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Has anyone out there put these hubs through a lot of abuse/miles and have any notable things to report?
Because there's a day in the week, they're on offer, and combined with Mavic 827s they seem like they'd make a reasonably lightweight, strongish wheelset on a relatively modest budget. However, I'm used to the sealing of Hopes, and want to know if I'm going to hate them 😀 I want as trouble free as I can (for as cheap as I can, obviously..)
They'd be going on a hardtail that's used year round for everything from canal path commuting to the occasional Welsh foray, with Trail centres, 50 miles XC jaunts, and jump sessions in between. I'm a relatively light rider but ride reasonably hard on the right trails.
I've found some old threads but no-one seems to have said much long term?
NB: I'm talking specifically about the Electros, Not any of the other rebranded Novatechs etc, and I'm fully aware of their Customer Service reputation, but they've always been great for me 🙂
I’m running electro hubs on my XC bike. No issues but only had them six months. I have used a fair few different superstar hubs and really have no complaints. Parts are cheap and readily available and they use quality bearings
I've run a pair since September thru the winter with no complaints and thru some pretty crappy conditions. Like jonnyboi had 4 or 5 hub sets from SS and no complaints at all.
We've a two year old set, in our possession for three months.
When you take the rear or the frame, the free wheel just falls apart each time, dropping springs and pawls everywhere. The end caps have no friction hold at all.
I'm waiting on SS to respond to an email two weeks ago, but that was over Christmas.
We had the same issue as Matt, superstar suggested that it was intentional design and there was no problem with the freehub repeatedly falling off.
It was fixed with new set of o rings but it took some serious arguments for them to do anything.
Waitwaitwait.. the freehub doesn't have any sort of fixed connection to the hub?! Is it just pushed in over the above and held in place by o ring friction?!
Another self disassembling hub here. Have also been ignored by Superstar support.
You learn the knack of using gravity to keep the freehub on when you take the wheel out, and if you don't then it gets a clean and a regrease. Which helps with longevity I guess!
Good wheels let down by the design.
Well, initial enthusiasms has just faded to disappointment. I take the bike to bits a lot to put in the car and stuff. I can't be arsed with having to remember to keep the Casette pointing skywards or grovelling in the dirt for springs and pawls 🙁
That's the same with DT Swiss. But the friction is enough with those.submarined - MemberWaitwaitwait.. the freehub doesn't have any sort of fixed connection to the hub?! Is it just pushed in over the above and held in place by o ring friction?!
Ah right, I'd assumed that freehubs tended to be secured onto the hub by more than friction. I've never had to delve into any of mine (other than putting a new one on Shimano hubs and servicing a Bulb many moons ago) so didn't really know!
Hope, DT, SS, WTB and many more use friction to hold it all together.
My Hopes all required a huge pull with pliers to get them off.
The SS ones just have not enough friction.
Is it something that can be remedied by hunting out a thicker o ring? Are they square section?
Are the electro's the high pickup ones?
If so they are fine. I've some on my road bike.
If they are the cheaper low engagement ones then nope they aint great and i ripped all the pawl mounts off the main hub body after 6 months of riding in NZ and France. They did rebuild the wheel with the higher engagement hub for free though with no questions so I do recommend
It was helpfully pointed out to me that lots of other Hubs use friction connection. I think my sarcastic response was that it's ok if there is some.
I got blamed for using a heavy cassette with a 42t ring which conveniently ignored that it falls off without a cassette attached too.
We got sent new end caps with fatter o rings and it did make it better but it was still not as secure as other hubs we've got and we did have to get to the point of threatening to return as not fit for purpose before it was acknowledged.