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I'm after a new (secondhand) rear hub for a disc-braked road bike (which will have 135mm dropouts)
I'd been thinking Hope Pro2, but should I consider anything else?
I want cartridge bearings as I can't be bothered with the faff of maintaining cup-and-cone, and it has to be available in black and probably 32h (what hubs aren't?)
Superstar Switch looks like good value for starters, even new. What else?
DT 240s are nice hubs
I'd been thinking Hope Pro2, but should I consider anything else?
Yes. You consider ANYTHING else. One of the most unreliable cartridge bearing hubs known to man.
The faff C&C bearings is nothing to the expense of putting new cartridge bearings in a Pro 2 every few months*
If you want Hope, get the older XC
Otherwise DT are waaaaaaay better.
🙂
*don't make me post that pic of a Pro 2 bearing next to an XC bearing again please!
DT 240s are nice hubs
At that price they should be.
I'm thinking a little cheaper...
I'm thinking a little cheaper...
£70 lightly used I paid for a rear hub. A pair of decent used DT hubs with Mavic rims will go for around £180
Then there's always the cheaper DT hubs
good point on the XC hub. there's a couple on fleabay I'll keep an eye on.
good point on the XC hub. there's a couple on fleabay I'll keep an eye on.
Honestly mate, they are better hubs. The bearings last 2-4 years easily, they have a stronger steel freehub body and they don't make that godawful racket when you cost either. I 'downgraded' both my Pro 2s to XC and I wouldn't go back. Cheaper too.
Only yesterday I serviced a bike for someone where the front Pro 2 bearings had gone after only a few weeks riding. The bearings are simply not man enough for the job.
The problem with Hope XC hubs is how thin the axle is to allow them bigger bearings! I used to snap 'em all the time until I went bulbs then Pro II... axles (and bearings) all fine now.
I've got a Hope Pro 2 and Switch Evo (rebranded Novatec hub) and not had any problems with either.
You could just get some novatec ones off ebay too
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Novatec-Mountain-Bike-Hubs-Shimano-8-9-10-Speed-D811SB-D812SB-32-Holes-Black-/150875027904
The problem with Hope XC hubs is how thin the axle is to allow them bigger bearings! I used to snap 'em all the time
In how many seperate hubs?
I had one hub that snapped 3 axles, but my other 2 haven't, and one is on my Pitch that's been properly thrashed senseless.
Also, Hope replace axles for free, bearings are £20 a shot.....
Hmm. Decent sized bearings in those Novatec hubs to be fair.
It was ages ago but think I had two hubs and my mate had one?
They might replace them for free but that's not too convenient when you're umpteen miles out with a wheel wobbling all over the shop.
The other problem would be that I only have one quick release wheel out of 3 bikes now so XC wouldn't really work for that reason too!
Hmm, Novatec are about £50. Didn't realise the Superstar ones were the same.
I've had Hope XCs in the past and never had problems with them. I'm not to worried about snapping the axles, after all, its going on a road bike so not likely to be hitting anything bigger than a pot-hole.
Sounds like the £200 F&R Crest on superstar/novatec special is worth a punt then?
I've found Pro 2s okay, though I prefer the 240S. I'd also suggest that if there were really a big problem with bearing wear on Pro 2s you'd never hear the end of it on here. In reality if you use SKF or similar or Hope's own bearings, they're fine ime.
If you use cheap eBay bearings, they generally die fast. Just out of interest PP, what bearings were you using? I've got, er, four rear Pro 2s and they've all been fine. I don't think the leaf spring things are great if you neglect the hub, but otherwise they've been good for me. Tbh there are so many Pro 2s out there that if there were big issues, you'd have thought we'd hear more about them...
...unless of course there's a systematic cover-up 😉
Didn't realise the Superstar ones were the same.
oops, just to be clear, those 50 quid ones aren't the same as the Switch Evo. The Switch's have swappable axles (and consequently smaller bearings) and are a different Novatec hub, I forget the name but you can find it on their website somewhere.
Novatec make loads of different hubs (for lots of companies).
thanks all, not botherered about swappable axles,. I'm after QR.
Novatec do a road disc hub too. Worth a punt methinks, and get the frame made to 130mm spacing instead....
If you use cheap eBay bearings, they generally die fast. Just out of interest PP, what bearings were you using? I've got, er, four rear Pro 2s and they've all been fine.
The ones that come with the hub.
