Viewing 34 posts - 1 through 34 (of 34 total)
  • ss hubs or just cog and spacers?
  • drinkmoreport
    Free Member

    i’ve used SS specific hubs and normal hubs with spacers on the FH body in the past, but Whats best do you feel? or what’s the % of forum users on normal or ss hubs? pro’s and cons of both also if you will 😀

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    Whats best

    [harry hill voice]

    there’s only one way to find out.

    [/harry hill voice]

    drinkmoreport
    Free Member

    🙄

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    stanley
    Full Member

    Normal hubs; easier to rebuild and easier to get chain-line just right.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    I’ve always used a broad ‘footed’ cog on a standard feehub for chainline issues, as above. Never had issues with freehub wear and no issues with wheels dying ‘cos the dishing is different.

    better?

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    Normal & spacers for me.

    Perfect chainline and the ability to dinglespeed if you want to.

    Sam
    Full Member

    Are you talking short SS cassette freehub or screw-on freewheel? My preference is short-freehub, but there aren’t that many choices.

    Jase
    Free Member

    SS hubs here. Mainly because why adapt a regular hub when specific ones are available.

    Neve had an issue with chainline.

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    I’ve used both.
    Mostly Shimano hubs, with both cheap cogs & expensive (King/Surly) ones, on a cassette hub. No complaints, works fine. The Superstar wide base ones are cheap if your trying out ratios.

    I have a Surly SS hub now, with a White Industries freewheel. When I get the chance I’ll build up the front to match. (IMO) It looks nice & neat also. Nice smooth bearings that can be adjusted & the WI freewheel sounds nice also.


    IMAG0327 by pten2106, on Flickr

    Whatever you choose, if you’ve sliding dropouts get a bolted axle in there. I dont have to faff with tugs any more.

    sebgt
    Free Member

    Depends what drop out your using.

    For a track style horizontal I use a SS specific Hope pro2 because the hex bolts on the end help keep it tight better than a qr.

    If you have a vertical drop out with a frame tensioner, ie paragon, then less need for it to be bolted up tight.

    Although most SS specific hubs have dishless flanges so builds a stronger wheel.

    Elfinsafety
    Free Member

    I’ve just used standard hubs with spacers. Be wary of using Shimano hubs though, as their freehubs can be a bit flaky; had a few fail on me, and that’s not nice when you’ve got no drive miles from home…

    Jase
    Free Member

    Thats happened to me with a Shimano freewheel

    Terry
    Free Member

    Depends on how hard you pedal, if you have a alloy freehub body and use cogs from a cassette it will leave marks.

    Is use a single speed cog with a wide footed cog and the spacers from velosolo – alot of small rings so you can get your chainline right.

    paulrockliffe
    Free Member

    I use the Hope Pro 2 Trials rear hub, it’s great. That it uses their bolt-in system rather than an axle that goes through the dropouts is a massive plus when it comes to getting the wheel out when the chain is very tight, you’re not having to knock the axle out against the tension. Makes a great noise too!

    clubber
    Free Member

    Normal hubs with wide body spacer (if not using a steel freehub body) and spacers. Or if you must (spend more money), a SS specific freehub design hub (eg short cassette section).

    ‘Proper’ SS hubs with screw on freewheels are a poor alternative – yes, they look neat but freewheels are massively less reliable than cassette hubs IME – even the WI ones fail more than you’d expect.

    jonba
    Free Member

    Standard hub. I’ve got a steel freehub on my hope wheel, I also use a wide body sprocket. On my commuter I have a standard shimano hub.

    The reasons,

    There are more option in standard hubs, more people build them, supply them as factory wheels and they are cheaper IME. My commuting wheels were about £75, not easy to fins that with a ss specific hub.

    Also my commuter is a bit of a bodge so I like the flexibility in chainline. I’ve never worked out a way to use the inner half of the freehub body so maybe a shorter one would be ok.

