Recommendations for cheap, good quality vintage hubs?
 

I recently bought an old Miele, one of their Italian frames with Campy derailleurs, Modolo brakes and Miche Competition hubs. I'm in the process of fixing it up and restoring it but I noticed the front hub has a small crack in it so I want to replace it.

I'm trying to keep the cost low (engineering tuition is too high) so I'm looking for a vintage replacement thats similar in quality but won't cost too much. Around $20 to $30 would be good. There's a Miche front hub on eBay right now but its not a competition one, how much of a difference is there?

Any suggestions for hubs would be appreciated!

Sunshine Gyromasters seem to go for reasonable prices on ebay.

If you're trying to reuse the spokes, you'll need a hub with the same (or pretty close) dimensions as the one you're replacing. Since you're on the front, you'll primarily be interested in the spoke flange/hole diameter. Measure it across the flange from one hole to the hole opposite across the axle. Easiest with calipers, or you could look it up on one of the spoke calculator databases.

one consideration you might wish to add to your thinking is spares availability, especially if machine is to be a regular rider.

I think I'm going to get new spokes, I may as well since I'm taking the wheel apart and the old ones are dirty/corroded. Any recommendations for spokes?

I'd find a Campagnolo Record low flange front hub. They made a million of them, so you can find them for around $20 on eBay, and you can re-use the spokes and probably the skewer from the Miche, which is pretty much a campy clone anyway. If you want to go with new spokes, I buy Sapim stainless butted from Dan's Comp. 40 cents each including nipples.
Edit: here you go, assuming the Miche is a 32 hole hub. Just re-use your quick-release axle:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Campagnolo-R...gAAOSwFqJWoXi3

I'd say almost any older silver front hub would be OK. Ask at your local LBS if they have any old ones around - I picked up a nice silver 105 rear they didn't have the heart to throw away and cut out of a damaged rear wheel. Ask at the local co-op, quite often they have a few decent ones that they put away. Look at the wheels the co-op has hanging up. might be a good hub on one of them. Check the local buy and sell, front wheels often go cheap, specially tubulars.

I would also suggest that you take a quick look through CL and some shops in your area for whole wheels or sets a lot of times you can buy a really nice used wheel set for around $100 or less and single wheels $20-30. If you have a bike coop in your area you may get lucky and get some older tubulars for almost nothing or free.

Post on the C&V sales forum and say you want a vintage front hub. People here will offer you stuff because we are a bunch of bike hoarders, er, I mean collectors, :).

http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-forgiven.html

i would suggest campy record.

the last two sets (front and rear) i bought on craigs went for around $50 ($25/ea), with nice campy skewers, and were in fanstastic shape.

i have an ofmega rear (record knockoff with oil clip) if you need it. it's 126 o.l.d.

Thanks for all the replies!

I'll keep an eye out for some campy record hubs on eBay but I'm in Canada and our dollar sucks right now. I'm also going to check out a couple nearby co-ops.

How doable is building a wheel using a front fork and with no truing stand or dish stick?

Thanks jeirvine! I'll get my spokes from there. Unfortunately its a 36 hole hub, that looks like a good deal.

If you don't have a truing stand then build your wheel at the co-op - they will help and you can use their stand. Their hourly rate is cheap and they may not even charge for just a stand.

I did that for years before I finally got a truing sting. I would hang the bike from the ceiling, and use the brake pads as a guide. But the co-op idea sounds best, especially if you haven't laced a wheel before. They can guide you, and will have the right tools.

I'll check out what tools the co-op has when I go to ask about buying a hub. It just seems like the people there aren't all that experienced , they do lots of stuff like using WD-40 for chain lube etc.. But hopefully theres someone there that can help.

I got a membership to the coop, they have truing stands and everything. They didn't really have much for hubs, I bought an exage hub for $5 but I don't think I'm going to use it.

I have a Miche Competition low-flange, 36-hole front hub you can have if you want. It's just the shell, but it seems that's all you need. PM me if you're interested.

Where are you exactly?

Thanks kroozer! PMing you now

Edit: I need 50 posts to PM :(

Oh cool. Any tips?

I'm in London, Ontario.

Give him an email address

Kroozer PM'd me

If shipping from Mexico is stupidly expensive, I may have the same hub.

Thanks! I'll get in contact with you if it is, my email is: