Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - recommend me some high quality track hubs

Looking to build up my next wheel set. Thinking about some carbon rims from China for under 300 and then building them up myself. It will be my first build, so it should be a fun experience.

Just looking for some good hubs I should be watching out for. I want to keep the build under 600 total. Just made 900 selling my old hed 3's.

If its your first build, you probably don't want to build carbon. Tension is a real issue.

yeah I would let a expert do it even more because china carbon rims are known for quality assurance issues that a wheel builder would spot and tell you right away.

Some pro-wheel builders won't even deal with them.

I'm no pro, but I build my own wheels and I can imagine Chinese carbon rims being a nightmare. First build plus inexpensive carbon rims likely equals frustration.

also, novatecs are great hubs, and thats what they sell the carbon rims laced to.

Just get those, they're less than 600.

Someone on the roadie subforum almost fell off the mountain because his Chinese carbon clinchers overheated.

I'm no pro, but I build my own wheels and I can imagine Chinese carbon rims being a nightmare. First build plus inexpensive carbon rims likely equals frustration.

I built a few of them for a local guy and they were a bit of a nightmare because some of the spoke holes were drilled off-center and unevenly spaced apart from one another.

I would get the complete wheelset from the chinese store, as said above they usually build it with novatec's wich are some of the best bang for the buck

a lot of folks are moving into cheap chinese carbon wheels. Are they really that much lighter/better?

a lot of folks are moving into cheap chinese carbon wheels. Are they really that much lighter/better?

no.

Someone on the roadie subforum almost fell off the mountain because his Chinese carbon clinchers overheated.

this can happen with any full carbon rim

hmm, didn't realize the difficulty with carbon. i string tennis racquets as a side job, figured i could work my way through wheel building.

one of my friends bought set and they look great. i'm pretty sure some smaller companies are building from these chinese rims. affinity has an 88mm wheel laced to a dura ace hub. i'm 95% sure it's from one of these chinese companies.
maybe i'll just buy the complete wheels.

We have built about 4 sets of china carbon wheels, one of their road wheelsets and 3 of their mountain wheelsets. They all were actually very nice to work with (could have just got lucky) and the mountain rims look almost identical to the Roval rims from Specialized.

We have built about 4 sets of china carbon wheels, one of their road wheelsets and 3 of their mountain wheelsets. They all were actually very nice to work with (could have just got lucky) and the mountain rims look almost identical to the Roval rims from Specialized.

so, maybe if i get my hands on some good hubs, i might just try to build it just for the experience.

so, maybe if i get my hands on some good hubs, i might just try to build it just for the experience.

You should probably first ask him how many wheelsets he's built.

This thread has unanimously advised you against it, yet you still want to.


Is your safety not a concern?

You should probably first ask him how many wheelsets he's built.

This thread has unanimously advised you against it, yet you still want to.


Is your safety not a concern?

Can you blame him? I have built many wheels but we all start somewhere and it is highly unlikely he will mess it up so bad without realizing it that his safety would be in jeopardy.

True, a carbon wheel is not the ideal place to start because if you really mess something up it might cost a little more to fix but if he takes his time, uses a tension gauge chances are he will be just fine. It is never a bad call to have a friend who knows how to do it double check you but really, how many wheels have you seen catastrophically fail because of poor build? If he strings tennis racquets regularly, chances are he is good with tedious tasks that require attention to detail which is pretty similar to building a wheel.

In the end though, other than learning the lacing pattern and the basic theory behind it, building bicycle wheels is really not as difficult of a task as people think. It takes some skill to really get them "perfect" but safe, or close enough to still feel good about a first wheel build is really not that hard to achieve.

I built my first wheelset without a tension gauge and it came out great. Took it to my lbs and they didn't have to make any adjustments, even made jokes about hiring me as their part time wheelbuilder. Took almost six hours to build though....

I built my first wheelset without a tension gauge and it came out great. Took it to my lbs and they didn't have to make any adjustments, even made jokes about hiring me as their part time wheelbuilder. Took almost six hours to build though....

There are even people who have made an app now for tensioning spokes, you can also use a piano tuner. I should download and compare one of the apps to a real tension gauge one day just out of curiosity.

You can get them pretty close just by comparing to the spokes of a known good wheel even.

First wheels always take a long time, soon you will doing it in less than an hour per wheel.

We have built about 4 sets of china carbon wheels, one of their road wheelsets and 3 of their mountain wheelsets. They all were actually very nice to work with (could have just got lucky) and the mountain rims look almost identical to the Roval rims from Specialized.

So you are saying the deep Chinese carbon road wheelset is actually decent for the price? I was simply looking at them to have something lighter and to be replaced by an eventual upgrade on my new road bike build.

High end hubs, you say?

Curtis Odom hubs. Ka-bling!
http://www.crankysbikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/odompriorhubs.jpg

Or something from:
Paul Components
White Industries
Chris King
Phil Wood
DT Swiss <-- do they even make a track hub...?

And I hear a favored vendor hereabouts has Chub Hub on sale...

I've been super happy with my Novatec track hubs and honestly have no desire to change them to anything else.

I've been super happy with my Novatec track hubs and honestly have no desire to change them to anything else.

+1

People who see my Gara always say something along the lines of "Your bike is so nice, why didn't you use better hubs?" but aside from bling factor, I have no real reason to.

