ericm979

BikeHubStore superlight hubs would be awesome if the DS flange was 2-3mm farther out. They're still really good for the price.

White Industries hubs are relatively inexpensive, very good quality and have decent geometry.

See the Fairwheel review of high end hubs: https://fairwheelbikes.com/forum/view...hp?f=65&t=6940

sbxx1985 

A local company that sells Extralite, C-4, Alchemy, Tune, and DT puts the C-4 hubs at the bottom of the list.

garciawork

I just really want a set of wheels laced to Chris King R45's... light spokes, and Stan's Alpha Comp rims. That would rock.

thirdgenbird

ive got a NOS one of these in 28 hole waiting to be laced to a NOS campagnolo seoul rim. i still have not located a front yet. i do have a NOS older campagnolo front hub that will get used if i cant find one. it appears to be the same quality but is heavier due to the standard axle. (ive got the matching record front skewer to help pull it all together)

the newer black record hubs are no where near as pretty but they are about the smoothest hub ive been around.

rat fink

I really like Dura Ace and White Industries. Would love to try Alchemy Orc/Elf one of these days. Chris Kings are nice, but I'm not a big fan of the way they sound. Also, I once had a Shimano Silent Clutch hub. I thought it was about the coolest thing ever.

Carcinogent

Chris King classic/r45. The classic are way overbuilt for road cycling, hence they are on my training wheels. In the future i will get r45 on some carbon rims for racing/TTs. Both models are King quality/same price so it is up to you. R45s will have a Campagnolo option and a ceramic bearing version. You can convert the classic for mtb/disc/tandem use in case that becomes your thing some time in the future. R45 are road only and allow for radial lacing/low spoke count (imo only useful for high performance intended racing wheels. )

-Carcinogent

P.S. The Ringdrive is just icing on the cake. The buzz is an acquired taste=)

bbattle

incorrect.

DropDeadFred

yeah, my friend just linked me a youtube to the Chris king "sound" ....it's worse than those Cicadas we had to deal with all summer long

jamesdak 

Maybe it's an acquired taste. I think they sound like heaven.

Carcinogent

When on the bike even the CK classic are not that loud. R45 are noted to be quieter. I thought I can use the hubs as a pre-warning when i pass somebody. Haven't turned any heads yet. The freehub on my old Mavic wheels was louder... The "buzz" is definitely weird when riding at first but you get used to it in a ride or two.

-Carcinogent

jdon

Incentive to pedal.

Here you go again.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frw8dW20H24

DropDeadFred

I always say the same thing...if you can here the the clicking you aren't pedaling enough....sadly I here mine too often

pallen

By glorious, he means an angry swarm of bees about to descend on you if you dont HTFU and start pedaling

Or you can save your money and go this route
https://chrisking.com/ringtone

GDA

The zing is an acquired taste and initially more incentive to soft pedal...


Yes indeed. The sound is easily recognized and when you catch up with another rider can be used as an early warning sign that someone faster is about to pass. LOL

ilovecycling

Anyone try Novatec hubs? I just ordered some November tubulars and decided to stick with the stock Novatec hub option to save some dough. I figured there was no sense in upgrading to the CK or WI hubs since I was looking at the wheels as a budget racing wheelset in the first place. However, I did upgrade to black cx-ray spokes for $120 since I saved $100 on the pre-order. I'm wondering if I would have been better off spending that $120 towards the CK R45 hub upgrade instead. Then again, is a hub just a hub once it gets past a certain point of quality/reliability? You're going to have to tear them down and rebuild them after so many miles either way.

I do love the smoothness of my DA 7900 hubs on my c24 clinchers. I haven't needed to service them yet so I can't comment on durability and serviceability.

dayday82

How do the White Industry hubs sound compared to the Chris King hubs? I know they are loud (white I like), but I can't imagine them sounding as loud as the Chris King's. They do sound like a large swarm of angry bees.

Homebrew01

I've got one too. Very nice. Rim got bent in a race crash, so looking for a new rim to rebuild with.

DropDeadFred

from what I see it's the brand they come with straight from China. Not sure if they are good or not, I just know that it's what they come with. I've found the full sets for around 430 shipped

ilovecycling

Do you mean full wheelsets for $430? Would you mind sharing a source?

Borell

I am thinking a set of these (hope pro3 mono)
hope-pro3-hubs-zoom.jpg
laced to these
stans-notubes-alpha-340-ztr-road-tubeless-rim1.jpg
they are easily serviceable, light enough but loud.

DropDeadFred

I'll inbox you

ericm979

Not as loud. The Whites sound like ordinary hubs- not super loud/annoying like CK hubs but not quiet either. They roll really well. The Ti freehub can withstand the torque from large solo cogs. The one drawback is the weight- H2/H3 hubs are 360g for the set. BHS superlights are 280g.

I have a set of Novatechs. They're ok hubs. The front's seen a number of years of duty on my rain bike with zero maintenance. But I think the BHS superlights are just as good and are cheaper and lighter. Some of the Novatecs can be had with a freehub that's got a steel spline in it to prevent notching of the aluminum freehub, which is kind of cool. https://www.bdopcycling.com/Hubs-Road.asp

hyhuu

Beside the weight, do different hubs make a practical difference?

ravenmore

I got some Forumula hubs on a whim as part of a group buy and have been very pleasantly surprised. They've got a fair amount of miles on them at this point and are buttery smooth still. Very light too. They're sold under a variety of other brand names (Formula is the original manufacturer though).

urbanknight

There's quality of materials, flange design, and freehub design. There's also the bearings, although many modern hubs can use standard bearings from a variety of manufacturers and grades.

To answer the original question, it depends on the application. Price is almost always a factor, otherwise I'd have tried some Tune hubs with Zipp rims by now. Shimano and Campy hubs are quite dependable, White Industries hubs are light and very purdy, and Novatec and Formula hubs seem to be a great bang for the buck in my experience. My current "lightweight climbing" wheels are on American Classic hubs, which are super light and have been doing fine.