Searching for 40h rear track hub
Originally Posted by
gfk_velo
I have to declare an interest here - I am Campag's head tech in the UK ... I'm also a custom wheelbuilder with something like 2800 pairs and 900 individual wheels in my "wheel book" - now more ofa spreadsheet, TBH.
I keep a note of everything I build and have done for 35 years. Yes, I know, I should get out more :-D
I think of the open bearing hubs available, Campag Record and Shimano Dura Ace are the pinnacle.
Most of the other hubs that one sees now use "sealed" or "cartridge", sometimes slightly disparagingly called "industrial" bearings - which by definition tend to have higher rolling resistance (although it can be argued that the higher rolling resistance of a cartridge bearing is offset by ease of maintenance / replacement) ... there are ways around that by removing seals etc but that has an effect on the very longevity that the hub makers are trying to produce...
Hey from 5 years later!
So maybe you can help me out. I recently lucked into a set of rims, and I'm really excited to build a wheelset with them for my polo bike (2010's trek T1). Problem is, they're drilled for 40h, which I was initially happy with for the extra strength. I've been having a bear of a time finding any 120mm, 40h rear freewheel hubs from known manufacturers.
Short of ordering a custom drilling, it seems like my options are a set of no-name hubs with sealed bearings that I could replace with some higher quality set. Or, vintage Campagnolo track hubs off of ebay/new-old-stock sites that I could work with.
Can you offer any advice here? How does the quality of older Camp hubs compare to modern alternatives (Paul components is popular among polo players)? Will I struggle to find replacements for any components that might need it? I see sealed bearings recommended more often, is this just due to the ease of maintenance? Do loose or sealed bearings differ in durability at all? Would these hubs hold up to the occasional crash, and a lot of bike hopping any worse to the alternative? Do you know of any modern 40h track hubs that I might've just missed out on?
If it'd work without any major concerns, I think it'd be cool to do this with the old hubs. But if they're far more likely to fail, I'll just go with the cheaper ones, or maybe search for a different rim.
Would love to hear your thoughts!