Hubs: DT Swiss or Chris King?

Good morning

Am needing some new wheels for my bike. Riding mostly XC but occasional trips to the Peaks / Dales / Alps mean they also need to be tough.

Should i go with some DT Swiss hubs (240) or do people prefer Chris King?

Both excellent obviously but what are people's experiences?

I think both are very good but I get the impression the Kings are way overrated (and overpriced)…I've not owned the hubs but 2 of the 4 mates who have owned them have had issues that needed them sent back to the US for warranty.

I've owned a King headset and reckon it's the worst headset I've ever had as it needed constant adjustment and retightening – even the bike shop couldn't fix it…

I reckon the hubs are much of a muchness but the DT's will be slightly cheaper and I'm guessing just as reliable…

I had a pair of DT swiss wheels they were fantastic the only problem they had were when i sold them to a friend and he radial laced the front hub (which your strictly instructed not to in the manual i might add) this proved to be too much for them and the flange let go.

answer is in your name

Why not a set of Pro 2's? If only for Hope customer service.

DT Swiss for all the reasons DB gives. I'm 105kg, Glyncorrwg is local to me, I ride in the Alps too. Living where I do the hubs get submerged regularly. And in three years they have needed no attention at all. I cannot fault them.

i've 240's and Hope's – the 240's are lighter but harder to maintain than the Hope's.

If it was purely weight I'd buy 240's, but for all-round I'd go Hope.

cheers for the feedback

I've been running some Hope XC for years and never had any issues. They have however never really been that free running, which i guess could be due to the stock bearings? Mate has some 240 and the wheels just spin forever!

Are the Pro 2 better than the XC

got 240s here, great & lightweight etc. but it was a ballache stripping down the rear to re-grease – the online manuals suggest it's easy to pop off the end-cap but it wasn't for mine after a fair bit of use. Dunno if CK or hope are easier but if you don't know someone with a proper bench-vice I'd be wary you may end up paying for bike shop servicing…

DT

Lighter, more reliable, more versatile, and cheaper (well, all things are relative!).

Kings are WAY over-rated IMO. Mind you, the DT's don't do much that a lot of cheaper hubs do to be fair. Merlin Cycles are doing a deal on DT 240 hubs laced onto DT rims for £349 at the moment, which is way cheaper than anywhere else. I'd go for that (even if I then ditched the rims and got them laced to something else), or save a tonne of cash and get some Pro 2's on Stans rims… If you can live with the ridiculously loud Hope freehub!

Dt all the way

King all the way, I've 4 pairs and can't fault them, although I do service them once a year, whether they need it or not.
On balance I've not had any DT hubs as I don't have an issue with my Kings

King hubs were the worst I've ever used, certainly not worth it! Heavy, draggy, need lots of fiddling and expensive. Very disappointing.

I've had at least 6 sets of 240s on various wheels, and they've all been fantastic. The easiest way to remove the freehub without an axle vice is to just pull the freehub body off with the cassette on, very easy!

240s all the way!

The easiest way to remove the freehub without an axle vice is to just pull the freehub body off with the cassette on, very easy!

believe me, that was tried long before I used the vice!

I still reckon they're great hubs though

Exactly how are DT hubs hard to service? Put a screwdriver against the back of the cassette, belt with hammer. Clean, grease and re-assemble. No tiny bits to lose behind the sofa unlike Hope…

GB

Not used DT but have a 12 year old set of Hopes that have needed nothing more than a set of front bearings.

DT rock. They're lighter, smoother, less likely to need serviced, and simpler to do when it is finally necessary. The only specialist tool required is the tool to remove the splined seat for the inboard star ratchet ring – you need this to replace the driveside bearing in the hub shell. You might need this once every 5 years…. The bearings last really well (esp since they changed to SS bearings).

Hope are great bang for buck items, but they are heavier, MUCH draggier and need much more frequent bearing replacements.

I've got one bike with Hope and three with 240s, so do have experience of both.

King are beautiful, but impractical, and the rear is draggy.

DT!

Had hope xcs / DT 240s / shimano etc / pro 2 – would have 240s for racing – hope for hacking around – no real probs just to remove the rear drive side bearing it requires its a 50 quid tool….

still great hubs and bearings lasr ages – much better than my hopes and my mates fiddly kings – however kings look well better…

hmmmm DT swiss bearings don't last 5 years in my hands.
I suppose as usual it depends how much of a beating they get.
They last about 18months in my experience.
Hopes last longer.

I find they last well, and the one behind the star ratchet thingy lasts for ages, so you're even less likely to need the tool.

The ones on my main road bike were on my cross bike/winter bike, they're about 6 years old and have never been touched!