Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - hubs vs tires, which is more imortant?

What will be more noticeable? getting a great set of tires such as continental GP 4000 with formula hubs or say cheapo vittoria zaffiro pro with set of dura ace 7600 hubs?

And what are you opinons on the difference between formula hubs and dura ace hubs? Will they actually make your ride quality better/smoother/faster?

I'm a complete luddite, so consider this me seeking knowledge more than offering advice. Wouldn't the hubs have a much longer useable life than tires though, making them the much better investment? And if I am way off base in that thought, how does the wheel itself fit into the equation of a quality wheelset? Like which of the 3 contributes the most to wheel performance and ride quality?

i have continental grand prix 4 seasons on my concept. they roll very smooth and go up to a high pressure. however, dura ace hubs are not necissarily better than formulas in every case. they roll smoother than sealed formulas, they look pretty sweet, and have good threading. but unless you are track racing and/or know how to repack bearings, the formula wheelsets are cheaper, easier to maintain, and allows you some extra room. look for fixed/fixed formulas, a good set of hoops (cxp's, sun's, dp18's, deep v's, whatever) and a good cog and lockring (eai, dura ace (my favorite), surly, eighthinch). If you can afford the tires go for it, those are easier to upgrade later.

You will notice more difference in your tyres than you will with any decent hubs... although when it comes to hubs I'd always buy the best you can afford... but for their price Formula hubs are a smoking good deal and are pretty much bombproof.

Tires.

Good tires will improve your ride, GP 4000 is a very good tire and will definitely be better than those cheapo Zaffiro.

Dura Ace hubs are nice but Formula is the way to go, no need to upgrade.

zaffiro's are decent imo. not the best, but better than some of the kenda's alot of cheap bikes are coming with.

ok so waht will the difference in ride quality be if im running dura ace and gp 4000 vs formula and gp 4000?

Anyone who says hubs should be shot.

You probably won't even notice the difference unless you are on a smoooooth track...

But hey, if you feel like Dura Ace will be better, than get it.




Hubs. Oh snap.

Hubs, definitely.

Shoot me.

You probably won't even notice the difference unless you are on a smoooooth track...

and you use oil instead of grease in the DA hubs. I'm curious if a hub will actually roll noticeably better that way

I don't think oil will be viscous enough, only a thin coating of oil will actually stick to the bearings.

Nevermind, I don't know..

I remember reading something about it by Sheldon Brown, but it's probably fine for the track since the races are so short. but what do I know :lol:

You'll never notice the difference between a formula hub and hubs that cost 4-5 times more. If you are building a wheelset, get a good reliable low-cost hub such as a formula, and concentrate your money more on getting good rims, butted spokes, and quality tires.

I love my Vittoria Rubino Pros.

Being as I own a set of formula hubs and set of dura ace hubs, i'd say get yourself some nice rubber.

I would rather have hubs with shielded cartridge bearings. I don't mind maintaining loose-ball hubs. It's just the cost of maintenance (time and money) would go up as I would need to repack often and part replacements are more difficult to get. I would have less to worry about with shielded cartridge bearings and even if they are busted the cost of replacement is low and takes less time to replace to boot. (LBS people would be happier too if you are having em do it, methink. Scrod?)