Originally Posted by
BlueRaspberry
Thanks. Am thinking 36T. I will do regular maintenance so keeping them clean and lubed wouldn't be an issue.
Does the aluminum make them less durable? Should 180s not be used for rugged use cases such as off-road bikepacking?
For example, I've noticed that DT Swiss doesn't put 180s on any of their "gravel" oriented GRC offerings. Perhaps for pricing reasons, not durability?
Maintenance of a DT Swiss FH is dead simple, if you keep up with it...no special tools required to remove it, just pull it off with your hands. Clean, lube, replace, it’s a 5 minute process, you typically do not need to remove the cassette. If you let it go for a few years the FH may not slip off by hand, but after some hammer coaxing it’ll come off...don’t ask me how I know.
Maybe there are differences in durability, but in my estimation it ends up a distinction without difference. DT makes good stuff, reliable and long wearing. 180 is not spec’d on The GR line because gravel is not as weight conscious as road racing is. 240 is more than sufficient, and as pointed out, a lot less expensive. 350 is excellent as well. You can upgrade the bearings in a 240 hub (maybe 350) to ceramic if you really desire.