 drilling. If they offered Record front/rear in a 20/24 drilling I'm sure they would shift a few pairs but as Campag have an extensive prebuilt offering I can't see them doing that.

Of late for my occasional wheelbuilding I've taken to using Novatec and like them a lot. They're light and easy to work with plus a year ago they were the only feasible choice for a disc hub with Campag splines. Only issue I've had so far is that a front hub bearing seized in the interminable rain we had last winter. It would be useful to be able to replace cartridge bearings myself. What tools does one actually need to do that?

[ultimobici]

Campag hubs with the adjustable cartridge bearings are lovely, it's a shame they've reduced the offering to Record in 32 drilling. If they offered Record front/rear in a 20/24 drilling I'm sure they would shift a few pairs but as Campag have an extensive prebuilt offering I can't see them doing that.

Cartridge? Nope, they're cup & cone. Hence their serviceability, not to mention the possibility of upgrading to CULT bearings!

Of late for my occasional wheelbuilding I've taken to using Novatec and like them a lot. They're light and easy to work with plus a year ago they were the only feasible choice for a disc hub with Campag splines. Only issue I've had so far is that a front hub bearing seized in the interminable rain we had last winter. It would be useful to be able to replace cartridge bearings myself. What tools does one actually need to do that?

Hope do Campag 11 compatible disc hubs that will outlast any novatec any day.

[mattr]

Might be an interesting project for someone to try and make or convert a hub to use angular contact cartridges. If they can be found in suitable sizes.

Bearings, couple of spacers, new threaded axle and some lock nuts. Unfortunately, I've not really got access to the facilities to do this.