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What is the goto choice for a budget rear hub these days?
I take sensible to mean sealed cartridge bearings (rules out Shimano) and not made of cheese/ going to fail due to hard riding.
Happy to spend up to £110ish (so that rules out Hope/DT), or less if something sensible can be had for less. Superstar (if so which)? Something else?
I take sensible to mean sealed cartridge bearings (rules out Shimano)
Your loss.
What spacing, what freehub and holes/spokes, does it need be new?
Not a stealth ad, just a prelude to one 😂
I'd go second hand DT or hope. E.g. just bought a set of boost 350 hubs in vgc with a 36t ratchet for under your budget.
If 142x12 and Microspline, the MT410 has been hiding for a couple of years - cartridge bearings rather than cup and cone at £40 RRP.
Centrelock only I think.
What spacing, what freehub and holes/spokes, does it need be new?
142x12 6-bolt 32h shimano 10/11spd. If not new then very good condition? (I don't think it's worth building a wheel up on something that's going to break)
DT 350 105 euros, think they were £7 delivery when I bought some a few months ago. well under the import duty threshold.
For some reason the links not working, but it is there if you search...
I believe Bitex hubs are well thought of. Not tried them myself, but wouldn’t be afraid to.
I bought a Novatec off eBay a couple of months ago. Decent, 200g lighter than the OEM spec one which is quite a chunk off a wheel build.
Happy to spend up to £110ish (so that rules out Hope/DT)
£110 for the hub, or for the wheel?
its about £120 ish for a hope hub, which will never ever need replacing. i would be looking to find the extra tenner (or a deal) to stick with what i know (and in my experience is bombproof)
I believe Novatec make some/all the Hunt hubs, which are fine once you swap out the original (essentially unsealed) bearings. I like the high engagement.
That said, the Pro 2 Evo on my hardtail is 3 times as old and is only on its second set of bearings. If there's only a tenner in it, I'd get looking down the back of the sofa. UK made, great to work on, infinite spare parts forever.
Your loss.
+1
They were good if you offered them a little TLC back in the XT M-756 days, these days they're substantially better sealed than that too.
Otherwise Bitex, Chosen, or Novatech at RRP.
Or search out a Hope Pro4, DT 350 or 370 (look for the 'LN Ratchet' version, it's not compatible with the 350 ratchets but the same principal) on ebay.
Stealth add:
I've got an unused Pair of Hope Pro2 sat in a drawer that I'll probably never get around to building as I've now got 3 pairs of wheels between 2 bikes and really don't need a 4th even if I do have some nice rims sat waiting to go with them.
Don't suppose you're on non boost 12 speed microspline? Cheap hope! For £112
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/hope-pro-4-mountain-bike-rear-hub/rp-prod145300
Novatec are good, but I'm not overly impressed with the seals on my Bitex road hubs. Hopefully the mtb ones are better.
Shimano FH-MT410-B CL / Boost 12x148mm is cartridge bearing.
It will probably equate to a hundred quid rear wheel, or maybe less, 80 quid but around that mark.
As above though, 2nd hand Hopes would be a better deal.
A mate picked up a Bitex boost hub with hg freehub. He’s terrible at maintenance and doesn’t do anything on it and so far he’s impressed. Quieter than a Pro4 but louder than a DT 350. Seems reliable so far - think it’s a year or so.
That said a secondhand 350 or Pro4 would be good solid hubs too.
Halo are pretty solid and ok for spares too. Usually find online for well under budget.
Bitex are pretty good. I've been using a rear for a couple of years, on the same bearings, seems fine.
novatec are OK, but the original bearings are rubbish. thta needs to be considered for freehubs as they have a tendancy to leave one bearing race in the freehub body when you come to replace them making the replacement job way harder than it shoud be.
Thanks all. I think you've convinced me to dismantle the other wheel and reuse my existing DT350, rather than become the owner of 2 posh hubs, one of which will probably just sit in the shed unused. Result 🙂
Aren't Shimano on the verge of bringing out a new range of hubs with their new cues stuff, it's all centre lock but Hope are gonna be bringing out cl rotors for mountainbikes too, probably to coincide.