Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Crap? Seriously?

Okay, so I hear that the Suzue Jr's aren't the greatest flip flop rear hub around, but really, are they all that bad? I mean they do make a lot of hubs and I've heard the higher end stuff is pretty good. Is their low end stuff seriously crap? Or are they only crap to the hardcore riders? All of the rural roads I'll be riding on are fairly decent and my wheels won't need to take the same beating that a lot of you are probably used to. I found some wheels at Ben's Cycles and the prices are right, so what are the thoughts on these 3 sets:

http://www.benscycle.net/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70_195&sort=20a&page=2

Thanks!

its not the flanges that are ****. it is the threading on the fixed side. i have stripped one when i first started riding fixed. if you make sure your lockring is always tight and so on you shouldnt have a problem. and i have never fully stripped one.

I think it's generally people new to fix are more crap at tightening their cog and lockring than the hubs are crap.

I've messed/raced on these hubs lots. Don't do that anymore because I've got better now, but the first fixed wheel I ever built was with one of these (used) and it's still in use on one of my wife's bikes.

Save your money. The bearings are ****e, and if your lockring moves at all the threads go away. Try the Disco hubs. I've been hammering on a set of those for over a year with no hassles, and they look sexy.

some people make them work, some people dont, keep them clean and tight and you might be allright. If you are anal about cleaning and greasing go for it, otherwise, buy a wheel with another hub; but if you like switching cogs you may run into trouble (loose lockring=stripped threads) like others have said.

they're pretty crappy. especially the bearings and threads.
You'll have to regrease them right out of the box. possibly replace the bearings too when you get them.
definetly pay the extra for the formulas

mine never actually stripped, but I broke a bunch of axles on it, and I wasn't hopping curbs and hadn't learned to bunny hop yet.

Look at getting the Suzue promax sb hubs and have a local builder lace the wheels. Or do it yourself.

If you are using a road frame and not a track frame ie: a conversion, make sure that the axles are long enough. I almost bought the Pro Max hubset for my Colnago conversion but the axle wasn't long enough, it is designed for track bikes at 120mm, not road frames at 126mm.

You can get another axle for the suzue hubs. I have had the wheels on 2 different conversions.

i stripped one of these hubs, not the lockring threading but the cog threading, not while back pedaling, not with a loose lockring, not while skidding but simply pedaling forward, i had stopped, didn't feel anything slipped, trackstood(standed?) for a few seconds, started to pedal through the intersection, i got about halfway through the intersection and pedalling forward wasn't doing anything, insult to injury was that i didn't have a wrench with me that day(i had built a bike for a friend and had left the wrench at his house while adjusting the bike for him) so i had to carry the bike the next two miles to work, yeah seriously crap

I think it's generally people new to fix are more crap at tightening their cog and lockring than the hubs are crap.

i most certainly think this is the case. some new jack picks a set of suzue jr's laced to (insert rim here) and tries to install the cog and lockring himself. not really knowing what he's doing, he doesn't get either one tight enough. also doesn't retighten after chugging up a big ass hill. goodbye hub threads.

that being said, the axles are complete ****e and i've had less than good luck with the bearings also. they aren't terrible, but i'd still spend a little more for some formulas/iros/whatevers.

my stripping was recently, after having had a free sovos hub last me for about a year, i know what i'm doing, i think maybe i'm too fat to use anything labeled jr(225) but i had just bought plane tickets when the old hub stripped so i couldn't afford anything decent

and i have a set of jr's that i rode exclusively for over 2 years. the threading gave me a single problem. hell, they're still around and i threw the rear wheel on the junker that i built out of boredom. i wouldn't have upgraded if it weren't for the fact that i had to repack the bearings every 45 minutes and replace the axles every time i took a shower.

question: if you strip the hub is the cog ruined? never happened to me.

question: if you strip the hub is the cog ruined? never happened to me.

depends if the threads on the cog are stripped, it can happen

Okay, so I hear that the Suzue Jr's aren't the greatest flip flop rear hub around, but really, are they all that bad? I mean they do make a lot of hubs and I've heard the higher end stuff is pretty good. Is their low end stuff seriously crap? Or are they only crap to the hardcore riders? All of the rural roads I'll be riding on are fairly decent and my wheels won't need to take the same beating that a lot of you are probably used to. I found some wheels at Ben's Cycles and the prices are right, so what are the thoughts on these 3 sets:

http://www.benscycle.net/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70_195&sort=20a&page=2

Thanks!

