Originally Posted by
rivendell
I wanted an XT 7 speed hub, and this is the only one they make. They do make it in both lengths, but they are rare enough for me not to be too picky.
You could've just bought any modern 8/9/10 XT hub and throw a 4.5mm spacer to use a 7 speed cassette. This is a much bigger problem than it needs to be now that you've bought into a problem.