Trying to build a maintenance-light year-round commuter (c6000 miles/year). Disc-braked, natch. Fancied cartridge bearings, as sometimes my bikes don’t get the maintenance they should. Have written off three hubs due to neglect (oe formula crap ones died within 3 months [rear] and 6months [front] due to corrosion, and the replacement tiagra rear died because I rode up to the axles through the monsoon season of 2012 and didn’t give it any love). I like the idea of recovering from neglect by simply swapping out a bearing.

So, to the reetards. Does anyone have experience of these wheels? Particularly I am wondering about the weatherproofness and smoothness of the bearings and freehub.

Can this freehub be replaced if it dies? Is it a fairly standard part (eg, can a shimano freehub be put on there)?

All responses appreciated…

not sure about the current ones but the older ones could be fitted with new bearings for about a fiver an end, the freehub was about 15 quid IIRC, and easy to fit. decent enough, check them for true after a little use and they should be fine. not light but pretty tough.

Thanks for the info del.

Anyone comment on weather-proofness?

‘ok’. guess i change bearings about once in 18months on my SS on the rear, less frequently on the front, used twice a week minimum is some pretty filthy weather, so i think fine. the rears obviously have a tougher time. it’s a ten minute job to change the bearings out and i use cheap ones off ebay without any other prep. probably if you lifted the seals and spunked some nicer grease in there you’d get more out of them.
check what the freehub is. the old ones were disposable and same as the dmr revolver IIRC.

thanks again del. unfortunately the price has gone back up by 30%, into ‘sooner build a set myself or get a cheap merlin build’ territory. I’m considering dmr hubs though, so what you’ve said is still useful to me, and hopefully has been relevant to others as well.