Originally Posted by
Huffandstuff
I like you, that's what I was going to write but without elegance or expertise. I guess from a cost stand point fixed/free hubs are easier to machine since you don't Haveto add the threading for a lock ring?
That'd be it. A bit like the change to aluminium frames. Once Tig welding became the manufacturing norm, it was cheaper to Tig weld ally than steel and so all mass production bikes became aluminium. This is ignoring the higher level bikes where they could make them lighter and that weight saving was indeed an issue.