Originally Posted by
Peterpan1
"On the other hand, Phil Wood hubs have some advantages over cup and cone hubs. Sealed bearings last forever without any maintenance. If the bearings go bad, you just replace them."
Which is exactly what you do with bearings on Shimano, a small envelop will carry a lifetime supply.
What you do with bearings on a Shimano...or any cup and cone hub...is chase them around on the floor when you drop them, fiddle with the cones to get the play 'just right' so that you don't bind them when you tighten the quick release, and try to find the correct cones in Palukaville for you model of hub. Not all Shimano cones fit all Shimano hubs and off Shimano brands may not fit at all. Shimano has even done funky things like change the diameter of the axle so that the cones almost, but don't quite, fit
Plus you'll need to carry cone wrenches, so kind of lockring remover and a spanner to use on the lock nut.
Originally Posted by
Peterpan1
"The axles on the Phils are super strong"
This is an advantage, though it was mainly a result of a comon failure mode with freewheels. Advocating those tends to get on all kinds of derision these days. Though I have mostly riden bikes that used freewheels...
Strong axles are just peace of mind. Something you just don't need to worry about.
Originally Posted by
Peterpan1
" and the field serviceable hubs require only two 5 mm allen wenches to completely disassemble."
Not really true. First it takes a lot more tools than that to redo the bearings, if this photo wiki is any indication.
http://www.philwood.com/support/service-your-fsa-hub/
Hammer pliers, 4 rather large wrenches, etc... They are FSA in the sense of not requiring a press to get the bearing in, but not in the sense of normal roadside repairs. For that loose bearings are the real field serviceable bearing.
Take a look at
this photo wiki to see what I mean. I have 2 sets of Phil FSC and FSA hubs. The FSC comes apart in your hand once you've remove end caps. That includes the outer bearings. I haven't tried removing the inner bearing (the one under the cassette body that Shimano doesn't even have). Yet another strength point for the Phils. And that's
2 5mm allen wrenches. Hardly 'large'. You could probably even use them to knock out the bearings.
Originally Posted by
Peterpan1
Phils are the obviously superior choice, and pretty reasonable in price, but there is a fair amount of swallowing the ad copy that goes along with them. The negs are:
Bar stock is not a superior way of making a flange; very heavy cassette hub; not that easy to service; parts and tools can be specialized...
Phil Wood hubs don't seem to have a reputation for flange failure. Quite the opposite in fact. Weight weenies list a PW cassette hub at 430 g and Shimano hubs at 385 (105) to over 450g (LX)depending on model. Hardly a boat anchor when compared to other 'touring' hubs. (A 105 could be used as a touring hub but...)
As for specialized parts and tools needed to service the hub, compared to what? Compatible bearings are widely available at autoshops, the bearings could be driven out with a rock if necessary (unlikely considering that you'd be replacing bearings where you could get them) and a pair of pliers or a crescent wrench could be used on the axle to remove the end cap. I don't carry cone wrenches on tour (I don't that many people do) and you can't service cup and cone hubs without one. I've tried. There just aren't thin enough wrenches out there to adjust them if you need to. Not without grinding down a box wrench at least. And I don't carry a grinder either
