Formula hubs - anything else at this level to compare?

These look to be spot on for me. I need silver, 32 hole, fixed/free flip flop with conventional sized cogs, and replacable cartridge bearings etc and all at a relatively bargain price (ie non Phil et al).

Can anyone recommend a supplier in the UK please or any other hubs that might fit the bill and price?

try kiwicycles.com he's in hackney

if u're south edwardes do the system ex variety (basically they're all the same hubs from taiwan marked different names) for about 50quid a pair

system ex hubs!!!! don't touch them at any cost, when condor built up my work bike and i specified a complete miche groupset they put ex hubs on coz no stock left of miche anyway 6 months later bearings fucked, shit customer service from condor, odd bearing size meant riding 300 miles a week for a month on wobbly noisy wheels.
if you can live with black hubs get the dia compe gran compe £40f £45r sweet and smooth after 10,000

Thanks for the replies. Haven't heard any particurlalry bad thing about them but as ed' says too I have seen them under various names - why would they use an odd bearing size though (sounds like maybe a Condor 'excuse'?) - any decent bearing suppliers should be able to get a set of bearings to you next day...

Another **Q **regarding fixed hubs - (never used them before):

I have only had a SS MTB before with a cassette hub so chainline was simple to fettle perfectly - with a lockring fixed hub is there any leeway to add spacing washers? Does the lockring have to butt up against the cog? - presumably the cog then has to sit slightly proud of its thread?

My System Ex hubs are still running as smooth as the day I acquired them in 2003. They've probably seen 20K+ miles, including century rides in the pissing rain, sprint/standing start training, hillclimbs, London roads, and they probably go in and out of the track ends about 6 times a year for cog changes or puncture maintenance.

YMMV :)

billa system ex hubs!!!! don't touch them at any cost, when condor built up my work bike and i specified a complete miche groupset they put ex hubs on coz no stock left of miche anyway 6 months later bearings fucked, shit customer service from condor, odd bearing size meant riding 300 miles a week for a month on wobbly noisy wheels. if you can live with black hubs get the dia compe gran compe £40f £45r sweet and smooth after 10,000

Um.. what? 6 months later? Do you park your bike in a lake or something?
Condor service has nothing to do with the hubs.
The bearings are NOT an odd size and can be replaced easily by visiting any bearing retailer (6000 series I think).
I've swapped a set of bearings is mine after 12 months and it turned out to be unnecessary as the noise I suspected was the hubs was actually the BB.

BMMF: System-Ex high five! :)

The timekeeper at the start of the Bec hillclimb looked at the hubs and said, "I haven't seen those for a while - they bring back memories". I didn't want to ruin his nostalgia by explaining they weren't actually old Campag Record, and anyway, I was getting in the zone, man.

Formula hubs are sold at cyclebasket under the brand Zenith. I've got one, I think its great!

that sounds totally like a condor excuse billa, i've seen more than half of the fixed bikes in london running these hubs and as BMMF told you they're really rather solid. and for something that's new and cheap i don't think there will be any odd size bearings.

new + cheap = mass-produced = no odd size components

make any sense to you?

or if you have a little more £ get a pair of goldtec's then you'll never have a problem (freshtripe £115 pair, condor sell em as well)

I've got a 135mm 32h Goldtec rear - on my hack bike, plus been off-road a lot. Really reliable hub, but the alu washers are shite. Runs fine with a chain tug and some penny washers behind the non-drive side washer. Didn't bother with the matching front. Got a DMR Revolver hub for £20 instead which has matched the Goldtec's performance at every turn.

actually thats one thing i don't like, which on my hack hubs isn't an issue as they have been swapped out, but on the shiny new ones, yuk!

also, the hubs on the 08 condors are made by goldtec, but the inside part of the hub slopes to one side (instead of even) and has condor on the outside.

i see goldtecs come in either black or pewter - pewter still lokks pretty black to me, dont they do silver?

hippy [quote]billa system ex hubs!!!! don't touch them at any cost, when condor built up my work bike and i specified a complete miche groupset they put ex hubs on coz no stock left of miche anyway 6 months later bearings fucked, shit customer service from condor, odd bearing size meant riding 300 miles a week for a month on wobbly noisy wheels. if you can live with black hubs get the dia compe gran compe £40f £45r sweet and smooth after 10,000

Um.. what? 6 months later? Do you park your bike in a lake or something?
Condor service has nothing to do with the hubs.
The bearings are NOT an odd size and can be replaced easily by visiting any bearing retailer (6000 series I think).
I've swapped a set of bearings is mine after 12 months and it turned out to be unnecessary as the noise I suspected was the hubs was actually the BB.[/quote]
no lakes just worked through the winter on them, customer service sucks when you ask for miche and they put stronglight cranks, system ex on instead, i kicked up such a fuss that they were going to replace the bearings for free which is why i had to wait a month for condor to get those "very rare" bearings.
in fact the only good thing with the bike that i didnt change was the frame a pista eom.

billa

"i had to wait a month for condor to get those "very rare" bearings."

Why on earth would a low volume (comparatively) manufactured good use bearings which where an odd size, putting them at greater risks for supply line problems and possible price problems on what is not a super expensive limited edision charge what you like hub? I smell fish and Iam no where near billingsgate. breat service.

jv i see goldtecs come in either black or pewter - pewter still lokks pretty black to me, dont they do silver?

the pewter fades quickly, it's like dull alu after a few months (provided you use it outside and don't leave it at home all the time) but it's not silver.

condor said they were hard to get hold of not me, in the end the bearings never came and they pulled some out of a new hub but this was after a month.

exactly the reason why i dont get goldtecs... they dont come in silver :(

terrible reason!
they're great hubs ;)

edmundane exactly the reason why i dont get goldtecs... they dont come in silver :(

thats lame, they are an awesome hub. u just get that crap french stuff :p

course, you could get clever with the caustic soda and polish..

but then if you went to those extremes just for the colour of a pesky hub, we'd have to kill you

billa condor said they were hard to get hold of not me, in the end the bearings never came and they pulled some out of a new hub but this was after a month.

Yeah I know that was wht you where saying I was agreeing with your "very rare" seemed like some shop bullsh!t but I may be wrong of course.

i know they're awesome but i don't like their colour so i don't get them. when i'm getting good stuff i'm getting phil or paul hubs so shut up!!!! mirror finish, bling bling £$£$£$£$£$£$£$£$£$!!!!

that french crap is for beater/polo use, they're dirt cheap and they run. i'm not putting goldtecs on a beater. does that not make any sense? and i don't have enough money to choose between a paul crank or purple sugino. i'm not vain, i just want a working bike :P