[Closed] Phil woods hubs

Nobody?

Phil Wood are fantastic quality but very heavy. They'll outlast anything else on the market, they are beautifully finished (and can be sent back in twenty years or so to be refinished!) and well engineered, but the weight is quite an issue. I have the single speed disc hubs on my 29er and the rear alone weighs half a kilo.

On the other hand, it's not rotating mass, the quality is excellent, the customer service is 1st class, and they are a bit different from the usual CK default. Highly recommended.

I also have some CK, Tune, Hope and DT hubs myself. The Tunes are good but delicate, and spares aren't readily available. DT are good, but not outstanding, although they are a reliable, spares and servicing are easy and they build up pretty light. They work without any isues, so I guess in many ways the fact that they are not outstanding is a good thing - they have never let me down. CK are also good of course, but a bit higher maintenance than some of the others, and the rear can drag, no matter how well it is maintained and you need to keep the bearings preloaded. The rear noise is also a bit Marmite, but I love it.

If weight isn't an issue, I would go Phil Wood. If weight is an issue, go DT. If you want the ultimate weight saving and bling, go Tune, but be prepared for a little bit more bother. Worth a call to Andy at Poshbikes if you are thinking of the Tune, he is very knowledgeable, but sit back with a cuppa and be prepared for a half hour phone call on the features and benefits! If you want a bit of everything, go Chris King. They are all a cut above Hope in any case. Hope aren't bad, don't get me wrong, but they aren't quite as nice as the others listed above. Then again, you can pick up a complete set of Hope Hoops for less than the price of a single CK rear, so they should be!

Cheers sola weight isn't really an issue ideally I want something that's going to last a long time and look good So it's looking like I might get the Phil woods

No trouble. Probably worth paying for the black anodised version if you want the finish to last a bit longer. They are about a £20 premium, but worth it. I have black on my 29er and silver on my road fixxie. Out of the 2, I think the black look nicer. I guess that's just personal opinion though.

From memory, I think that Bricklane Bikes are the UK importer, but Aspire's prices are also good. Totalcycling.com also used to stock them at very good prices. I bought one set directly from Phil Wood but the imported price worked out way more than buying through Aspire or direct in the UK. It's just that I wanted a specific bolt through rear single speed disc hub (not a particulary standard request!), and nobody listed them as a stock item.

I bought a set of Phil Wood hubs back in 1995.
The front one has done 60,000+ touring miles now.

Obviously at this early stage I can't comment on how durable they are.

They might get a bit smoother once you have run them in a bit.

I'll log on in 2025 to see how they are going!

As an aside, sad news that Phil Wood himself died a few weeks back. I wasn't aware that he hadn't been involved in the business anyway for about 20 years, so the quality clearly hasn't suffered since the company was taken into new hands.

got some on an ss , not sure how old they are but i have had no problems in a year of muddy riding since i took ownership of them. and they look way nicer than king ones

I've had a happy time Profile Racing's hubs. Really well made, not too heavy and not that common either. They're about £300 a pair and parts are dead easy to get hold (they seem bombproof).

Somewhere in the middle with weight - 400g rear, 200g front (ish).

Ringo, we have black disc hubs in stock and I can testify that they are indeed the dogs hooha's when it comes to longevity. Spares are no problem and they're easy to strip and service yourself. Not light, but definitely a worthwhile investment.

Give me a call or drop a mail for a price.

Tim - Sideways Cycles 01270 883785