I bought the set with the Alex DH-22 rims from that dealer last September. I checked the tension of the spokes and it was ~100 kgf according to my Park tensiometer. All spokes were within +/- 10% and the wheels were true and round. After a break-in period of 50 miles, I replaced the bearings with grade 5 ball bearings from Bike Tools Etc. and adjusted the cones. I installed a new type Surly cog and Dura Ace lockring with a chain whip and lockring wrench. Since then, I have ridden an average of three 15 to 25 mile rides a week on rural roads in light traffic. The wheels are still in excellent shape and I have not had any slippage of the cog or lockring or bending of the axle. I use brakes and do not do any skipping or skidding and very little backpressuring out of respect for my 60 year old knees. I am 6'2", 260 lbs. and have very strong legs (current leg press workout is 460lb, 3x15). I am usually pretty hard on drivetrain parts and have bent more than my share of axles but this wheel set has stood the abuse, so far.... YMMV.

Dogbait

mine appears fine, i haven't replaced the wheel yet, but when i do i plan to just get a new cog and lock ring, it's not worth having the hub be all great and the threads on the cogs only reaching halfway in. i hate riding the freewheel side, but i'm saving for the trip that i previously purchased tickets for so until i return in april i'm riding the freewheel

I am riding a Suzue Jr laced to MA3. The cog/lockring threads are fine, they were installed at the bikeshop when I bought the wheel/cog/lockring. I've since tried tightening the lockring further and can't. He put it on TIGHT. Which is good.

The axle did however strip, and the bearings do suck. So do the nuts.

$125, Formula's laced to CXP22s. Great deal and much better wheel:

http://shop.greatdealsonbikes.com/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GDOB&Product_Code=TR01&Category_Code=TR

I'm ridin' the Suzue / Alex combo. Hubs are fine; rear rim not so fine after botched emergency bunny hop onto curb last year. Since then I've been wrestling w/ it to keep it true. I think it's out of round in the "bad" way.

Anyhow, the hubs have done me well. I imagine there's at least 1500 miles on them, and the rear has just a tiny bit of play...easily adjusted, but I'm a lazy sort of mechanic.

I've yet to take the cog off after the intitial installation about 1.5 years ago. I don't spend hours practicing skids, but they've definitely seen their fair share of that nonsense.

oh: I forgot to mention: DA cog + DA lockring. Greased upon installation, tightened with the proper Hozan lockring wrench. I bet those details make all the difference...

oh: I forgot to mention: DA cog + DA lockring. Greased upon installation, tightened with the proper Hozan lockring wrench. I bet those details make all the difference...

Same as my setup. Around 2.5k miles on mine, so obviously the hub isn't total crap, but I do wish I got a better hub.

I am riding a Suzue Jr laced to MA3. The cog/lockring threads are fine, they were installed at the bikeshop when I bought the wheel/cog/lockring. I've since tried tightening the lockring further and can't. He put it on TIGHT. Which is good.

The axle did however strip, and the bearings do suck. So do the nuts.

$125, Formula's laced to CXP22s. Great deal and much better wheel:

http://shop.greatdealsonbikes.com/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GDOB&Product_Code=TR01&Category_Code=TR


There was a thread about these wheels a little while ago ("Anybody need wheels?") and I've e-mailed the guy a few times with questions. He has always been very quick to reply and these wheels do sound like a good deal. Has anyone ordered from him yet? Any feedback to offer?

i like mine... just re-built them for the first time after about 1500 miles maybe. they was a little crap inside but not much and they've been through the winter.

i am a svelty 230 and am learing to slowly learing to skip/skid on these babies with no problems. lockring installed by competent professional.

i am sure there are better hubs, but i am enjoying this one!

Every time this thread comes up it's like there is a 50/50 consenses on wheather they suck or not. I don't think they suck and if your going to just ride around and commute on good roads you will be fine. I thought I stripped mine the other day but I just loosened it in an emergency stop when some one ran out in front of me. So a friend at the bike shop twisted it back on and we locktighted it to for good measure. It's got a DA ring and cog and I have been riding it brakeless for 3 years probably 3k miles, I do use a brake now so it probably will last for years. I only just repacked the hub and it wasn't really that dirty inside.

right on jfmckenna.

i think they may be more prone to stripping under stress, but that's so variable, rider to rider. some small people might ride a hub harder than a bigger rider, who knows, and cause it to strip.

also, some people may notice the limitations of the suck bearings, and others may not.

i think you can buy one feeling okay about spending thirty bucks on a hub, but maybe you gotta do so knowing that it's possible that you'll ride it hard enough that its limitations will become very clear.