# Your favorite hubs for touring?



## L4NE4 (Apr 24, 2007)

I currently ride a Surly Troll for commuting (18mi one way) and would like to build this bike for commuting and bikepacking. It currently has Hope hubs which are great but I am looking to replace them with something easily rebuilt with parts readily available (the Hopes will go on my MTB). I am thinking of Shimano rear hub with a Dynamo front hub. 

What are you guys using? What are guys on the Divide using?


----------



## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

Shimanos tend to be a popular choice because they CAN be rebuilt, the downside being that they NEED to be rebuilt on a regular basis. And if you let them go to far you will need cones, which can be hard to find. I tend to like simple sealed cartridge bearing hubs as they tend to have very long maintainance cycles, and if your less likely to damage parts that won't just be replaced at the time of service (the whole bearing assembly gets replaced). And, since cartridge bearing tend to "off the shelf" type products they tend to be incredibly easy to find. Most medium sized towns will have an industrial supply business or well stocked hardware store that will have them or can get them, and your not reliant on just one company to make and supply them. 

Although freehubs are a different ball game.


----------



## L4NE4 (Apr 24, 2007)

big_papa_nuts said:


> Shimanos tend to be a popular choice because they CAN be rebuilt, the downside being that they NEED to be rebuilt on a regular basis. And if you let them go to far you will need cones, which can be hard to find. I tend to like simple sealed cartridge bearing hubs as they tend to have very long maintainance cycles, and if your less likely to damage parts that won't just be replaced at the time of service (the whole bearing assembly gets replaced). And, since cartridge bearing tend to "off the shelf" type products they tend to be incredibly easy to find. Most medium sized towns will have an industrial supply business or well stocked hardware store that will have them or can get them, and your not reliant on just one company to make and supply them.
> 
> Although freehubs are a different ball game.


Those are good points. If I stuck with my Hopes I could just pack a few of their bearings, they weigh almost nothing and take up very little space.

After I post this topic I also remembered that I have Mavic 819 rims with their FORE technology which could end up being pretty goofy if I need to replace one of the inserts. I also have bladed spokes, even though for a replacement I could use anything. Maybe I should just sell this wheelset and buy/build what I want? I may be sticking with Hopes though.


----------



## SimpleJon (Mar 28, 2011)

I run Chris King Rear and a SON 28 15mm 6 bolt disc Dynamo hub upfront. I really like the Son compared to my ancient Shimano dyno hub that bit the bullet last year, the resistance when not charging is minimal and it provides 3Watts at lower speeds 7 to 8 mph as opposed to over 10. It is also a typical example of teutonic over engineering I think the sun will have run out of hydrogen before this thing breaks down although I haven't really done any huge rides on it yet. Downside is the cost at about $400 but they are guaranteed to be service free for 50,000Km.
I can run the dyno hub with either my RS SID or the KM 9mm QR fork using a Nukeproof conversion kit so it is pretty flexible.

I use kings because I have never had an issue with them in thousands of Km, I have run Hopes on other bikes and bust a pawl once, but the good thing about them is that you can buy service kits relatively inexpensively and most of it is light enough to carry. If your bearings are new you won't need to carry spare ones - and a couple of spare pawls and springs for the freehub are negligible weight to shove in your spares kit plus it is a simple job to replace them in camp on an evening (I use BB7's over hydros for the same reason). i would go with the Hopes over Shimano to be honest, but then I suppose you would have to have some means to get the cassette off - why I think kings would be my choice.

I am doing a 1100 Km (700 mile) back country ride in Australia in September so I will give the set up a full long distance test. For this trip I am running XX1 on my KM that is destined for my race bike, longterm I am toying with the idea of a rohloff for the rrear (end of project bonus burning a hole in my pocket)


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

I say Hope hubs. Fairly simple, easy to service, virtually tool free.


----------



## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

Hopes rock! Just find some SKS bearings that fit the hubs and they will be as solid as the SON. I sold a wheelset with a Hope rear/SON front, so I can upgrade to a SON28 with a 15mm through axle.

Good luck and you probably won't go wrong with Hadley, Hope, CK, or DT.


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

Hopes or DT 350's

Reasonably priced, reasonable weight, easy as heck to service, proven reliability.

XT hubs are nice if you're main concern is price, and will yield a lot of use but they do need to be tended to regularly. They're also boat anchors.


