# Timeline Phil Wood Hubs



## Solo.be (Dec 7, 2006)

Is this the correct order of things

1st pic top to bottom
2nd pic right to left

1st gen 3piece hub 70's - early 80's
2nd gen 1 piece hubshell early 80's - early 90's
3th gen 1 piece hubshell early 90's ( FSA > you can remove the axle with 5 mm allenkey)

Thanks

Stef


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## 82Sidewinder (Jun 28, 2006)

By the way, your links don't work.

https://www.philwood.com/about/txthist.php

1971
Phil Wood & Co. is founded in Los Gatos California
1st Generation hub (Using a 3 piece design hub shell, using two aluminum flanges and a steel center section, axle and bearings are pressed in and bonded with the shell by using loctite, bottom bracket (using a design that integrated the shell, bearings, and spindle together with the use of silver solder), bottom bracket cups, and tool are created.

1978
2nd Generation hub is created (This new hub uses the same end cap, bearing, and axle design using a retaining compound to secure the axle to the hub shell, however the hub shell is now a one piece aluminum shell, with a steel sleeve)

1991
3rd Generation hub with the new FSA axle is created (This new axle design allows the user to service their own hubs out on in the field with simple hand tools Field Servicable Axle.


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## Solo.be (Dec 7, 2006)

Thanks for the info,

I've added the pics to the first post , can you please have a look

Thanks
Stef


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## 82Sidewinder (Jun 28, 2006)

Nice pics! I'm most familiar with the first gen hubs (top hub in first photo). My '83 Ritchey is equipped with those exact hubs with allen key bolts.


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## hollister (Sep 16, 2005)

First gen(pre '73) have the same size bearings all the way around(front and rear). If your 3 piece rear has a large bearing on the drive side, and a smaller one in the other side I wouldn't call it first gen


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## DoubleCentury (Nov 12, 2005)

One the second generation, does this mean the sleeve is on the inside of the aluminum shell? It must be.

"however the hub shell is now a one piece aluminum shell, with a steel sleeve)"

I also don't understand the 1978 date of the second generation, which would have meant that almost all of the early mountain bikes would have had one piece aluminum shells. That's Series I Breezers up through 1984 and bikes with Shimano Deerhead parts.


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## Solo.be (Dec 7, 2006)

DoubleCentury said:


> One the second generation, does this mean the sleeve is on the inside of the aluminum shell? It must be.
> 
> "however the hub shell is now a one piece aluminum shell, with a steel sleeve)"
> 
> I also don't understand the 1978 date of the second generation, which would have meant that almost all of the early mountain bikes would have had one piece aluminum shells. That's Series I Breezers up through 1984 and bikes with Shimano Deerhead parts.


That's exactly where I have the same question . With the info found on the PW site the hub in the middle would suit an early 80's build but i've never seen a bike with the same hub.


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## Solo.be (Dec 7, 2006)

hollister said:


> First gen(pre '73) have the same size bearings all the way around(front and rear). If your 3 piece rear has a large bearing on the drive side, and a smaller one in the other side I wouldn't call it first gen


The bearing on the driveside is larger


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## 82Sidewinder (Jun 28, 2006)

Solo.be said:


> That's exactly where I have the same question . With the info found on the PW site the hub in the middle would suit an early 80's build but i've never seen a bike with the same hub.


Just checked - my '83 has steel hub shells and aluminum flanges front and rear. Could the steel sleeve have been on the outside?


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## nightshade_rider (Apr 18, 2007)

DoubleCentury said:


> I also don't understand the 1978 date of the second generation, which would have meant that almost all of the early mountain bikes would have had one piece aluminum shells. That's Series I Breezers up through 1984 and bikes with Shimano Deerhead parts.


There was an original-owner '81 biplane Ritchey that came up for sale recently, which had the 2nd gen phil hubs. The owner was very clear that this was the original wheelset.

1978 might have been the year that Phil "created" the 2nd generation design, but it obviously wasn't shipping in volume until well into the 80s. Maybe burning through old inventory and building new tooling took awhile.


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## DoubleCentury (Nov 12, 2005)

Exactly some of the thoughts I had considered to explain this. The new design was much more CNC intensive, and that could have taken some time to ramp up.



nightshade_rider said:


> 1978 might have been the year that Phil "created" the 2nd generation design, but it obviously wasn't shipping in volume until well into the 80s. Maybe burning through old inventory and building new tooling took awhile.


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## tductape (Mar 31, 2008)

My experience finding mountain bikes from the early 80's 
is they have the steel (second gen per Hollisters observations) or firs Gen per the rest of this conversation (top pic). I do have some 126mm road bike 40 spoke middle in picture hubs on my Ritchey road bike that came off an early 80's Tim Diamond touring bike.


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## rismtb (Dec 11, 2012)

*2nd gen?*

My Phil Hubs {2nd gen I think} are mtb spacing with a larger flange on the rear drive side. Not sure if that was standard for later 2nd gen or not. I have included pic of non CHIP pedals that have saw tooth edge.


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