Originally Posted by phidauex
And now this is officially a new thread about the level hubs. Look what you've done!!
Actually, just to add some fuel to the fire, I've always felt that using threads to affix something that has to withstand torque loading was always a silly choice, that was probably made early on because of ease and cost of manufacturing, not an actual performance benefit.
You can make stronger, lighterweight systems that use splines of some sort that the cog can float on, which is exactly the direction that motorcycle disc brakes went many years ago, with full floating rotors. Very lightweight, and incredibly strong.
I'm not a fan of constantly reinventing the wheel, but at the same time, you can't tie yourself too hard to the past. Under the right set of circumstances, I could see a few manufacturers getting together and agreeing on a new cog spec. Imagine being able to change cogs with nothing more than an allen wrench, no need for two big long tools just to change a cog, the wrench on your multitool would do the job. Stripped cogs would be a thing of the past. You'd destroy the rim before ripping the cog off its splines.
Now, I don't know if Level can generate the support from the industry required to change this design from 'obscure and proprietary' to 'readily available and standardized', but if they can, I'd support that change.
peace,
sam
Good Post Sam. William, you really should search on the other threads about the Level Hubs. There is no chance that Level would become anything like CHUB HUBS. The Chub Hubs had nothing unique about them, except for their unique look, and their unique ability to fail during rides.
The Level Hubs are severely overbuilt, and although it is a niche right now, it is the smartest advance in hubs I've seen since pulling the training wheels off my bike. Before selling these in Canada, I rode a set for months and still do. The ride has been smooth with absolutely no issues whatsoever.
The hubs are beefy looking (perhaps the reason for the Chub Hub comparison) but I believe that these guys are here to stay.
The challenege that Level has right now, is to compete in the market segment that they are currently placed, based on their pricing. They are head-on competing with Phil, Campy and DA hubs.
Right now, nobody can say whether Level is BETTER or worse than any of these hubs. From what I have seen, read, and tested they are as good or better with respect to the design, durability and finish of the hubs. LONG TERM, we'll have to see how these hubs are in 2, 3 or 5 years...
I do love the Level Cog design, and if you ever get the chance to see one up close, you'll really see what a great design it is, and how amazing their cogs are...They are beefy, stainless and never have a thread to worry about...I personally love them (if you haven't guessed by now).
We've been selling them like crazy (in fact we've been sold out for weeks) and hopefully we'll get some more in later this summer.