Out of 6 Pro 2s that have been in my garage, only one has had berings last more then a year, then there's all the other issues, which I can't be arsed to go into again
I'd also suggest that if there were really a big problem with bearing wear on Pro 2s you'd never hear the end of it on here
It happens to lots of people. You do hear about it on here. 🙂
I'm gonna post that pic in a minute, I'm warning ya!
FWIW, the way to buy a 240S is to get a whole used wheel, I got my XC wheelset for less than the price of the hubs. Bearings outlast Pro2 by about 3:1 in my experience (though, the downside is that if the middle one ever needs replaced it's a gigantic hassle- it does seem to last forever though)
There's a nice sense of balance about one of my sets of Pro 2s, in that the bearings last exactly as long as the rear axles
Out of 6 Pro 2s that have been in my garage, only one has had berings last more then a year, then there's all the other issues, which I can't be arsed to go into again
How quaint. I must admit I don't expect bearings to last more than a year. Anyway, like I said above, 240S for choice. The bearing behind the freehub insert gets a lot of bad press, but actually, if you have 'the tool' - they used to be a lot more affordable - it's not such a bad job and, as above, they're so comprehensively tucked away that they don't seem to wear fast anyway.
Agree with PP on Pro 2's . Now got my new seal ( frisbee with a hole in it, that tech hope didnt allegedly exist) to keep the crap out my rear hub so will see if it does ( dont answer PP LOL). Ironically went out on my Scandal with an XC hope rear on sunday and was smoother than a smoother thing after 40 miles of grime and I had to rebuild the rear mech jockeys and king BB after that ride but not the hub !
I would much rather have a Pro II, even if I have to change the bearings once every couple of years, than a Shimano hub where I have to adjust the cones after every ride!
I would much rather have a Pro II, even if I have to change the bearings once every couple of years, than a Shimano hub where I have to adjust the cones after every ride!
I'd love that too, but the water in my pro 2 means it gets stripped every fortnight and new bearings every month or so. I chatted to Hope last week and he asked what bearings I was using. I said I out stainless balled bearings in. He said to use Hope ones as better sealed. I said that if the hub seal didnt let any water in, I could use open race bearings. Never got a reply from that.
DT swiss any day, particularly the 240s. Long lasting and easy to service. As long as your not jet washing should last you years. Mine are 7 years old and run as new. Look at them as an investment.
FWIW, old Shimano was ace. Haven't used any recent ones so maybe the "adjust every ride" is true these days but it wasn't up til a couple of years ago (I adjust my Exages once every few thousand miles... To be fair the seals aren't working too well as they perished about a decade ago 😉 )
My comuter bike a surly lht has old xtr centre lock hubs
I've not used then with disc but wanted somthing sort of future proof
This is the hubs third winter and I've only just got round to stripping them down.
And despite being rubbish cup ad cone they were just fine
Oh and they spin for ever
If you're after a Pro2 rear then you might be in luck here, mainly because my luck ran out last night when I trashed a Hope Hoop rear wheel.
Big stick into mech > into spokes > pulled a nipple out of the rim.
Rather than replace rim, spokes and rebuild, it might be only a little more costly for me to simply buy a new wheel and sell the Pro2 hub on to offset some of the cost. Will get some pics, look at S/H prices and probably post up a for-sale ad tonight but though I'd post on here first in case you were still looking for one.
ygm Ecky-thump....
Dare I say it? Superstar. Love all my superstar wheels, they work, easy to maintain, all good. I agree with pp about hopes, my hopes were rubbish.
Bargain-tastic quality rear hub you say....
[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=12048 ]Ringle Disc Jockey[/url]
(sorry for diversion ir_b)
PP - interested, what bearings do you use in your Hopes? I have 2 SS Pro 2 hubs, lasted 4 and 7 months from new before needing new drive-side bearings. I tried some Katec bearings, the ones he re-greases. There wasn't much grease in the Hope bearings that came out, these ones were filled properly - if I get a up to a year out of them at 10-12hrs a week average I'd be happy.
Thrustyjust - "Now got my new seal" - what seal is that?
I like the Pro 2 SS in many ways, but it could be more durable.
Hope singlespeed hubs use a Pro 2 seal on the freehub, but mine was an early hub which they used a different size seal, although most of the hope guys didnt know existed, except for the boss man. So have fitted a new seal and also changed the hub inner shell bearing as wet again and derusted the pawl springs as 2 weeks since the last bilge out and fitted the new seal. Ride it to work and back everyday , but havent taken it into the mud yet to see if I have a glimmer of water repelancy yet.
I am using stainless aftermarket bearings which I fill with silkolene grease to prevent water ingress in mine.