# What is the story on Acros .54 hubs?



## Cheers! (Jun 26, 2006)

Front Hub Disc: 103g w/ Ceramics
Rear Hub Disc: 208 g w/ Ceramics

and if you don't believe in Ceramics (I'm not convinced they are better except for being lighter), there exists non ceramic models:

Front Hub Disc: 113g w/ Ceramics
Rear Hub Disc: 214 g w/ Ceramics

Are the claimed weights accurate? Hubs reliable?

Comparison:

Tune King: 136g
Tune Kong: 225g

Dtswiss 240S front: 154g
Dtswiss 240s Rear: 273g

Is this the new 'must have' hubs? Ever since Tune started getting creaking issues (I haven't had a problem), and Alchemy Bicycle Works here in the USA stopped being the distributor for them... Tune seems to have fallen out of favor.


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## Megaclocker (Sep 28, 2005)

That would save 100gr compared to a 240 setup.

I would like to see how those hub are made (inside).


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## Cheers! (Jun 26, 2006)

Looking at prices online... just do a search on google for "acros 54" shows from UK bike places they are around 

$145 USD 
$265 USD

when VAT is removed and the British Pounds converted to USD. Which is a damn fine price if you ask me. I wonder if Acros will give me a free set for just mentioning it here on this forum.

Looking at the Acros manual it says the rear hub has 5 pawls with 30 points of engagement. In the manual the lightest weights mentioned are 136g and 242g... so there is some discrepancy between the website and the user's manual...


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## Hand/of/Midas (Sep 19, 2007)

well Acros is Distributed in america by J&B, a very common distribution center, so that's great news either way.

and those are great prices, even if they only are the same weight as 240s and the like.


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## Tiffster (Jan 30, 2008)

If they have different hub caps to use 9mm RWS skewers id definetly be interrested...


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## Batas (Jan 16, 2004)

Any more info on this hubs? Where to get the manual?


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

Universal Cycles has these hubs, and the weights listed there are about 50 grams more per hub.


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## Batas (Jan 16, 2004)

Even so, not bad if they proove to be reliable...


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## Cheers! (Jun 26, 2006)

I never ended up going with these hubs. When I was searching for these things back in Nov 2008 there were no where to be found. If you wanted the "ultimate" versions that are the lightest they are not sold by BTI or the other USA distributor... 

I went with Tune in the end.


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## Dex11 (May 4, 2005)

* Bump*

Anybody got some more info/ride reports on these hubs ?
They look really interesting......


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## quax (Feb 21, 2009)

Last season I raced on a .54 based wheelset. It took a lot of abuse from my side but it's still running smoothly. I will continue using it this season.

There isn't really much more you can say about working hubs, is there? Well, Acros seems to be one of the better companies (if that matters at all). My "personal" wheel builder, who also works for some pro teams, speaks in high terms of this company and their products ... and he's definitely more qualified for making such a judgement


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

The hubs are Chin Haurs, these are a similar version labeled as A2Z on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-a2z-Disc-Br...Cycling_Parts_Accessories?hash=item27aeca4263

119g and 231g respectively for 350g total. I remember when a shimano rear hub alone, non-disc, was 350g.


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## Dex11 (May 4, 2005)

I thought Acros wase a craftmanship company, but also they relabel there stuff.
Is it the same with there headsets ?

@ quax

Are you using a standaard .54 hubset ? or the ultimate ones ?
What rims and spokes you use them with ?


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## Cheers! (Jun 26, 2006)

What does Chin Haurs hubs have to do with Acros hubs? 

Acros is a manufacturing house in Germany. They produce many parts for Tune. I was trying to get my hands on a set, but availability 1 year ago was poor. Also I got a sweet deal on a set of tune hubs from Alchemy Bicycle Works.


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## 20.100 FR (Jan 13, 2004)

you can clearly see on the hub flange of the drive side that these are NOT the same.

Deeight, you are wrong.

Acros are reputed here in france for the quality of their products. I haven't tried them myself, but know of several happy ridders.

By the way there are lighter version of the tune hubs than the weight listed here.


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## quax (Feb 21, 2009)

DeeEight, sorry, that's bs what you're saying. Acros is finest German engineering, no relabeling. You can see their machinery for the hubs at 45sec in that video:






(Source: German mtb forum)

Dex11, I could only afford the standards. Setup is with ZTR 355 and Sapim CX-Ray.


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## 92gli (Sep 28, 2006)

I'll be damned. He picks up one of those hub shells and shows it to the camera. I would have also guessed that they came from taiwan too, the design is so similar to them.


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## lesoudeur (Nov 3, 2005)

*Acros BB*

I am using an Acros ceramic bearing BB. It is excellent and very light. Machining quality is the finest.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Oh yeah, no similarity at all.... just nearly identical flanges, disc mounts, end caps, all that's just a coincidence.


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## quax (Feb 21, 2009)

damn communists, I knew that they are still around, flooding the hub market


end caps are completely different, Acros hubs are much larger in diameter and have no gap between disc mount and flanges

you're right about the flanges, they have both 32 holes

(I actually feel a little bit silly explaining what really everyone can see.)


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Chin Haur is a big manufacturer and there are slight stylistic differences between all their many branded hubs. Are you naive enough to say that because an AC hub doesn't look like a WTB hub, that they didn't share a common manufacturing origin ?!?


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

"Hand built in Renningen, Germany"


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## Dex11 (May 4, 2005)

Different opinions where they are made.....

