# Handspun (QBP) Alfine Velocity Dyad Wheel?



## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

Has anyone bought one of the Handspun (QBP) Alfine/Velocity Dyad rear wheels? The complete wheel is less then the cost of the hub alone. Am I missing something? It's not really the rim I want, but for the price I'll run it until the rim fails and still be ahead.

Any input would be appreciated.

jw


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## jmpg (Sep 17, 2008)

I have that rim combo, custom built. I've been really abusing it for almost two years now.

I think you would be really happy with the ride and durability. The only issue I have is lateral flex ( I weigh about 210) and wide tyres rubbing the chain stays on my Monocog.

And that price is fanatastic I paid 650 AUD for my build, so the price is a bargain.


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## dru (Sep 4, 2006)

That's pretty cheap. Maybe you should get it. You just need a shifter as the hub should come with the cassette joint
Drew


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## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

I've already picked up a jtek bar end shifter in hopes of finding a decent deal on a wheel. And with a complete wheel for ~$40 less the MSRP of the SG-S501 hub alone, I'm going for it. (Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.)

jw



dru said:


> That's pretty cheap. Maybe you should get it. You just need a shifter as the hub should come with the cassette joint
> Drew


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## shemers (Apr 22, 2010)

I just found this thread. It looks like a great deal! I may need to get one. Only problem is I don't have the bike yet, but I am planning to get a Monocog.

Please update when you get the wheel. I am interested to know how your experience is with the vendor. Also, what additional parts you need to get it going and how you like the result.

Thanks.


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## mgmannin (Feb 20, 2008)

*Rim Brake compatible?*

Would this wheel work with a rim brake?

Is there a reason the Afline hubes only work with certian frames? I have a 2007 GT Peace single speed that I would like to convert. Do you need a certain style of drop-outs?


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## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

It's designed for rim brakes, but it's been powder coated. I'm using red pads w/ Avid Ultimate Linear Pulls and haven't had an issue wet or dry.

The Alfine hub can work on just about any frame/drop-out. You just need to pick the correct anti-turn washers for your use.

jw



mgmannin said:


> Would this wheel work with a rim brake?
> 
> Is there a reason the Afline hubes only work with certian frames? I have a 2007 GT Peace single speed that I would like to convert. Do you need a certain style of drop-outs?


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## norcom (Feb 22, 2007)

I just picked up that rim/hub combo from AEBike and the rest of the small parts. I trashed a second derailleur and hanger a couple of days ago in less than 100 miles and I just couldn't wait for the Alfine 11 to come out. I figure I give this a try and wait for the Alfine 11 to get tested and drop in price. I'm hoping the 32 spokes and the bolt axle will stiffen up the Spider 29er this is going on. 

I picked up two cogs for the rear, a 20 and a 22. I'm thinking I'll try 27/20 to start with. I've tried to read through everything I can find on the Alfine and this might work without blowing up. I'll go up to 32 or 30 if it's too easy. I haven't ruled out running a double 32/26 front and 20 rear yet, but I would like to just keep it simple. Guess I'll see how it all comes together. Now the waiting begins.


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## mgmannin (Feb 20, 2008)

*No Cable Stops - Alfine wheel*

My bike(GT Peace 9er SS) doesn't have cable stops. Is there a way to run shifter cable to the hub without the stops?

What do people usually do regarding cable housing etc?

Is there a good "how-to" link someone could post up?


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## dru (Sep 4, 2006)

No one uses cable stops as far as I know. Recently we've been discussing custom builds using cable stops in the correct location for the Alfine, but no one else (with a production frame) uses them. The standard set-up is a full run of housing from shifter to 'cassette joint', usually along the chainstay/DT route. You can tweak things to run the cable down the SS instead. I and a few others have done this.

Drew


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## an1mal (May 28, 2004)

*Alfine 8/Dyad wheel from QBP*

I've got two Handspun Alfine 8/Velocity Dyad wheels from the Quality Bike Parts catalog (readily available from AEbike or Harrison cyclery). The Dyad rim is the same extrusion as the well reviewed Aero Heat rim and I find it to be a decent XC wheel. It is powdercoated so I'm not sure it will be great for rim brakes. It's a great deal in comparision to a bare Alfine 501 hub, even if you relace a heavier rim to it. In my opinion, it's an even better deal in comparison to a conventional wheel when you factor in the purchase price of future cassettes, chainrings, derailleurs, and bandaids (from skip-shifts/ chain suck).

The wheel comes 'bare', missing the appropriate anti-rotation washers, nuts, cog, cog snap ring, cassette joint, and cable fixing bolt. You can buy these parts individually or get the 'small parts kit' from the QBP catalog. A 'wet weather' cassette joint available seperately is also in the catalog, but appears to only provide a rubber boot to protect the shifter cable and I've had good luck with the conventional cassette joint available in the cheaper 'small parts kit' (which includes anti-rotation washers for both horizontal and convetional dropouts). Conventional cassette cogs will fit, but I find the large-tooth Alfine cogs to be very durable, affordable, and the larger ones are offset making it easier to tweak the chainline.

