Shimano Dura Ace or Miche LF Track hubs?

Anyone can recommend which ones to get?

I've been told the dura Ace bearings are not sealed too well?

Anyone point me in the right direction as to which ones to get?

Much appreciated.

do u plan to ride in the rain?

the high flange DA hubs are not sealed. i'm not sure about those LF ones.

if u intend to get it wet then miche ones are good. i have the HF version and they run welll. i like them.

ya can geet Dura Ace with sealed bearings...have fun searching.
Best value out there: goldtecs. But that's my opinion.

let's hope the colour problem with goldtec gets sorted soon when the supply comes back in

DA, straight up. Dumb smooth. But if I were you I'd go campy LF's

Im on a budget so..

so DA suck in the wet conditions..

edmundane let's hope the colour problem with goldtec gets sorted soon when the supply comes back in

What was the colour problem?

I don't think there's a "problem", just the black ones are really hard to come buy.

I managed to get a rear black hub from Brixton Cycles, but I've been waiting for my front one from BETD (Goldtec's distributor) for about 3-4 weeks, and probably the same amount of time until I actually get the damn thing.

The DA hubs are way nicer than Miche, but they aren't sealed at all out of the box. However, the cone is the same as their road hubs and so you can fit a rubber seal to shield the bearings. Still not as good as a cartridge bearing hub (ie Miche, Goldtec, Formula, Phil), but better than nothing.

If they are for street riding then be aware that any loose ball hub will require more maintenance than a cartridge bearing hub.

I also think that Miche aren't that great. All the hardware (axles, locknuts, track nuts, lockring) is Italian threaded and pretty low quality. That means that when you want to replace it you have to use Campy bits which are pretty expensive. If you're on a budget then I would get Ambrosio/Formula hubs and replace the stock locknuts with something a bit better. Cheap and easy.

Hey guys,

new to the forum but this was one of the questions I was planning on asking. I'm looking for a track hub for road use, esp. in the wet as it'll be used for a commute, and don't really know the difference between the brands.

What more do you get for your money if you splash out? The Phil's are a great example, am I better off going with these for their build quality and longevity rather than something for half or even a third of the price? I'd probably prefer to spend the money now than spend time servicing/repairing/replacing later on down the line.

Ta.

I've got a pair of DA small flange hubs, they came with optional silicon seals, two each side for the rear and one each side for the front....I took the hub apart, re-built with tons of grease and the seals and have had no problems in 4 years.

Ooh_gravy

Cheaper hubs tend to have cheaper materials, bearings, finish etc. The hardware (nuts, locknuts etc) aren't as beefy, the threads may not be finished very well. Also the cheaper hubs tend to made in Taiwan and China while Phils (made in the USA), Goldtecs (made in Britain), Royce (made in Britain), Campy (made in Italy? I'm hoping) and the DAs (in Japan) on the whole by people who care about what they do.

For your average rider a Formula/Dia Compe/Novatech hub is going to be sufficient. You can easily upgrade the bearings to Phils and you'll have a pretty nice ride.

Where the higher end hubs really come into their own is longevity. They're built to higher specs so can take a little more abuse, the hardware can handle repeated wrenching etc. This gets especially important when you're a brakeless rider or racing a lot.

The best way to choose hubs is:

1) Think about the bearings - Sealed vs loose ball.
2) Think about what your needs are - Fixed/Fixed vs Fixed/Free vs just single fixed
3) Think about your price point - Whats yer budget
4) Think about whether you want matching hubs or just a really really good one in the back and any ol' thing up front.
5) Think about high/low flange
6) Think about whether you care where stuff is made
7) Think about where you like to leave your bike and what sort of protection you have.
8) Think about whether threading is important - Probably not in your case.
9) Would you ever want to race on them?
10) Do you care about matching the steez of your bike? ie new school hubs clashing with old school frame etc.
11) How tough are you on bike gear?

Personally I think Phils are worth the money but they're pretty expensive and flashy; I'd personally have a Phil rear and find a decentish non-Phil for the front. I think the Dia Tech Gran Compes are a pretty decent budget hub. Really want to support Goldtec but they have a non-standard chainline (same with Pauls).

Old high flange Campy record stuff is lovely and has proved its metal time and time again (but these are loose-ball and require regular servicing).

The list goes on..

pip, that helps a lot, thanks.

Momentum If you're on a budget then I would get Ambrosio/Formula hubs and replace the stock locknuts with something a bit better. Cheap and easy.

I just got some Ambrosios - what would be better about better locknuts? Is it a matter of durability or weight?

careful with them, the tracknuts can break and the axle nuts (that sit on the inside of the dropouts) have a habit of splitting. most bike shops will have better quality replacements knocking about when/if it happens

Stef ya can geet Dura Ace with sealed bearings...have fun searching.
Best value out there: goldtecs. But that's my opinion.

Is that true? I'd really like some of those.... Any ideas where from?

just the low flange ones i think (see MA3K's condor), not the high ones.

Both LF and HF DA track hubs can be sealed, as Winston and I said above, by fitting silicon/rubber seals to shield the bearings. Remember that sealed bearings are not the same as cartridge bearings. Shimano use sealed, loose bearings on all their hubs, including all their mountain bike hubs. There are more effective seals on the ones that will get wetter (ie mountain bike hubs). The track hubs come without seals because they are designed to have minimum rolling resistance for track racing.

Cartridge bearings are completely different and are used on Goldtecs, Phils and Ambroisos among others. They are self-contained, sealed bearing units that pop in and out. No maintenance needd really - just replace them when they wear out.

Got Miche in the end - Im happs with them. PW next time $

da's look sweet ride nice wear well

Yup I got Miche - they pretty good!

Ben, that's a clean looking fork and hub! ;-)

They look sweet. The logo looks pretty cool!

photoben is a photographer... he's playing tricks on your eyes fellas

well to say. i've got miche hubs and i like them too.