    Finally, compatability. I can switch my ss wheels for my full suss wheels. If I need. My ss has burlier wheels as I wasn’t bothered about the weight as much. I’d probably consider swapping if I was going to the lakes for a week. Also if I break a wheel I can swap over quickly and have spares. Sam applies if you already have wheels from a geared bike or are unsure how it will work out with ss. Nice to have options.

    Keef
    Free Member

    I’ve tried most hubs/cogs Freewheels over the last ten years,from deore with spacers,shimano bmx screw ons,to King SS.
    I only use DMR SS hubs and White Industries freewheels now,one reason,they work,and never let me down.

    Teetosugars
    Free Member

    Normal hub and spacers here…

    Using a Hope Pro II and a Surly Chainring.

    Spotty Dog IMHO.

    tazzymtb
    Full Member

    phil wood kiss off hub with a WI freewheel for indestructable no hassles works for ever-ness

    goldtec pro SS rear short cassette, lighter than a light thing and enables quick cog selection changes for events.

    andrewh
    Free Member

    I’ve always had spacers on a ‘normal’ hub. Just gives me the option to attach the gears from the DH to to my SS when i need a spare bike for 24hr races. Had no problems using this set up at all. (and my spacer is just a piece of plastic plumbing pipe!)

    tazzymtb
    Full Member

    if you’ve sliding dropouts get a bolted axle in there. I dont have to faff with tugs any more.

    i thought that, until i discovered that I can still make a bolted one move if I really grunt it. Twice over the bars and one split knee cap convinced me that a chain tensioner will always go on with a slot dropout frame 🙁

    drinkmoreport
    Free Member

    Hope pro III it is then with a Surly cog. 🙂

    Another Question; can you change the free-hub body on a Hope hub to something stronger so the cog doesn’t bite too much?

    sv
    Full Member

    Steel Hope Freehubs are available.

    clubber
    Free Member

    WI freewheel for
    indestructable no hassles works for ever- ness

    Unfortunately not. I’ve had two rides ruined by wi freewheels (different ones) failing, leaving the rider with no way to pedal.

    Picto
    Free Member

    Definetely recommend the chain tensioner on the slot drop out set up. Quick excusion in to the canal persuaded me. Plus with the surly variant you can always get the cap off your beer without breaking your teeth.

    Currently running a SS pro2 and surly though.

    tazzymtb
    Full Member

    clubber I’ve had to change the bearing on mine once in 5 years and they get very heavy use in horrible riding conditions, maybe you were just unlucky as all the other WI users I know and ride with have had similar trouble free use.

    tazzymtb
    Full Member

    lovely wheel build Picto 😉

    speaker2animals
    Full Member

    Surly hub with WI freewheel. Used for 5 years and in that time had to have new bearings in the hub cos I didn’t know they were angular contact cartridges so they can be adjusted as they wear (if you know that you can do it unlike me). Never touched the freewheel apart from occasionally scraping the greasy gunk from around the teeth. Teeth look hardly touched but I know I can rebuild any or all of it. If you are committed to SS this is the way I’d go.

    Picto
    Free Member

    Wheel built by an expert Taz.

    birdage
    Full Member

    Off road surly cogs with spacers cause different terrain and factors like mud necessitate changes in cog size from time to time for me. On road WI freewheel and SS specific hub cause its reliable, sounds good and terrain is fairly predictable.

    clubber
    Free Member

    Tazzy – not mine but that’s two different ones I’ve seen die so clearly not indestructible especially when you consider the relative rarity of them…

    Ringo
    Free Member

    ss hub and wi freewheel, i use paul comp hubs but im a slag 😀

    Keef
    Free Member

    clubber – Member

    Tazzy – not mine but that’s two different ones I’ve seen die so clearly not indestructible especially when you consider the relative rarity of them…

    just out of interest,what was the nature of the two failures,genuinely interested.

    clubber
    Free Member

    I don’t recall TBH – bent/damaged/stuck pawls maybe? – All I know is that they pedalled, the bike didn’t move forward…

Viewing 34 posts - 1 through 34 (of 34 total)

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