Wheelbuilding / Wheel Building / Wheel build help

That’s hugely helpful, thank you. I’ll look into those hubs now.

The fixed hub won’t be a disc brake hub though. I won’t be running a brake on the rear.

The fixed hub won’t be a disc brake hub

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I know, I know.

Doh, sorry, missed the fixed hub bit.

Edited to add: On my singlespeed wheelset I replaced the front Mack hub (which failed spectacularly and catastrophically) with a RAF12. The rear Mack hub (a Superlight low flange version) has worked fine and looks very similar to the RAF12. Not the same manufacturer, but you'd need to be eagle-eyed to spot that, so that might be an option. Bitex do make track hubs, but they're of the traditional high flange, waisted hub variety and wouldn't match any of their geared rear hubs, so you couldn't have a front hub which would match both.

I'm running a 203 on the front of my cargo bike with Saint 4 pots.
It's not a dynamo hub but I did build it 3x.
Probably worth saying that it might be overkill for what you need but there's nothing wrong -that I can think of- with building it 3x just because of the flange distance on that hub (if it's the one I'm thinking of)
The only thing that might put me off is if the hub manufacturer says it's a no no.

Good to know. I’ll have a look at Mack

Just don't lace one of their front hubs radially. Proper arse-puckering moment that was when the hub flange failed.

hey there!
i'm going to build a set of wheels (or at least a rear wheel) for my first fixed gear bike. i'll use it mainy for street riding. already have a track steel frame.

i hve access to a couple of nice rims, but i need hubs (also spokes...)
what are some nice, entry level (as in cheap) hubs i could buy? durable for street riding?
i was thinking about :

miche primato high flange (found the couple for 67eur)
miche primato low flange (couple for 65 eur)
novatec (heard they're durable) (found rear hub for 30 eur)

also ...lo or hi flange?
ty

Miche have IMO a flawed design where there is nothing supporting the bearing from the inside so my recommendation would be to avoid them.

Take a look around for Novatec and Zenith track hubs (iirc quite a few versions of the Zenith hub were sold under different names; SJS did one, BLB perhaps, possibly Sturmey Archer’s offering is the same components, albeit without the cutouts in the flanges). For riding streets, sealed bearings are a good idea. Cheap ish but very sound and perfect for your needs. Both are High flange. Build one of these. Novatec probs slightly better, and seems to be available singly.

For spokes check out singletrackbikes, cyclebasket, there are a couple of ebay sellers who sell pretty cheaply too. Enjoy building.

In addition to eBay and cycle basket. Spokes from Ryan are often competitive on price and have the d-lights which I like.

Anyone have a good tip for a 29" MTB rim - looking for something relatively cheap/light/wide, do Kinlin etc. have anything suitable?

Will probably use Novatec 791/792 hubs, have seen some jazzy Koozer branded stuff on aliexpress - anyone ever used those?

Cheers!

Have a look at the TL29 stocked by @thecycleclcinic

I'm pretty sure it's the same time as used by Hunt for their trail-wide wheels/Halo Vapour.

miche flawed? in what way? care to explain?

They use a plain threaded axle with no shoulders for the bearing to sit on. This means axial loads are not so well supported and it also allows the bearings to be over preloaded on setup. The come nuts sleeve inside the bearing (so the bearing has a flat surface to sit on rather than thread) meaning the bearings are smaller than could otherwise be used.

Cheers - those look like a decent option

@Brommers - a follow up question regarding that Mack rear hub you mentioned and which I'm about to order. One of the options is for it to be drilled for bladed spokes. I'm not sure yet what I'll be using, but way well go for bladed. If I go for that option, I assume I can use either regular or bladed?

You can use round spokes in keyhole slots, but you only actually need keyhole slots if the major axis of the bladed section of the spoke is greater than the diameter of the normal round holes. Modern practice is to use CX-Rays or DT Aerolites, which don't require special drilling.

Yes, you could use either, but unless you're using really wide old skool bladed spokes you don't need to. If you're using bladed spokes like a CX-Ray, DT Swiss Aerolite or Pillar 1421 then you don't need the drilling for bladed spokes because the bladed section is 2.2mm(ish) wide and will fit through a normal spoke hole. Given the choice, I'd rather have the extra material in the hub flange, so unless you're going to fit really wide bladed spokes I'd go for the standard drilling option.

Perfect. Many thanks for all of your help

Looking for a 130mm 20h shimano-11s rear hub. Something bitex-y would do. PM if you have a spare.

ok you're telling me something i don't quite know... it sounds to me like miche uses the same design as old vintage hubs (which is the only thing i know) BUT with sealed bearings... am i right? WHILE other hubs use another design i'm not aware of
what about novatecs?

@Skülly
we are talking ambrosio zenith right? ok noted

also thank you everybody for the infos!

it sounds to me like miche uses the same design as old vintage hubs (which is the only thing i know) BUT with sealed bearings

A reasonable summary.

Novatec axles have a shoulder to locate the bearing inner race, so it's trapped between the locknuts and the shoulder. You can't accidentally apply preload.

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What gbj_tester said.

I may have to retract what I said about bearing size, it seems the Miche hubs take 6001c3 bearings which measure 12 x 28 x 8mm and Novatec use a 6000 which are 10 x 26 x 8mm so both have the same 16mm difference between inner and outer diameters and the same depth so presumably the same ball bearing size. If anything, the larger diameter of the cartridge in the Miche hubs may mean more balls are contained within the cartridge so they should be the more reliable of the two.

I still don't like the lack of shoulder though and, anecdotally/in my experience, the hardware on Miche hubs is more prone to corrosion than that found on Novatecs.

rr421

this is asymetrical though?

Is the cheaper R470db basically just a shallower version of the RR521db ? lighter too. must be missing something.

I suppose the RR521db, even though as a rim its heavier, will overall build a stronger lighter wheel? the approx (9mm*32) 29cm of extra spokes probably weigh more than 70g. I'm guessing here.

I do like the DTSwiss rims though, got a set of Campag record pista hubs laced to RR511db on the De Rosa.

Do you have an opinion on the DT Swiss track hubs?