jet sanchEz

I have a chance to buy a bike with some Phil Wood hubs for a decent price. The bike is in good shape but I am really only interested because of the wheels, Phils laced to Mavic Open Pros, and would in fact probably re-sell the bike with a different wheelset as it ain't my size.

They are 7-speed with a 126mm rear spacing and I was thinking of putting them on my De Rosa with some 8-speed Chorus shifters "dumbed down" to 7-speed.

It might be a lot of work though and I wondered if anyone who rides Phils could chime in with some opinions.

Wisco

I have ridden Phils in the past and was amazed at how good they were. I needed a cheap front wheel for a single-speed and happened to pick up a Phil/Wolber at a swap for $30. Dang thing lasted through three frames before I gave it away.

Chris W.

I have owned several sets of Phil hubs, wish I still had them all! I'd be all over those wheels! If you don't like them, PM me...

Cheers,
Chris

531phile 

Just get 'em. They last and spin forever.

Chombi

I've never owned them but they certainly look high quality and classy, but I think that they are not the only game in town for really good C&V hubs. The Mavic 500 series sealed bearing hubs are held in high esteem too by many collectors/C&V riders. I have a set I laced on to GEL280 rims last year and I never had hubs that spin so smoothly and look and feel bullet proof!
JMOs

Chombi

531phile 

I had a Mavic 531 hub rear wheel. Good solid hub. A sleeper part. You can get those for much cheaper than Phils.

Muttleyone

Are all the Mavic 5-- hubs sealed or just the 500's?

Mutt

ColonelJLloyd 

I'm about to build a nice wheelset for my faster riding bike. I'm going with a Phil freewheel hub with 126mm spacing and silver Open Pros. Dynamo in the front.

dashuaigeh

if you can grab a phil wheelset for a good price (for me, anywhere near $150), I say do it immediately. Esp 126mm spaced hubs - those are the first freewheel hub I think I'd take touring. The axles are hardened and thicker than normal, and withstand much more abuse than the average axle (fixing the axle breakage problem).

Plus, open pros!

gomango

A great touring hub.

I love the set on my Bruce Gordon Rock 'n Road. Build and enjoy!

mudboy

Yes. I've got 3 sets of wheels built on 571/2's.

Shimagnolo

1997: I bought a pair of custom-made wheels with PW hubs.

2009: The freehub of the rear became very noisy while coasting so I sent in in for the flat-rate rebuild.
It came back with what appeared to be a new freehub body.

2010: The front bearings became noisy, so it went in for the flat-rate rebuild.


In all those years, I never needed to do any adjusting/cleaning/lubing.

fietsbob

I toured for years on a old Phil rear hub. 48 spoke , the shells back then were a tube of stainless steel
so the freewheel threads were cut in the steel tube, the spoke flanges were aluminum..
got the shell cheap. sent it down to Phil & Co and they put the axle assembly . 126

since the axles never bend , saw no need for cassette freehubs.

Drillium Dude 

I've only owned the one pair I had built up back in August and I'm now a bona-fide convert. They spin like nobody's business and of course there's the undeniable convenience in that Phil will still service/provide replacement parts.

FWIW, my pair is from the 70s, the ones with the alloy flanges and stainless sleeves. Rear is even a hi-low.

I love 'em!

DD

pastorbobnlnh 

I run these on my '83 Paramount. Great wheels that let me hit 52mph one day.

mazdaspeed

Yes... I have these on my bianchi and they put my modern dura ace hubs to shame

mixtemaniac

Yes. They definitely live up to the hype (and price). However, at this level of quality & price, I don't think Phil Wood hubs are the only game in town. Chris King and DT Swiss hubs are in my opinion, of equal quality. I have not yet had the chance to try out White Industry hubs, but many people think very highly of them.

Chris Pringle

I had a Phil Wood 6-spd freewheel hub laced to a CR-18 rim on my beloved Nishiki mixte. The whole feel and ride on this bike changed altogether. It was day a night from the cheapo steel rim/hub I had before. Highly recommend them!

Henry III

I have a nice PW older model like the one above with the SS sleeve laced to a Sun CR18 700c rim. Now just to find a nice matching rear hub to build up my cyclocross BSA project.

USAZorro

No doubt they are high quality, but they are ugly as sin, imo. Adjustment can make a big difference in hub performance. Personally, I stay on the lookout for Sunshine Pro Ams. Nice finish, nice styling, great performance, and you can get two or three for the price of one Phil.

gomango

I don't worry so much about the appearance, as long as they don't go out while I am in the middle of nowhere.

That being said, I am fond of their looks on my BG.

...and pricing is all relative.

Savvy used shoppers never pay full price, do they?

SBinNYC

I've had to send a rear Phil Wood hub back for repair after 32 years and about 30,000 miles. There was a downpour that turned a suburban intersection into a raging stream above hub level. I crossed it and some fast moving debris cut off a piece of the bearing seal. My hubs were the old model that was not field serviceable. The front hub went through the same stream without incident.

Their service department assured me the repaired hub was as good as new. Alas, I won't be around for another 32 years to prove or disprove their assertion.

BTW, I also had to replace the loose ball bearings on my bottom bracket.

3alarmer 

Pretty much. And their BB units aren't bad either,
even at the price they're charging currently.

Mine are first generation on a Bob Jackson. Smoooth.
One of the few sealed bearing technology bicycle
products that does live up to the hype, IMO.

And I'm notoriously anti new technology. Neoluddite.
What can you do? Good is good.

mtnbke

I'm murder on hubs.

With my Zinn 205mm custom cranks, long legs and my 370lbs I can destroy the pawls in most hubs. Not my Phil Woods.
I love my Phil Woods. I have 'em in 40h and 48h, and the rears are freewheel, not cassette. Never had a issue, never had a broken flange.

Bombproof, spin forever, and beautiful to boot.

The only hubs I'd even compare 'em to are Mavic 501s, 531s, 571, or 571/2s.