Free Wheel Cross Hubs

[kayakboy]

Hey.
I am going to build my first wheel set and want to build them for offroad duity. My new frame has 130 rear spacing. Besides the real expensive Phil, are there any free wheel hubs that are available that can take some hits on moderate offroad terrain? Thanks for your suggestions. Ty

[TimJ]

There's often a lot of freewheel hubs on ebay, I recently got (on craiglist actually) a nos suntour XCpro freewheel hub that's 130. I think just about any freewheel mtb hub will be 130, cuz that's where they started, but any nice freewheel hub will be tough enough. 130 though is the same as any nw road cassette hub. Is there a reason you're going w/ freewheel?

[Timo]

Dura-Ace, Ultegra, 105, Record, Chorus, Centaur, all road hubs can take the abuse of cyclocross. Otherwise the European Pro cross scene would have stopped using them years ago.

[kayakboy]

K.I.S.S. It i's next duity will hopefully be a touring bike. I prefer down tube shifters, and greater reliablity of all friction, plus a bigger chain.

[adababy12]

You can still use a cassetta hub and cogs with friction. I do on my touring bike. The cassette hub design
is also much stronger, less bent axles. I use 105 hubs for all my cross wheels, even my racing tubulars. You
will also find a much better selection of cassettes than freewheels.

[TimJ]

yeah I don't think freewheel hubs are really that much simpler than cassette hubs. The thing about the axles is true, but also cassette hubs don't rely on threaded aluminum for the freewheel to attach, the freewheel itself isn't readily repairable. A cassette is a really low-tech thing itself, in terms of moving parts, and with shimano cassette hubs you can easily replace the freehub. all the bikes I'm riding right now have freewheels, but I definitely feel cassette hubs are the stronger choice in terms of reliability and rebuildability. But then you can get freewheels for real cheap too, so... anyway.