Chris king hubs, worth the cost?

I want a king hub because they’re shiny ‘n that, and should hopefully last a while, but there does seem to be a lot of faff with tools and stuff to change bearings and service generally. Is the instant pickup really noticeable? And how angry are the bees?

tbh I can’t imagine why anyone would spend more/less than the cost of a Hope – they just work, easy to work on, easy to get spares and barely heavier than those at twice the price.

Yes.

Without the tools, Servicing is best done by a bike shop with the tools and you might need to ring around to find one with the tools.

/end thread

I was pretty disappointed with mine, needed lots of attention, regular tweaking, bearings seized etc. wouldn’t have another set.

That said, plenty love them, so perhaps I was unlucky. DT240s for me for a top end hub.

I thought they were OK, nice and light, beautifully finished. Functionally good but the ring drive can be a bit draggy, resulting in a slack chain when freewheeling.

This occurred to an alarming degree on my road wheels, to the point of being dangerous on alpine descents. Sold those on!

The servicing thing is a right faff though, and the tools are stupid money.

Now using Royce Ti on the MTB. These are superb, functionally spot on. And you can lube the free hub through the rear axle. Possible downside is they are only available in q/r.

They’re heavier than hubs at a similar price too.

really can’t see the point

there are cheaper alternatives that seem just as good, just as light , and less faff

I’m surprised by all the faff comments as I find them super easy to work on. you dont need to change the bearings, a full clean & regrease gets them back to superb condition. a few allen keys & you can pull out the axle, access to the bearings & its easy to clean the ringdrive to keep it free running with no drag.

if anything the r45 road hubs are very lightly greased & have exceptionally low drag. I put a little more grease in, so while they roll a little slower, they require less service intervals.

yes they’re expensive brand new. but if you shop around you can get full mavic/stans wheelsets 2nd hand for £300 & sometimes a lot less. thats what I did.

“can’t imagine why anyone would spend more/less than the cost of a Hope”

Hope Pro II are annoyingly loud/buzzy/’ear grating’ to some
Hope Pro II normal (not the SS one) freehub pickup speed isn’t amazing. Quicker than basic shimano/DT, but SLX/Zee/and above and upgraded DT are faster again
Superstar Switch have the same pickup speed/almost same weight/axle options (which are cheaper?), but around half the cost. (Not sure on noise?), though of course the bearings won’t be as good and they’re taiwanese and not sold through bike shops so probably adds up?
Not sure on Evo models but I saw on here (and read of) quite a few hub body failures where the spoke ‘J’ goes through?

The noise and pickup speed put me off a Pro II rear with my last wheels. Went Pro II front for the stainless bearings, weight and JRA stocked them
If my 60 point pickup SSC Tesla turns out to be a real PITA (their 120 point ones can be?) I’ll probably rehub with a DT 350 with 36star ratchet

On topic, The cost of a king would steer me away. 72 pickup appeals, but a friend of mine who had some said he’d not have another for the service costs and how long it stays in decent conditon

I have a set on my Ti race bike. I also have Hope on my SS and trail bike. After some initial problems with free wheeling (to the point that the freewheel was so stiff it would regularly cause the chain to drop on descents) which took nearly two years of sending it back to the importers before they replaced it internally, they have since worked impeccably. As for worth it? TBH apart from the noise of the freewheel I can’t tell a great difference between them and the Hopes in use. The fable engagement is nice but not something I would miss if I didn’t have it. For me the main reason was the bling factor for the bike.

I’m surprised by all the faff comments as I find them super easy to work on. you dont need to change the bearings, a full clean & regrease gets them back to superb condition. a few allen keys & you can pull out the axle, access to the bearings & its easy to clean the ringdrive to keep it free running with no drag.

Yes it’s straightforward, but you have got to do it. DT240s weigh less, cost less, and don’t require any intermediate maintenance.

I’ve ‘broken’ two CK SS rear hubs,first one was still warranted,but no one in the UK would touch it because ‘I hadn’t bought it from them’ WTF ?
ended up foning King in the US,they said they couldn’t make a UK dealer fix it,but would warranty it,if I sent them the complete wheel !! can’t begin to imagine cost of sending a full wheel,insured for £400 to the states….
After many emails and costly fone calls,they agreed to have the axel back (cracked inner bearing race) took them six weeks to turn it round.Jokers,never again !

second time was a worn out ring drive,big thanks to Tim at Sideways for repairing it at cost,in his own time,using parts from an on the shelf hub,(again,no warranty honored,but that’s CK for you !) I now use DMR SS hubs,and WI freewheels,last forever,easy to service,parts easily available,high quality and ……a quarter of the price of a King SS !!!