A full length cable housing comes with the shifter along with the cable fixing nut. I've zip-tied the full length cable housing to my SS framesets that lack cable stops and found I can switch from SS to Alfine or back in about 15 minutes. I regret having cut the cable housing on my commuter to use the cable stops as I think the full-length housing is more reliable.

After thousands of miles on a commuter and hundreds of XC miles, I will not be riding a conventional drivetrain again. A 20 tooth rear cog will provide the equivilant of a 12-38 tooth effective range. A perfectly tuned XT or XTR setup may be slightly smoother, but a dropped chain, skip-shift, muddy ride, stick in the derailleur, and/or worn cassette will make the Alfine rider smile as everyone else is crunching through their shifts.


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## TBMD9er (May 22, 2009)

*I ordered a set*

Talked to my local bike shop about the QBP Handspun Price and they said go for it, they couldn't even come close to that. No tax and free shipping.
Complete wheelset, small parts kit and cog for under $400 shipped. Seems to good to be true.

Handspun Handspun Pavement Series 1 Front Deore XT, Velocity Dyad Black Reflective $132.99
Shimano Shimano Alfine/Nexus small parts kit	$19.99
Handspun Handspun Pavement Series 2, Rear Alfine I-8, Velocity Dyad Black Reflective $240.99
Shimano Nexus 20 tooth cog, silver (FW7020)	$5.99


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## Way (Sep 22, 2010)

TBMD9er said:


> Talked to my local bike shop about the QBP Handspun Price and they said go for it, they couldn't even come close to that. No tax and free shipping.
> Complete wheelset, small parts kit and cog for under $400 shipped. Seems to good to be true.
> 
> Handspun Handspun Pavement Series 1 Front Deore XT, Velocity Dyad Black Reflective $132.99
> ...


Great find! Just looked at the website and prices are higher than in your post: $310 for the Alfine rear and $170 for the front, unless I'm looking at the wrong items.
I'd like to get at least the rear for my SS.


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## TBMD9er (May 22, 2009)

*Wow, I just ordered this morning*



Way said:


> Great find! Just looked at the website and prices are higher than in your post: $310 for the Alfine rear and $170 for the front, unless I'm looking at the wrong items.
> I'd like to get at least the rear for my SS.


Your right, they just jumped the prices up. I wonder it they had them mismarked and realized it when I placed my order. I have an order conformation and my card went through, We'll see if they honor it.


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## TBMD9er (May 22, 2009)

*They Shipped*

Order went out this morning, looks like they honored the price. Can't wait, this is my first venture into IG hubs. Now I just need a shifter


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## Morpheous (Mar 28, 2006)

I am a professional bike mechanic and _*I have this exact Wheelset from QBP/Handspun*_. Have a 3/4 a year on it light commuting with absolutely no issues(500 miles). Dyad rims have stayed true and the hubs are working flawlessly. I am moving to the Alfine 11 speed setup so *my complete set is up for sale*.Wheelset (Dyad/Alfine front and rear 32 spoke with "Halo" reflective coating, Alfine shifter, cable, small parts kit, 20T cog, and Alfine rear chain tensioner if you have vertical dropouts or multiple front chainrings, these items would be additional) So if you are not a shop employee this is your chance to by for those kind of prices.* $450 Shipped complete* to CONUS. PM for questions or interest, Paypal only. thx.


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## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

Buy an ad if you're trying to sell something. It's part of the forum rules and it only costs $2.

jw



Morpheous said:


> _my complete set is up for sale_


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## Morpheous (Mar 28, 2006)

Sorry, didnt realize. Just trying to offer them up incidentally to people interested in this IG tech.


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## svelocity (Feb 24, 2011)

Curious about these Dyad Rims. Someone mentioned the powdercoating hasn't been an issue with rim brakes but I can't imagine this is ideal. Does anyone have anymore experience with these wheels and rim brakes? Thanks!


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## hodge80 (Oct 23, 2011)

An1mal, just to clarify (sorry I'm New) you're using the Handspun Pavement Series 2 (with alfine hub) on your Mountain Bike, and have found the rims to be fine for Mountain Biking? Thanks


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## canyoneagle (Sep 27, 2007)

I have a handspun front wheel with the Alfine dynamo. It was tensioned perfectly, and is dead true after a year of daily commuting. I'd say go for it - it is a great deal, and the dyad rim is pretty solid. I'm running a 2.35 Big apple on mine and it is great.


