mrshinsa

cartridge bearings on my xero xr-1 has failed. I'm looking to move to loose-bearing setup and eyeing the ultegra hubs with open pro rims.
I noticed that ultegra wheelset hubs look significantly different than the ultegra hubs sold by themselves.

Why are they different? Are one better than the other?

I weigh 165# and mostly do sports/recreational rides with weekend club rides.

Ultegra 6700 hubs
Ultegra 6700 Hub

Ultegra WH-6700
WH-6700

hueyhoolihan

those are not the same hubs. one is designed for traditional spokes the other for some kind of new-age straight-pull(?) spokes, i think.

mrshinsa

Yes, I understand that they are different, but why is shimano making two different hubs?
Are one better than the other in some circumstances?
Are the quality the same?
Are the "new, non traditional" style better in some sense than the traditional hence they had to create a whole new hub for their own line of wheels?

valleycyclist

The other Ultegra hubs are only for the factory-built wheels. The end product is totally different than what you would get with a wheel built up with 6700 hubs (more spokes and j-bend vs straight pull). The spokes are also proprietary which means they need to be special ordered from Shimano if you need a replacement. The internals of the hubs should be similar.

A set of 6700 hubs built up into a nice wheelset should last a very long time. You can always replace rims when it is time. Most factory wheels are designed to be disposable.

mrshinsa

Thanks Valleycyclist,

I like the idea of rebuiling/replacing, but I just can't get over the overbuiltness. I don't want 1900gram wheelset, nor 32h hubs nor the idea of being labeled old-school/retro during group rides.
It's not like I weight 200#.

I wish Shimano would give a bit of middle ground with these two setups. Factory wheelset, replaceable standard 20/24 spokes, replaceable rims, etc...

Shouldn't be that hard, no?

valleycyclist

You can get Dura-Ace hubs in lower spoke counts, but the price will go up considerably. I'm not sure what other options you have for non-sealed bearing hubs.

eippo1

If you want hubs with different hole patterns, look at White Industries, Alchemy, Chris King or DT Swiss hubs or on the cheap end, Bitex hubs (from Bikehubstore) or Novasomethingorather (the ones Bob Dop. sells).

mrshinsa

Yes, most of these are cartridge bearings, which i'm trying to move away from.
I belive Novatec makes cup-cone setup, but man I've already lost money on cheaper(Xero)wheelset that I'm now gravitating towards quality(Shimano).

Thanks though.

Banzai

Wow. So you're not going to buy a good wheelset because someone might tease you?

mrshinsa

Please don't start.
It's the least of my worries, but I'd rather not be what I'm not.

Andy_K 

More relevant images of the differences:

https://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830670816.pdf

https://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830753824.pdf

The part numbers are different, but the internals of the hubs look very similar. I'd guess the hub body is the primary difference.

Most of the "extra" weight that puts a set of Ultegra/Open Pros over 1500 grams is in the hub. Twelve extra spokes weigh something like 60 grams, and I don't know if I'd trust an aluminum rim that weighed much less than the Open Pro.

mazdaspeed

Why can't you replace the bearings in your existing wheels?

mrshinsa

I tried but couldnt remove the cartridge and I'm afraid to try.
Looked everwhere on the web, but noone knows the replacement size/spec.
Xero/Formula manufacturer not answering any email .

Took it to a LBS and the mechanic(very competent one) says he can't find the bearing replacement anywhere.

Loose bearing setup looks much easier to service.

mazdaspeed

Just FWIW all good quality cartridge bearing hubs are easily serviceable and use standard or easy to acquire bearings, there is a reason people recommend white industries for durability. And just because you can't get the bearing out and one mechanic claims he can't find a bearing doesn't mean it can't be done. And loose bearing hubs have their own drawbacks too, it's not like they're trouble free.

rogerstg

Simple, have the "very competent" mechanic remove the bearing. Then you can measure it and order a replacement online from any number of bearing suppliers. Order a spare one too.

Or you could contact the company and ask about a replacement or the dimensions.

FWIW, I find cartrige bearing systems simpler to deal with than loose balls.

halfspeed

There's nothing special about any cartridge bearing used on a bicycle. They are all bog standard industrial bearings. You can measure them with a caliper and buy replacements at Boca Bearings or your local industrial bearing supplier. Depending upon what kind of industrial use there is in your area, a bearing supplier might be a bit confused by the small size, but he can order them.

If you're replacing bearings, you can usually use a punch to bash out the old ones. Pressing the new ones in can usually be accomplished with a bolt, a nut and some washers.