Not worth it at all in my opinion. Mine had more problems than any other hub (or even any other part) I’ve ever had. Snapped the end of the splines off the freehub body, not warrantied, bearings always coming loose, not warrantied, axle split lengthways and guess what, not warrantied. Strangely there was always an upgrade part available which would solve the issue at my expense. Ended up with a steel freehub body and an oversized axle kit and a hub that had in total cost about 4 times the cost of a Pro2. I’d only buy Hope now, they just work and parts are easily and readily available from any bike shop.

I’ve got a set on my cross bike. Not as light or simple as DTs, but they sound better than anything, and they look nice too. Hopes are fine, but the sound does my head in after a while.

there are cheaper alternatives that seem just as good, just as light , and less faff

This sums up my opinion of all CK products

Have you seen the price of the BB grease tool 😯

“Pickup Speed”?

Is this the time difference between hitting the pedal and the pawls engaging? Is it *really* that noticeable to justify the cost?

Lots of ham fisted people on here I run both King/Hope hubs and both have their negatives and price being the problem wth King!I have the correct tool and servicing is a doddle for a numbnut like me and very satisfying when the jobs, done not had a problem with parts failing and thats on pair of hubs on my XC bike 3 years old regular hammerings @ Kielder/enduros Also running a singlespeed hub and no problems to report apart from the drive shell getting marked from the Ti cog but I do send some awesome power through it.
Hope pro2s however are cheap sounding and have bearing replacements at regular intervals they do work but you have to keep on top of them run them on my gash bikes.Oh my Kings have a habit of freezing in weather around -5 do be aware and do not run their lube use cycle oil during the winter!

Rich

I have had 3 sets of King hubs, currently have 2. They get masses of use. Once bedded in the bearings need a tighten every few months, plus once a year I strip out the ring drive and regrease. I have never had to replace any parts. The oldest hub was 7 years old when I sold them on – worked perfectly. They have been one of the only totally reliable products I have used in the 16 years I’ve been riding properly. Should probably add I have never paid full RRP – 2 sets at trade and one set off here 2nd hand.

Compare to Hope, which I currently have 3 sets of – once a year hammer in new bearings, replace pawls and springs, plus freehub can go leaving you with no drive.

Also have a set of 240s hubs – again totally reliable, never go wrong and they need zero maintenance. Really light, too. Nowhere near as pretty as King though.

Re: ring drive grease in winter – they do a special winter version for when it’s really cold – never had to use it though – mine have been fine repeatedly down to -7 with the normal grease.

GB

Mine lasted 6years. But when it got to that point the rear needed constant attention. Worn out I guess. It was still a very shiny/clean looking hub though so I’d never buy a used one.

I sold mine on here as ‘needing attention’.

The freehub letting go on cold rides IS a concern though. Loss of drive etc

Really not had a problem with them in the cold – survived 3 years of Durham in the winter and that was epically cold/snow etc.

I’ve got a set of the older ‘Universal’ CK hubs on my xc bike , they’re nice hubs but I bought them 2nd hand and to tell the truth although they sound better than Hope’s(and CK ISO’s) the price of new ones imo doesn’t warrant the extra cost.

FWIW I’ve run Hope XC and bulb hubs in the past on my DH bike(on pro 2’s now) and for the price they’re as good as I can justify spending my money on , easy to work on and fairly cheap to fix.

They both use standard bearings in them – I can’t see how the Chris King design can offer anything over above Hope. On top of that the name annoys me.

King hubs in all my bikes and a couple of spare hubs lying around ready to be built too. I’ve just ordered a set of purple r45’s too. I’ve had no problem with the warranty or quality of them.

Chain drag when freewheeling is caused by incorrect mech tension, not the hub.

A bit like Rich, I find them a doddle to strip apart, regreased / service / Adjust and put back together. Personally, hope hubs are generally fine, but the noise they make is a bit industrial for me.

In honesty, I don’t find kings any better than DT in use but i just prefer King. I’m happy to service them all myself and the quality of them is always generally fine in my experience. Personally, If i’m paying for dt, i’d rather put the extra to it for king. Cycling is my main hobby so all my bikes get used and i buy the parts I want for them.

Chain drag when freewheeling is caused by incorrect mech tension, not the hub.

No, its caused by a sticky freehub.

Read the king instructions, it recommends you need to adjust the mech tension screw if your losing the chain. It’s always worked for me, your hubs might be different though.

Too much faff… I had a 20mm front that was constantly developing play from new and would only last half a ride before wobbling again, sent back to Evolution, they sent it back to me and said it was fine and some play is to be expecte (wtf?). Doesn’t matter, as the first ride out after that one of the flanges exploded… Wouldn’t warranty it, so gave up on their hubs.
I do like their headests and bbs, so am torn overall on the brand.
Have had DT 440s and 240s ever since and never had a hint of a problem… Don’t think i’ll ever buy another brand of hub again!