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## canyoneagle (Sep 27, 2007)

mgmannin said:


> My bike(GT Peace 9er SS) doesn't have cable stops. Is there a way to run shifter cable to the hub without the stops?
> 
> What do people usually do regarding cable housing etc?
> 
> Is there a good "how-to" link someone could post up?


You'll need fully housed cable all the way to ensure correct shifting. The hub itself has an armature that incorporates its own cable stop, so the routing will typically be DT to driveside chainstay with a zip tie (or boss) 1/3 of the way back from the BB, then direct to the armature.
Alternatively, you can use the other washers to orient the armature up the seat stays and route your cables that way.


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## hodge80 (Oct 23, 2011)

Sorry to be a pain, new to all this, I've got at Jamis Dragon One Single Speed, which I'm wanting to convert to an alfine hub - and I'd appreciate any help. So I've bought;

Alfine CS-S500 18t Cog w/chain guide 
Alfine SL-S500 8-speed Shift lever Black 
Handspun Pavement Series 2, Front Alfine Dynamo, Velocity Dyad Black Reflective 
Handspun Pavement Series 2, Rear Alfine I-8, Velocity Dyad Black Reflective 
Shimano Alfine & Nexus 8-speed Small Parts Kit 

I've got tyres and tubes, What else do I need? Rim tape? I've got Avid Juicy Threes on it. Do I need centerlock rotors for my brakes? Or would a conversion kit be better? I've got a Bike Tool Kit which I think has the correct lock tool, but how do I know.

Thanks for any input you can offer.


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## dru (Sep 4, 2006)

The hubs take centre lock, so you could use shimano centre lock rotors or use an adapter. If you use shimano rotors just make sure the brake track is the same width as your Juicy 3s. I've used BB7 calipers with my XTR rotors and the BB7 pads are quite a bit wider (deeper) than the Xtr. 

The centre lock tool is the same one that unlocks a cassette. 

If you are converting, you need to make sure you've got your chainline close. Flip over the sprocket (opposite what the alfine manual says) and your hub chainline will be 47.5 mm. You may need to remove that guide in order to flip the sprocket. Make sure your crank chainline is close to the 47.5 mm mark, probably by running your sprocket in the middle position. You may need to screw about with this. Anywhere from 45mm to 50 mm will still work OK.

The bolts holding the Alfine on need to be very tight. Grease the threads a bit as the thread surfaces are very rough from where the flats are machine off. 

You'll need to figure out your cable routing:some of us have bent the 'cassette joint' out a bit so we can run the cable down the seat stay; the normal routing is along the chain stay.

You also need to figure out what no turn washers to use. You've got horizontal dropouts so you'll need the ones for that if you are running chainstay routing and other ones (or flip the correct ones) if you decide to do seat stay routing. It is a bit of trial and error, don't worry it will all make sense when you start building. 

Zip ties to hold the housing to the frame. Rim tape too, if your wheels don't have any.

Drew


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

If you're going to use Centerlock rotor adapters for six bolt rotors, stay away from the Problem Solvers adapter. The thing wobbles no matter how hard you try to set it straight. Shimano's centerlock-to-six-bolt adapter turns true.

Sure, you'll only be spending ten bucks on the Problem Solvers version, but you'll also toss it.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

Drew Diller said:


> If you're going to use Centerlock rotor adapters for six bolt rotors, stay away from the Problem Solvers adapter. The thing wobbles no matter how hard you try to set it straight. Shimano's centerlock-to-six-bolt adapter turns true.
> 
> Sure, you'll only be spending ten bucks on the Problem Solvers version, but you'll also toss it.


Having gone the Problem Makers route initially, I agree 100% with the above statements. Steer clear of the thing.


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## Squire Quigley (Jan 2, 2012)

canyoneagle said:


> You'll need fully housed cable all the way to ensure correct shifting...


I've actually had good luck running without housing all the way to the cassette joint. This is on a Surly X-check with cable guides under the bottom bracket. My cable exits the shifter in a housing, hits the downtube cable stop/adjuster, and then goes bare down through the BB guide, along the chainstay and winds around the cassette joint without any more housing or touching the built-in cable stop on the hub, in fact I bent the built-in stop slighly to get it out of the way. It's worked flawlessly. It does mean I have to check adjustment after changing a flat, but it's always very close because the limitation of chain length.


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## nateeprasan (Mar 18, 2011)

GrumpyOne said:


> Has anyone bought one of the Handspun (QBP) Alfine/Velocity Dyad rear wheels? The complete wheel is less then the cost of the hub alone. Am I missing something? It's not really the rim I want, but for the price I'll run it until the rim fails and still be ahead.
> 
> Any input would be appreciated.
> 
> jw


I bought it online for $265. I really don't know why It's cheaper than buying a hub alone at some LBS and it's true!


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