----------



## ScaryJerry (Jan 12, 2004)

As one more vote for your Hope hubs, I've got a set of Evo's and have done a complete bearing service on the sidewalk using a park multi tool and other odds and ends.


----------



## L4NE4 (Apr 24, 2007)

Looks like ill stick with the hopes then! Just get some new rims and spokes and im good to go.


----------



## SimpleJon (Mar 28, 2011)

If you have the cash go with a dyno hub upfront - once you have used them for multi day stuff you will never look back. My Shimano dyohub bust last year (just replaced with SON 28 15mm Disc) not being able to listen to music or the radio in camp on my phone to keep the batteries, having the GPS batteries die and when getting to a town faffing about trying to find somewhere to charge everything and then waiting about was a pain.

As far as I am concerned dynohubs are the only reliable power generation devices for cyclists. I live 1' N of the equator I tried out one of those solar chargers they are OK on rest days when you can keep the thing constantly in the sun for the whole day but couldn't even get 10% on an iPhone with the thing strapped to my seat bag for a whole day. 
A full day with the Son 28 will charge an iPhone 5 from flat, an Edge 810 from flat and still have some juice left over in the 1600mah battery.

I went with the Son 28 as I thought it was the only 15mm available however apparently Shutter Precision make a 15mm now that is about 2/3 the price. If I had known I would have probably gone for this but I am not too bothered as there is not much info out there on the reliability, output and drag of the SP where as the Son is known to be bomb proof, minimal resistance and a proven output at pretty low speeds.


----------



## JYB (Nov 12, 2011)

I like both White Industries rear hubs and the I9 torch that I have been running for the last few months. By far my gave front hub is the SP(Shutter Precision) dynamo hub. Although I've only been running it for a few months, it has seen hard duty on trails etc. It allows me to use my phone as GPS and camera, never dropping below 40% charge. It cost less than $200, and has been thoroughly proven and rested in the wild by many hardcore riders.


----------



## pierre meux (Dec 1, 2008)

XT hubs in my experience require too much adjusting too frequently and are not strong enough for loaded touring; I snapped an axle dirt touring three or four years ago. 

For me, these hubs have proven durable across years of loaded dirt touring and commuting:

SP switchable and non-switchable dynamo front hub 
Chris King front hub
Chris King tandem rear hub with nuts - this is the ideal rear hub for loaded dirt touring in my opinion. Bomber and reliable.


----------



## pierre meux (Dec 1, 2008)

Re: SP reliability

I have been running two switchable and one non switchable SP dynamos for three or four years both commuting and on many loaded dirt tours in rocky and rough terrain, submerged in stream crossings, etc. Their drag is excellent. They have been 100% reliable and problem free.


----------



## SimpleJon (Mar 28, 2011)

I got some bum info from the normally reliable local dealer on the SPs he told me that they didnt make a 15mm version. Turns out they do so I ended up getting a Son online, as I said I am not so bothered as they work very well just more expensive.


----------



## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Mr Pink57 said:


> I say Hope hubs. Fairly simple, easy to service, virtually tool free.


+1 - What would the benefit of going Shimano be? For a short or medium trip just service your Hopes before you leave and you'll be fine. For a long trip either carry some bearings or have a friend at home mail you a set when you need a rebuild.

My bikepacking bike has a Hope front hub and a Rohloff IGH in the rear.

If I was running gears or SS I'd just use a Hope in the rear as well.


----------



## albeant (Feb 24, 2004)

I generally don't mind Shimano, but for touring I like a rear hub with an easily-removable freehub (like DT star-ratchet hubs & others), so if I have to replace a spoke I can just pull off the whole freehub with the cassette installed (and the cassette tool stays at home).


----------



## hydepark (Jul 23, 2007)

pierre meux said:


> XT hubs in my experience require too much adjusting too frequently and are not strong enough for loaded touring; I snapped an axle dirt touring three or four years ago.


I saw an XT cassette body snapped in half recently so I agree they are not strong enough for loaded touring. I am going to replace the one on my touring bike (sheepish look) with a White Industries asap.



albeant said:


> I generally don't mind Shimano, but for touring I like a rear hub with an easily-removable freehub (like DT star-ratchet hubs & others), so if I have to replace a spoke I can just pull off the whole freehub with the cassette installed (and the cassette tool stays at home).


With the Unior Cassette Lockring tool you can take the cassette off without carrying bulky tools, so that should not be a consideration.


----------