My CK rear has lasted 4 years and 2 alp trips on the big bouncy bike when an XT hub lasted a few days at the same place. Clumsy sod that I am.

Now living on my hardtail with fun bolts and still going strong. I paid £240 new ( on offer) and I think it is worth what I paid for it, just. I don’t think is worth the RRP however. They are nice though, very nice, just not £360 nice or whatever they are these days.

BTW the pick up is amazing certainly compared to some rear hubs I’ve had. Especially useful for getting up stuff anyway.

Never had any winter concerns either.

I’ve stripped it once and done the ring drive grease thing but it didn’t look like I needed it once I popped it apart. It looked mint inside.

I had to adjust the bearing ring thing a few times when it was new but haven’t felt the need for ages now.

Got a matching front one, 20mm hub. £100 bargain a year or so after I got the rear. Whilst I didn’t actually need it, a matching pair is nice and pretty cheap (for a CK 20mm hub) . Thanks Stiff Cycles BTW where they both came from.

Had Kings for several years, which has included several big mountain trips. Doddle to regrease, but I do need to get the freehub stripped.

Better than Hope? Arguably nicer to have the quicker pick-up and I quite like the sound of a wasp swarm over your head, but the difference is only reflected in the same way that an Audi RS8 is nicer than an RS4.

They both use standard bearings in them – I can’t see how the Chris King design can offer anything over above Hope. On top of that the name annoys me.

CK make their own bearings in house, far from standard. If nothing else, they’ve got metal snap rings you can pop off so you can completely service the bearings. I had to do this a couple of times on mine when they seized. Admittedly less faff than replacing bearings, but I’d not really expected it given their reputation and 5 year bearing warranty.

I’ve got 3 sets of Kings. Two sets are over 10yrs old. In that time I have snapped one rear axle, but otherwise they’ve been brilliant. Doddle to work on. Worth it? Not sure, but I do like them and they work. That’s fine by me.

I have a set on my Transition – they are great. 3yrs of abuse several rides a week off road, all year round. Cleaned out the bearings and ring gear with an allen key once a year. No problems, it did freeze once at -8, so I pissed on it to warm it up 🙂

Run perfectly, smoothly and only needed adjusting once in that 3 yrs.

I paid half price, so for me they were worth it. I also prefer the noise, my old Hope drove me mad with its racket.

The bearings are made of a very hard steel and really are very easy to clean. I do expect them to last for ages.

Ok I think there are enough negative experiences that it can’t be justified, for that price you shouldn’t have to touch them for ages I’d say! I have Royce on my road bike but the lack of axle options mean they aren’t really suitable now, I might check and see whether they’re going to start making other axles.

Any experience with superstar Tesla or goldtec ?….

I’ve had goldtec in the past and really pleased with them. Service was excellent.

I now have hope pro2 SS which is faultless, Running SKF bearings from a local supplier and a bit of grease in the freewheel to numb the noise.

I’d use either again happily and recommend both.

Ok I think there are enough negative experiences that it can’t be justified, for that price you shouldn’t have to touch them for ages I’d say! I have Royce on my road bike but the lack of axle options mean they aren’t really suitable now, I might check and see whether they’re going to start making other axles.

Any experience with superstar Tesla or goldtec ?….

What about I9? No first hand experience, but never heard anything bad, they do all the bling colours and the pick-up is far quicker than King. Heavier still though.

Or DT240.

maybe I should have added some of my hubs are over 10yrs old & going strong. yes intermediate maintenance. just because something costs more, doesnt mean you can ignore it for ever. the fact that they’re so easy to service is a major bonus.

chaindrag when freewheeling can happen when uou preload the bearings to much!

Previously had Royce, which I was disappointed with. Bearing life was poor and there was no adjustment. The sound and looks we’re fantastic though!

Phil Wood lovely……..

“Is this the time difference between hitting the pedal and the pawls engaging? Is it *really* that noticeable to justify the cost?”
Not really time difference as that’ll differ depending on what gear you’re in and where your crank is relative to the pawl/ratchet

I was referring to the number of freehub pickup points within one revolution of the freehub body
May also be referred to by the angle difference of the freehub between pickup points. Eg a 36point pickup XT/Saint/XTR/upgraded DT would be 10 degrees

Is this the time difference between hitting the pedal and the pawls engaging? Is it *really* that noticeable to justify the cost?

I went from 18 engagement points (or 20 degrees) on my mavic’s to 120 on my i9’s (3 degrees) and yes it is very very noticeable as soon as the crank starts to turn the wheel is engaged. I would think kings would be a similar experience to the i9’s as they are 5 degrees per engagement.