Originally Posted by
noglider
So construction accounts at least partly for their durability. And how does design weigh in?
Well, the hub shell sizing is a design element, and the overbuilt aspect of the design could arguably be called "construction", but i think that when ya build something, the construction and design go hand in hand. Apparently, Arvon hubs have beefy axles, plus extra bearings closer to the driveside locknut, but i might be misunderstading Sixty as far as that goes. If phil uses a similar approach, it isn't described anywhere on the website that i've seen. But, really, the achilles' heel of freewheel hubs has been the scrawny, unsupported axles, especially as rear spacing increased. Also, removal has proven problematic if the proper precautions and technique aren't employed. It doesn't take a lot of design acumen to make a scrawny thing thicker and stronger. More bearings on the starboard side seems like a more thorough extension of that basic improvement.
-rob