THIS IS NOT A TROLL – It's an honest STW member question 🙂 and I know other manufact. hubs are out there 🙂

e.g. CK rear hub £300 approx – Pro II rear hub Approx £110, Pro III Approx £140 (if you remove other hoop components off the price).

CK bearing changes seem a rare occurance compared with Pro II.

As cheap bearings are available is there any need, other than looks or not having to spend the time servicing the hub, to get a CK?

Are there any strength/functional/weight differences?

I can see if you can't or dont' wish to service bearings it maybe an advantage. Hope "out of warranty support seems good", CK isn't? (no experience of it mind you, only heresay:) ).

Thoughts? Alternative hubs any good in your experience? Easily servicable?

At CK prices it is not even remotely about value for money – no matter what owners/fanciers say*

*I am a happy shimano user/owner

No, CK hubs are not really worth having IMO, they're heavy, need reasonably regular maintenance, are expensive, and have lots of drag. I'd never buy a set again.

DT240s are worth having over Pro IIs IMO.

Only think I found with the DT240 is the very specifc tools required for servicing the rear hub but other than that seem good 🙂

I like my King hubs because I like to tinker and service them myself, and I also appreciate the work that has gone into their design and manufacture. Plus CK as a company are v environmentally aware. Not had any reason to use their customer service.

Hope are also very good, easily serviceable and just bash out the old bearings and fit the new ones. Customer service is exemplary.

Doesn't really help much.. 😕

my 240's seem to require more than average amounts of bearing changes, although mine is a 12mm one, maybe thats why

Yeah you need the tool to remove the star ratchet if you want to get right in there, otherwise there's nothing special.

CK have superior American marketting so they must be better than Hope 🙂

Hope only have top quality hubs with easy to replace bearings and parts and an outstanding warranty service to offer, and worst thing is they are British.

I buy Hope.

As Nick says…CK hubs are not fit and forget. They do require regular maintenance and special tools. I still have a set – sitting in the spare room unloved – but I am not sure I would buy them again. Industry Nine maybe but not CK.

I like my Kings. They need a strip and lube every now and again but they always look like new once cleaned.

I like my Pro 2 Hopes. Every year they need stripping, new bearings, pawls and springs, but they are good for the money. More so that you can swap axles and convert to nearly all QR and through axle combinations you can think of.

Either are a great choice. It's just how much do you want to spend?

Very similar experiences here also. Rear hub is relatively sensitive and needs a proper service every six months. Tools cost a fortune to do it yourself; LBS will charge c.£50. Also rear hubs have a repetitive habit of working loose. Front hub is fit and forget. Mine has run for four years without being touched and it's as smooth as the day it was born. However most front hubs will be that good as they aren't subject to much abuse.