[Closed] Novatec Hubs - any good?

I have 2 pairs of their hubs built into wheels for my disc braked road commuter (1 pair were on the original wheelset as I later discovered & another pair I built myself) - 1 rear has had the freehub bearings replaced (by me - £3.50) after ~2500 miles in all weathers & the other pair are nearer 3500 miles of the same treatment with nary a grumble from anywhere, cheap / light(ish) / reliable - pick 3!

Depending on what model you're after, sdeals had some in stock for not much cash last time I looked - failing that ebay usually turns up a bargain or 2 from far east suppliers, I got a pair of 711/712 for around £70 a year or so ago, around 400g for the pair.

John

Had one in the workshop with a cracked hub flange last week....

Of course that never happens to Hope etc...

Novatec make hubs for many other brands.

I believe most of the SuperStar hubs are rebranded Novatech - mine have been great, they seem to be prone to cracking freebodies when changing bearings - but I'd bet money on that having something to do with people forgetting to remove the little grub screw that holds them in place before setting amongst it with a hammer and drift.

I believe most of the SuperStar hubs are rebranded Novatech

Yep I read the same thing too.

I use to own a Superstar wheel set (now owned by a friend) and the hubs were fine. Bearings lasted a few years without needing to be replaced and when I did replace them it was a straight forward job. They might not be the highest quality hub out there but I think they are reliable and value for money. I would happily use them again unless I was going for a blingy high end wheel in which case I'd go for a DT Swiss 240 hub.

[url= http://www.spokesmanwheels.co.uk/ ]SPOKESMAN seems pretty keen on them[/url]

Am considering them as the basis for my Tripster wheels.

I would happily use them again unless I was going for a blingy high end wheel in which case I'd go for a DT Swiss 240 hub.

I have a lovely wheelset built on them. On balance I don't think I'd bother again, the marginal gains just weren't worth it for me over say Hope.

Harry Howland was happy to build me some road wheels with these hubs (built to a price point) and not a problem from them.

meant Harry Rowland....

I've got a spare brand new 712 rear hub (32 holes/black) if anybody wants it (I need 11 speed) £35 posted?

Built some wheels on them, have been fine so far, but haven't done mega miles on them really.

I have Ambrosio hubs on my road bike, which are re-branded Novatec. They're light and cheap, and still on their original bearings after 3 years' use. Recommended.

of course that never happens to Hopes

Yeah it does. I've seen more than one of theirs fail. 😛

I think his comment was a mickey-take statement, from threads on here Hope components seem to fail as frequently as anyone else's....what sets Hope apart though is their customer service when a part fails...they seem more than happy to send out replacement parts for free or for a token amount which compares well to other firms who will deny their product failed, try to blame the rider etc etc....

..anyway re. the Novatec hubs, i'd also heard they make SS hubs (and others)...with hubs it always comes down to the bearings, some suppliers will spec cheap bearings (as SS used to) and others will spec decent bearings in their Novatec hubs, to be fair to SS they now offer hubs with SKF bearings as their reputation for supplying hubs with chocolate bearings was getting silly....if you want better reliability then also ask for a steel freehub too, you'll sacrifice some weight but they don't chew up from cassette damage or crack like Alu freehubs.

Thanks folks, am half pondering ordering a set of Super Star's Pave 28 rims in 24 and 20 drilling, and having them built onto Novatec disc hubs to go in a Cotic Escapade for road usage.

I have novatec/hplus son/dlite combo on the crosser, they've seen loads of filth and doing fine. Got the hubs from bike24.

24 and 20 drilling

Go 32/28, or 28/24 if you're light.

Can you actually buy these as Novatec hubs in the UK or are they all re-branded?

I've got a set on my CX race wheels & they've been fine so far.
Yes you can get them in the UK, as Extra UK are the distributor, so getting spares should be relatively straight forward.