I feel like they have a stigma attached to them based solely on their price rather than their actual quality. It's just like any quality item that is sold for a below-average price, people then associate it with a "bang for your buck" thing rather than just simply being good on it's own. If the Novatec hubs were twice the price for the exact same thing, they'd probably be considered as "high end/high quality" hubs.

And I'd still buy em.

I feel like they have a stigma attached to them based solely on their price rather than their actual quality. It's just like any quality item that is sold for a below-average price, people then associate it with a "bang for your buck" thing rather than just simply being good on it's own. If the Novatec hubs were twice the price for the exact same thing, they'd probably be considered as "high end/high quality" hubs.

don't get me wrong, they are very good hubs and I own a pair but people pay top dollar for looks and percieved quality wich the novatec's lack imo. They are very generic looking bordering ugly, just compare them visually with a campagnolo pista, dura ace, phil wood...

"Nope" on DT Swiss and Chris King making track hubs.

Can you blame him? I have built many wheels but we all start somewhere and it is highly unlikely he will mess it up so bad without realizing it that his safety would be in jeopardy.

True, a carbon wheel is not the ideal place to start because if you really mess something up it might cost a little more to fix but if he takes his time, uses a tension gauge chances are he will be just fine. It is never a bad call to have a friend who knows how to do it double check you but really, how many wheels have you seen catastrophically fail because of poor build? If he strings tennis racquets regularly, chances are he is good with tedious tasks that require attention to detail which is pretty similar to building a wheel.

In the end though, other than learning the lacing pattern and the basic theory behind it, building bicycle wheels is really not as difficult of a task as people think. It takes some skill to really get them "perfect" but safe, or close enough to still feel good about a first wheel build is really not that hard to achieve.

I appreciate your post. There's a first time for everything. I figure if I'm really that unsure, I can always have the bike shop look it over.

these maybe? (http://www.benscycle.net/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=188_194_692)

So you are saying the deep Chinese carbon road wheelset is actually decent for the price? I was simply looking at them to have something lighter and to be replaced by an eventual upgrade on my new road bike build.

Our shop has built up 4 sets I believe of the China carbon rims and they all turned out really nice. The mountain rims looked nearly identical to the Roval (Specialized brand) carbon wheels. We could have been lucky but one of our riders using them is about to turn pro and rides lots of hills. He has even climbed Pikes Peak on them and descending that 14,000ft mountain road did not hurt them at all.

I think you should give it a shot. You will know if they are safe, it will be obvious if the lacing pattern is wrong and when checking them, if they are true vertically/laterally, dished, and tension is where it should be your wheels are good. If you still are second guessing yourself have your LBS double check them. If you are a regular there they may not even charge you to check them out, especially if nothing needs changed.

these maybe? (http://www.benscycle.net/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=188_194_692)

Those seem a bit pricey, but I don't know anything about them. I think I can get Phil woods for that price.

Profile > Phil Wood

Profile > Phil Wood

well there you go.

http://thenerdygirllife.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/themoreyouknow.jpg

Really liked the look of the profiles. I did read somewhere that the spacing (chainline) for the rear cog is slightly "off" due to being measured in imperial units, instead of the standard metric. I may be wrong here, this information was found on the interwebz. Anyone got first-hand experience?

...instead of the standard metric...

ouch. my brain.

just saw someone bought some suzue promax hubs in the what did you just buy thread. how do those compare to other higher end hubs? seems like they go for less than 100 per hub, which is a good price point for me.

I have them on my Bare Knuckle and love everything about them.

I have them on my Bare Knuckle and love everything about them.

which version do you have?

The sealed bearing version.

American Classic does a pretty good job. +1 for Profile hubs as well.

Someone on the roadie subforum almost fell off the mountain because his Chinese carbon clinchers overheated.

Anyone got a link to this thread?

Fwiw, I also was pretty much sold on getting some chinacarb wheels but was eventually convinced that you could get lighter weight and better quality alloy wheelsets for less money. Sure there's less bling factor (main reason why I wanted them) but your dollar goes much further on an alloy wheelset.

Anyone got a link to this thread?


It can happen on any carbon clincher. Carbon isn't good at dispersing heat. Extreme heat causes the rim bead to delaminate, letting go of the tire.

Proper brake pads help. Or you can go tubular.

Fwiw, I also was pretty much sold on getting some chinacarb wheels but was eventually convinced that you could get lighter weight and better quality alloy wheelsets for less money. Sure there's less bling factor (main reason why I wanted them) but your dollar goes much further on an alloy wheelset.

Cheap carbon wheels don't say "bling" to me, they say "cheap".

It can happen on any carbon clincher. Carbon isn't good at dispersing heat. Extreme heat causes the rim bead to delaminate, letting go of the tire.

Proper brake pads help. Or you can go tubular.

all true BUT there are some carbon rims that have a basalt braking surface wich disperses heat more efficiently. Farsports china carbon rims are very good and have the basalt coating. here's a topic about the rim (there are others): http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=108774

I've heard a lot of good things about FarSports wheelsets.
Keep in mind all carbon rims fail at a certain temperature. Proper brakepads produce less heat, and better carbon dissipates more heat.

Wouldn't want to go climbing on china carbon is my point.

Wouldn't want to go descending on china carbon is my point.

fify

fify

It was implied.

Reverse suicide hill bombing?
Climb to the top, drive down.

I like Paul components (http://www.paulcomp.com/highflangerear.html).

Here's a review.


(http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/reviews/paul/)

I've always been able to get their hubs for sweet prices used.