Alchemy ORC Rear Hub Issues

[ergott]

The original rear hub (Orc) was never recalled. I have a couple of my own still in use.

The Orc-UL was recalled. There was a running change to the design to fix the issue. These Orc-UL hubs can be identified by having a serial number on the barrel in between the flanges.

Indeed, the paste version of Loctite was preferred by Jeremey (owner of Alchemy) as well. I've had good luck with the liquid form though. I make sure the threads are really clean and dry first.

[Lugan]

Amazing that these Alchemy hubs were THE hot hub to spec on custom wheels for a few years, and then in the blink of an eye an issue appears and the hubs disappear from the market. Makes me skeptical of such hype in future.

[BdaGhisallo]

Amazing that these Alchemy hubs were THE hot hub to spec on custom wheels for a few years, and then in the blink of an eye an issue appears and the hubs disappear from the market. Makes me skeptical of such hype in future.

They were the hot hub, I think, primarily for their flange dimension which was praised by wheelbuilders. I have a few wheels built by Jeremy with his hubs (first gen). The wheels were great builds but the hub internals themselves were nothing revolutionary. It was all about the flange geo.

I think the problem with the UL hub and the capital required to fix the problem was what did Alchemy in. I give kudos to Jeremy for following his dream and building the ultimate hub as he thought it should be. However, his tale does speak to the need to have much capital in place if you want to play with the big boys. The likes of Shimano can change standards on a dime and deal with the costs without skipping a beat. Very small fry such as Alchemy not so much.

[boysa]

Certainly. They were hot because they were great hubs from a super guy who offered tremendous customer service. I consider myself fortunate to have a set!

[ergott]

I'm slowly getting more hubs for builds now. Very happy. I have two sets of post recall hubs as well. Yes I have a lot of different wheels for my bikes!

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[kac]

I believe that Alchemy (unfortunately) closed up shop. I have ORC and Elf hubs and I've used them for years without problems. Plus, the customer service was first rate. Too bad...I think it was the recall that killed the company.

[Zigmeister]

I have the Elf front hub still on my wheels. Jeremy replaced and built my rear wheel up with a DT240S to resolve the ORC UL hub potential issue. He did me right and others by resolving the issue. Unfortunately, due to his small size and capital, it basically put him out of business as well.

Front hub still going strong. Had to replace one bearing awhile back, not the hubs fault..otherwise..light/strong and smooth!

[BdaGhisallo]

I have the Elf front hub still on my wheels. Jeremy replaced and built my rear wheel up with a DT240S to resolve the ORC UL hub potential issue. He did me right and others by resolving the issue. Unfortunately, due to his small size and capital, it basically put him out of business as well.

Front hub still going strong. Had to replace one bearing awhile back, not the hubs fault..otherwise..light/strong and smooth!

I too still have front ELF hubs going strong after six years plus on them.

[VTBike]

It is too bad. I've put thousands of miles on my Orc/Elf and they are amazing. I wish we could have seen these continue to evolve over the years. Direct competitor and surpassed CK in weight + durability (they literally require zero maintenance)

[Curious George]

Surprised no one else posted this yet,

http://www.bikerumor.com/2016/10/03/ib1 ... ngs-limit/

and

http://wheelsmfg.com/hubs.html

Good to see Alchemy back!

[ergott]

You beat me to it.

I've been riding a set of wheels with the new hubs few half the summer now. They have been my favorite clinchers (can't talk about the rims yet, though that's a different story). I've had wheels with most hubs out there and these are by far my favorite to own and my favorite to work with. It's great news to have them on offer again.

[F45]

Price steep for what you get.

[Calnago]

@ergott: How durable would you reckon these hubs are, relative to say a Campy Record cup/cone or smilar Dura-Ace model? Or is it too soon to tell? I know they had some issues before with a recall and all, so assuming all that was sorted out. The thing I really don't like about DT Swiss 240 hubs for example, is the relatively narrow flange spacing at the rear. Are these better in that respect? I like the look... clean and simple. And the flange edges and hole surfaces do look nice and smooth, similar to the Campy Record hubs.

[manystyles]

Glad to hear these are now available, finally! Eric, if you have any information on how these new hubs adjust and set preload. I have the first gen ORC and for the life of me could never get preload right with Loctite.

[ergott]

Durability should be great. The issue that was warrantied was taken care of. Aside from that they were easy to work with. My hubs are as new still.

The preload system was updated with this release. Now the slack (preload) is taken care of with a couple micro washers. That means you can tighten the endcap like you normally would and it doesn't rely on a thread locking material.

Flange spacing is better than any other on the market. The internal design makes for bearings that support the axle better than any other design as well. The two together make them build into the stiffest wheels (comparing same spokes/rims). With the weight being competitive, you get some excellent wheels as a result.