Cyclist0383

I was just speaking with a high end hub manufacturer who mentioned that 90% of all track hubs they sell are high flange. Aesthetics aside, what is the advantage of a high flange hub for street use? If you are going to say 'stiffer wheel' or some such please explain why you think that is an advantage.

Also, what are the disadvantages?

Thanks.

mihlbach

High flanges in track are mostly tradition. They should yield a somewhat laterally stiffer wheel, because the spokes are shorter and are angled more laterally. You probably will never notice the difference, and I'm sure that it makes absolutely no difference on the street. Low flange hubs are lighter. Its mostly about appearance.

LWaB

Tradition, spokes used to break a lot more than nowadays and you could change a spoke around a corncob freewheel or track cog without pulling them off.

killsurfcity

google?

Cyclist0383

No, High flange hubs don't help one to google. Thanks for trying to be helpful though.


Thanks to everyone else for their serious replies.

Suttree

there were some crazy flanged hubs on sfcraigslist
recently. Dude was calling them bacon slicer hubs.

nateintokyo

have the American Classic track hubs hit, um, America yet?

they are pretty high-flangin' and felt pretty light when I fondled them earlier this afternoon.

jim-bob

I've had an american classic track hub on my bike for a while now. Are these new ones less likely to develop that really irritating play in the bearings?

Legalize It

Chub hubs... nuff said.

lordgold

I like the look of high flange. That's why I buy em.

wearyourtruth

having a high flange is probably not an advantage for the street. they do give a slightly stiffer wheel, which is an advantage on the track... and they are track hubs.

i would say that 90% of track hubs sold are high flange because 90% of the hubs you see are high flange. if there were more low flange out there then it might even out a little, but right now i don't feel like there is usually even a choice.

nateintokyo

not sure if these are new or not, it was the first time I had seen them:

chase.

their products are nicely made but damn do i hate AC's branding. rinse & repeat for almost all cycling-related companies, though.

kyle!

G O D seriously!


i just gave up on my front wheel. ****! i have the wheelset and the back is/has been fine but the front is a piece.

Igneous Faction

Who offers LF other than Shimano, Campagnolo, and Miche?

jdms mvp

phil wood and formula have LF i believe

gearkraft

I don't know about anyone else but Ive always found the low flange considerably more attractive. Well, that and a low profile non aero rim to boot.

Moximitre

gives a very sleek look with low flange and low profile rims

bonechilling

If you were speaking to a high-end hub manufacturer, why didn't you ask him? It seems like he'd know, and I'd be really curious to know his thinking on the subject.

Fugazi Dave

You can make arguments about mechanical benefits or detriments of high/low flange, but as far as just about all of us here are concerned, it really just comes down to personal preference and æsthetics. I like high flange, personally.

Cyclist0383

The folks I was speaking with produce both high and low flange, yet high flange outsells low by a very wide margin.

FWIW, most of the major makers, including budget brands like Formula, make a low flange hub, it's just that very few people use them compared to high flange.

Cyclist0383

I did ask him, and he also had no idea. He chalked it up to fashion.

morbot

i was building a wheel recently and some spokes were being a pain to get through the holes in the hub. like just at the threaded bits, theyd jam up and i'd have to wiggle them or thread them through. then i noticed that if i pushed the spoke in at an angle by first having it go through the hub flange on the other side, rather than coming from above the hub, it would go in without a problem every time. same for pulling the spokes back out.

so i dont know if it was just this hub and just a coincidence that my hub flanges proved so useful or if it was actually meant to work like that, im guessing the former.

Iser@n

They look damn sexy!

Just bought some old french normandy hubs this weekend:



Needs a bit of polishing. But 10 euro for two hubs was a bargain! I think i'll lace them to mavic ma2 rims for the classic look.

Yup suicide hub. I'm getting a miche hub this week for another build. I'll try if the Miche sprocketholder fits. Weld it solid and the sprockets should still be changeable and held on save with a lockring.

ksyrius

Another advantage of high v low flange is:

Low flange hubs with a high number of drillings have little material between the spoke holes, which can lead to hub failure. Especially with radially laced spoke patterns.