blickblocks

Just wondering what the general consensus is here on wheel style. Seems like most people use high flange hubs along with deep section rims, and low flange hubs with shallow section rims. What do you guys think?

crushkilldstroy

High flange with boxy ass rims. I'd do low flange, but they're hard to find on the cheap.

andre nickatina

High-flange, medium section (i.e. CXP33, Fusion, Aerohead, Saavedra Turbo).

Good compromise of weight and strength.

Also, I like how HF hubs look, period. On the track, the small amount of added weight will make no difference, and on the road I don't mind it.

exhibitx

yeah based on the votes so far, i'd say most of the people are are gunna vote for high flange, in one of the two options

high flange just looks better with simple bikes ... low flange looks ok on bikes where the hubs are less noticable and blend in

mander

I like the look of LF front, HF rear. Sheldon (RIP) said this is an old school way to supposedly get a compliant front end with good power transfer in back. It may not actually work but it's a neat looking method with a little history.

Box rims for me.

piwonka

saavedra turbo's are really light weight and not that strong. like a TT rim or something...

crushkilldstroy

I'd say that nearly all of the votes are going to go for high flange, based almost entirely on availability. Low flange hubs just aren't around as much as high flange ones are.

EDIT - I'm talking about track hubs. Just figured I'd mention that before some doofus sends me 80 links to 80 different road hubs in low flange.

wroomwroomoops

High flange, though I do buy the argument of the more compliant ride with low flange - you have more spoke length for some cushioning. Def makes sense in the front.

Live2Die

High/deep for the around the town bomber up and down curbs etc. but high/shallow for speed, and low/shallow on the right build. I think it depends on the frame as to what looks right (which comes after the function of the build for me).

andre nickatina

hmm, i stand corrected then. i was going more by their aesethic profile (which is a nice example of a mid-depth rim in my opinion), not so much by perceived durability (of which i know nothing about, just that they look real nice).

sp00ki

newfangled flange hub to deep section rim.

piwonka

oh yeah, they do look nice. just not that strong. i fyou a fixed gear freestyler forget about 'em.
if you ride at the track, or smooth roads, or just avoid most potholes and shift weight around when needed they will last ok...if built well.
i weigh around 185-190 and the 36hole ones i built are doing ok, a little outta true but no brakes means that is ok...still roll smooth.

operator

HUH?

Almost every widely available track hub has their equivalent version in low flange, quando, forumula, Phil's, campy, dura ace. I know the SSFG crowd likes to jizz all over high flange stuff but I just don't get the aesthetics. Performance decrease is all you get with high flange.

I'm willing to bet my house that 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the people who choose high flange hubs do so for aesthetics and for no other reason. For example you don't see the roadies ever asking about high flange vs low flange. All pro-tour teams use wheelsets with low flange hubs.

sniks

campy sheriff star=shollow
campy lowflange=deep
phils=medium.
dura ace high =either
suzue gold disco=deep

~Stuart~

wheres the aerospoke option?

wroomwroomoops

So how badly will I spoil your stats if I tell you that my choice had nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with my overt occupation with wheel strength? You can blast me as much as you want if you disagree that wheels built with high-flange hubs are stronger, but that's not the point - the point is that my choice was not based on aesthetics.

EDIT: counting the zeroes, it seems you have included the whole world's population, so I guess I can come and claim your house.

chase.

many roadies and race teams use factory-built wheelsets, like ksyrium 'x' or bontrager 'y' or shimano dura-ace 'z' that are pre-built with hubs, spokes, and rims. are these primarily low flange? yes. is there an option for high-flange hubs? rarely.

however, many street fg riders ride 'handbuilt' wheels where they select the components, which often involves a flange choice. many prebuilt track wheelsets (am. classic, cane creek, zipp for example) use high flange hubs, some of which are proprietary.

i'm not saying street fg riders don't choose high flange for aesthetics, simply that comparing prebuilt road wheelsets to component choice for a built track wheelset isn't necessarily useful.

blickblocks

TimArchy

A lot of road wheels are higher flange.
Many Mavic wheels have a slightly higher flange. All the companies that are building the nipple into the hub are high flange. From what I've seen, the flange on prebuilt road wheels tends to fluctuate with the trends.

It seems that if a higher flange actually made a big difference in how a wheel performs, then companies like campy and shimano wouldn't have discontinued their high flange track hubs.

el twe

Speciarized Roval? Never seen one up close.

marqueemoon

Ewww

letsthrowfries

Rovals seem like someone couldn't decide between an HED3 and a spoked wheel.

JohnnyDoyle

I like high flange, deep section. I do like the aesthetics. However, there is theory behind having shorter spokes. Depending on the rim and hub, shorter spokes can result in a lighter, stiffer wheel. Of course, you aren't going to achieve this with phils and deep vs, but it does work with exotic (well, non-conventional, anyway) wheels like the specialized, various mavics, zipps, etc. Especially with carbon rims, the added rim weight doesn't come near making up for the lost metal spoke weight. Also, if you look closely at really top-shelf rims like the zipp 808, there is golf-ball dimpling in the sidewall, resulting in increased aerodynamics. Same principal behind a disc wheel.