Also teases dropper remote, contemplates headset…
When playing with their new thru-axle Snow Hub’s design, the active minds at Phil Wood began to wonder just how long they could make a cassette body without running into strength or durability issues. After some time with the slide rule, the answer was: long enough for thirteen cogs. More than just a paper exercise, the physical result is this one-off 13s hub, complete with siamesed Shimano Ultegra cassettes. While shifting is not perfect (yet), it works alright with a SRAM XX1 twist shifter and rear mech- the bottom eleven clicks indexed normally and the top two in friction mode. After all, they might as well do something with that 215mm dropout spacing.
On the far side of the wheel, the hub’s massive disc flange provides plenty of opportunity to show off the company’s trademark polished aluminium.
And speaking of polished alloy, one of the Phil Wood booth bikes was sporting this Maverick/X-Fusion-style dropper remote. It’s not a definite ‘go,’ but if released could be a nice upgrade for 1-by riders looking for better remote placement.
What’s this? A purple headset? Phil Wood has been playing with the idea of a high-end headset for some time- a natural fit given their experience with bearings and grease. The clean lines are hard not to like and would look great on a classy steel or Ti hardtail. They haven’t committed to the idea, but we think it’s a good one.