Hub Snobbery?

Just read this thread ... I think @sumo nails it on post #2

Hubs that aren’t a pain to dismantle, lots of heavy grease and nice replacement bearings. None of these things are difficult or expensive to find.

imho allen key bolts on hubs aren’t great on fixed rear wheels for a number of reasons.

What reasons? I have two fixed gear bikes with allen key bolts on the hubs and haven't had any issues as of yet.

Cheers, looking on the Dia compe website they do the SF hub in 24h or 32h but not 28h. Other then the Phil i don't think there's a tried and tested low flange option in 28 so i may have to revert to HF.

FWIW, I’ve got a pair of Dia Compe Gran Compes that are over 10 years old and are currently on their third build. Ridden in all weathers, avg 100 miles per week and have only required replacement bearings in the rear once. Not sure what else I could expect from a more “sexy” hub?

It’s nice not to carry a closed spanner but I found it relatively tricky to accurately torque and the bolts can get a bit mashed. With some track ends (with the steel inserts) it can be a problem.

Maybe longer allen keys, better quality or larger bolts (torx?) are the answer? I dunno.

Not the Surly hubs but get a lot of people bringing American Classic wheels to me in work coz they are having trouble with getting them tightened, axle turns instead of bolt tightening/loosening, hub sort of rolls forward’s in the track end as the bolt does up, that kinda thing.

Get the same with nutted hubs too but would say I get as many American Classics as I do all the nutted hubs combined.

Anecdotal maybe but has put me off allen key hubs a bit.

That said, I do have an allen bolt Hope trials hub and it’s been fine.

I'm another one who prefers the hubs with allen keys. Goldtec now, Profile previously. Less fiddly to get tension right, lighter tool to carry.

Presumably the thing about the hub rolling in the end instead of tightening is to do with knurling (lack of / insufficient) on the OLNs? I seem to remember a certain wheelsmith saying this to me about some hub or other (possibly Royce) they were building for me. Thing is, hubs roll forward if you're not pulling the chain tight, but I always pull the wheel back somehow when torquing bolts.

Surly claim:

"Bolt caps and ‘cone’ nuts are also stainless steel, and are heavily knurled for good bite, reducing the chance for your wheel to slip in the frame under high load."

I have Goldtec and Phil wood hubs with allen bolts and haven't experienced any slip. Maybe if everything else is good/suitable quality, the allen bolts are not a problem.

I find it's a bit easier to pull back on the allen key to keep the chain tight when torquing the bolts, because of the shape of allen key.

Allen key bolts struggle on titanium frames, not enough purchase.

Yeah it’s maybe just that AC are a shite iteration of the allen key axle rather than allen key axles being shite as a whole.

I remember there was something else about them that I thought was pretty poor design-wise. Might be that they use a heli coiled alloy axle? Seemed like an unwise choice in a high torque scenario.

I've had traditional hubs with nuts be shit at holding in the track ends too, the cone nuts are just as important. I replaced the ones on my Ambrosio branded System X hubs with Halo ones which seem to be a stronger metal and better knurls and not had a problem since.

On the subject, would it be ok to replace the track nuts with integral knurled washers, with a standard nut with knurled flange, but no integral washer?

Something like this

All the cheap chromed track nuts on lower-end hubs just rust.

They would (I guess) be less effective. They look a bit short.

DA track nuts and/or occasional spray of gt85 and corrosion isn’t too bad.

Not sure what else I could expect from a more “sexy” hub?

A feature in the hub snobbery thread,
Although it's turning into the practical hub not snob not anti thread quite quickly

All the cheap chromed track nuts on lower-end hubs just rust.

I just bought some anodised (I think, can you anodised steel?) track nuts from blb in the hope they aren’t as rust prone as cheapo weldtite ones.

Ah, just looked at them. Shame about the BLB branding.

They're ED coated, which is kinda like anodising. If you're interested

Ah yes, should have read more carefully when I was buying them.

No idea if it'll make any difference to how corrosion proof they are though eh?

Hub Snobbery thread ≠ Hub Snobbery? thread.

🙇🏽‍♂️

It's a bit like the Stylish cycling kit thread when people ask about Decathlon.

I think I've found a source for a 24h Gran Compe SF so I'm safely in the NSNA bracket.

+1 for Surly Ultra New- no issues with the allen bolts whatsoever.

Also good to know that the Ultra New axle kits retrofit to the older solid axle version of the hub

Gulp! Really?

I've just bought some MentalBMX hubs (worst brand name ever, but based in Latvia so I'll let them off), after using the same Goldtecs for over a decade.

They're going on my new Ti frame... didn't expect the allen key fitting to really be the element I'd regret. Break out the file!

Plus side about the Goldtecs is also that they (well, the rear) are shaped to only slot into the dropouts one way. The MBMX hubs lack this. Hope I don't regret this dropping of brand loyalty.