MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Just been sent an offer from that Merlin - 29er wheels on M475 hubs, £58 on VIP discount..
I was intending to build a set on my old Hopes but it hardly seems worth it at that price - except my first hit on searching for these is 'Worst Shimano Hubs Ever'.
Reading seems to indicate it's more or less a case of not looking after a cup'n'cone hub, but anyone got any input before I click buy?
Sub-Deore quality, so not sealed very well and the freehubs tend to let go. Cheap for a reason
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Other than being a big weighty they'll be fine.
I was looking at the wheels as well to run some slicks but not sure if they'll fit on. guess they might be ok with 700c 28mm if the rims are similar to xm317?
they have no seals at all. in the summer dirt will get in, but theyre cheap enough to just pack em with loads of grease and run them a bit rough, untill they completely die.
for the love of baby jesus dont use them in the mud.
i had a pair on my gt avalanche from back in 09
I thought the freehubs were much the same on all (maybe XTR different, usually is)? That has been the one part that's let me down on Shimano before, had to zip tie the cassette to the wheel to get into work..
HH, I reckon 28mm would be OK, I used to commute on 26" 1 1/4" slicks which isn't far off that. VVery quick but the shocking state of the back roads around here meant they didn't live long.
No seals, v bad news....
Depends how and where you ride really.
I ran some for 12 months without any problems only got rid because of the weight really.
I 'm not really a mud monster though but I do a lot of riding in the wet
Highly dubious of all Shimano freehubs, but these ones especially. If you spend a lot of time riding steep hills in low gears, carrying loads of gear (or are just heavy) then steer well clear.
I've got bargain basement shimano road wheels though and the freehub has been fine, guess its a riding style/gear ratio thing.
they'll be OK as wheel for a turbo-trainer...
show them the outside world though and they wont last long. No seals (as already mentioned above), crap freehub and el-cheapo bearings.
only labyrinth seals so will be vulnerable in that respect. But for £58, you could rebuild the rims when dead onto better hubs.
But for £58, you could rebuild the rims when dead onto better hubs
That was my thinking really, I'd struggle to buy two rims for that money.
Then I'd need spokes, and a few more quid for the LBS to unpick the cat cradle mess I'd make 🙂
i've been running some for 6 years or so with not too much of a problem. They are supersmooth now but still run fine. This icludes two weeks abuse in the alps. So far they've had one bearings change and needed retightened cones after the alps. The back cone has come a little loose now and again. After the alps the rear axle was slightly bent, but had been hammering dh trails and course ( on a ht) Best thing is you can buy a new hubs for next to nothing and do a complete overhule should the hub need one. came oem on a bike.Not sure i'd get them if i had a choice or if they were a great deal.
how on earth have you made them last that long?!?!!
I've seen those hubs go lumpy and fill with shit on their 1st or 2nd ride, lost count of how many times I've had to dismantle and rebuild them for my friends.
do you never ride unless it's glorious sunshine and dry trails or something?!
I had some for about 12 months, bought the wheel set used.The cones were loose, the races were pitted but I put a new set of bearings in and didn't touch them for 12 months.
They weren't massively smooth due to the pits in the races but they span for long enough and worked just fine.
Unfortunately the wheel set was stolen while on a bike.