Anyway, weight wise they are interesting. To bad not many people have used them, after all those horror things I had with my Tune hubs, as well as a lot off other people here, I am in doubt between these and DT Swiss 240's....

After the post from Quax, I think I am heading Acros. ..


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## 92gli (Sep 28, 2006)

DeeEight said:


> Chin Haur is a big manufacturer and there are slight stylistic differences between all their many branded hubs. Are you naive enough to say that because an AC hub doesn't look like a WTB hub, that they didn't share a common manufacturing origin ?!?


I was buying some stuff from universal today and saw these hubs - $583 for the set 

They better not be chinese for that price !


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

They're only $583 because of the import duties. Same reason Hope hubs are expensive in NA, but cheap in the UK.


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## Dex11 (May 4, 2005)

In Europa they cost 424 euro, thats about 532 US.


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## checky (Jan 13, 2006)

DeeEight said:


> The hubs are Chin Haurs, these are a similar version labeled as A2Z on ebay.


:nono: ones more disqualified.

Why don't you shut up when you're not sure about the thinks you blubber ?


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Why don't you shut up yourself when you're incapable of spelling correctly ?


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## f3rg (Aug 29, 2007)

DeeEight, stop being a prick. So you were wrong about a minor thing, so what? Just let it be.


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## checky (Jan 13, 2006)

DeeEight said:


> Why don't you shut up yourself when you're incapable of spelling correctly ?


Is that all ? 


Topic: the first charge(s) of the .54 hubs had some problems (e.g. loose freebody or gets cracks in the rear hub body). Therefore I recommend not to by such hubs at Ebay, could be a mistake  
(no, I am not a dealer ;-)


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## PeterG (Mar 11, 2004)

I'm looking for some lightweight but reliable front disc hubs with larger bearings than Tune King uses. Can anybody confirm, what bearing size or type is used in Acros .54 front hub? Thanks.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

This thread is >5 years old, however I did a quick check at Acros and they don't appear to make the MTB .54 any longer. It is listed, but their page is blank:
http://shop.acros.de/hubs/.54-mtb/


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## PeterG (Mar 11, 2004)

I've found that too before asking , but .54 hubs are still available on the market but any detail information is missing. 
After 3 non-answered e-mails to Acros, today I've finally received reply from them with technical information about newer Nineteen ED hubs, which replace .54 and .74 hubs.


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## xcbarny (Jun 10, 2009)

The Nineteen looks like it could be a great hub:

Angular contact Stainless bearings, with adjustable preload, and a good weight.
Not as light as extralite, but not as expensive either, and I'd guess that the bearings would last longer in the acros.

Not sure what POE they are though. If I had the $$ i'd consider swapping my chris kings for these


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## PeterG (Mar 11, 2004)

Bearings are stainless steel angular and very large, Ø19/30x7 mm (compare to quite narrow Tune King bearings Ø17/26x5mm), actual weight in the TA15 version is 137.2g (claimed). Flange parameters are the best of 12 lightweight hubs I've checked (DT, Tune, absoluteBlack, Soul-Kozak, Sram X0, POP, ...) allowing the widest spoke bracing angle. Lightweight hubs usually use small and narrow bearings, which are not as strong as larger ones (e.g. DT Swiss used Ø15/28x7 bearing has almost twice static and dynamic load than Tune Ø17/26x5 one).

What is POE?


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Points of Engagement, but I think you were just looking at a front hub, and thus it is irrelevant.


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## PeterG (Mar 11, 2004)

Yes, looking for front hub only. 
Rear Nineteen ED 32H 142x12, actual weight is 229.9g (claimed by manufacturer technical support), 38-tooths ratchet (POE), 148x12 available in January 2016. However, ratchet wheel and freehub body with "integrated" ratchet are made of aluminium alloy (hard anodized), so I'm not convinced about longevity, although claimed it was tested and proved by professional racing team for one year. Otherwise the rear hub looks interestingly too.


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## scant (Jan 5, 2004)

PeterG said:


> Lightweight hubs usually use small and narrow bearings, which are not as strong as larger ones (e.g. DT Swiss used Ø15/28x7 bearing has almost twice static and dynamic load than Tune Ø17/26x5 one).


Absolute Black also use larger than average size bearings


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## xcbarny (Jun 10, 2009)

PeterG said:


> 38-tooths ratchet (POE), 148x12 available in January 2016. However, ratchet wheel and freehub body with "integrated" ratchet are made of aluminium alloy (hard anodized)


I'd have preferred double that. I think Chris King is 72. I switch between that and an American classic with 24.
On some short sections of singletrack on the american classic hub, I don't even bother pedalling, as I know it will take too long to engage the freehub.


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## PeterG (Mar 11, 2004)

scant said:


> Absolute Black also use larger than average size bearings


Yes, correct, Ø17/30x7 size (Soul-Kozak as well), but their flange dimensions make only 11.9 deg. of spoke bracing angle in my simulation vs. 14.1 deg. of Acros Nineteen ED (2nd best is Acros .74, 13.4 deg, followed by Tune King, BOR MD7, DT Swiss 240s QR9 DBIS with 13.3 deg., ..., Soul-Kozak 11.7 deg.).


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## PeterG (Mar 11, 2004)

xcbarny said:


> I'd have preferred double that. I think Chris King is 72. I switch between that and an American classic with 24.
> ...


 In such case the number of hubs is very limited. I would suggest you Onyx Radical hub with instant engagement system (one way bearing) , unfortunately a bit on heavier side (and CK as well).


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## xcbarny (Jun 10, 2009)

Hmm. I'll just stay with Chris King. I see extralite is 36 also.


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