The ultimate front wheel starts with the ultimate hubthe Chris King Classic High Flange Hub. Ultra-smooth spinning bearings, perfect finish, and undeniable durability ensure you're rolling down the road with class and performance.
Submitted by
tribalypredisposed
a Cross Country Rider
from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 3, 2010
Strengths: Unbelievable customer service, amazingly light, amazingly strong and just shy of indestructible, takes enormous amounts of abuse even when poorly maintained.
Weaknesses: After a hard crash with a taxi followed by 12 years of abuse daily, including several years of NYC messenger work and commuting and trails and bike polo and even some road racing on my cyclocross, I finally popped the flanges. while riding in -10F or so, after approx 60,000 miles and three wheels on two bikes.
Bottom Line:
After an incredible amount of abuse, being part of a wheel literally blown off the bike by a taxi while the rest of the bike flew 25-30 feet through the air, followed by 60, 000 miles of hardcore abuse and neglect in everything from 117f to -20f, the flanges died. I sent them to Chris King and they replaced the shell and completely rebuilt the hub to factory spec, new bearings and seals and so on, free of charge, and thanked me in the bargain. Even if you destroy these, which no one can even believe I managed to do, Chris King has your back and will take very good care of you.
Weaknesses: after a couple of years the color started to fade(red).
Bottom Line:
wonderful product, but didn't get a chance to get the shell replace due to the store's closing. wondering if the company still can make the exchange after the warrenty period ran out.
gave it 3 chilis because my otherwise awesome looking bike is marred only by the faded hub.
Favorite Trail: Tsali, Oak Mountain (AL), Big Mountain (MT)
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: ebay
Bike Setup: Kona Explosif w/ xt, xtr, race face
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Submitted by
depp
a Cross Country Rider
from Methcondido
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2008
Strengths: Stiff as they come, the sound is appealing, and unique. The hub is indistructable, and bearings can be serviced by the purchaser. Compared to Mavic crossmax there is no comparison. This will be the only hubs you'll buy. Customer service is top notch.
Weaknesses: Price but hey you get what you pay for, and they need to move to straight pull spokes for durability issues, regarding the spokes of course.
Bottom Line:
These hubs are the last hubs you'll buy. Dont buy the foreign junk. If you want the best these are them.
Similar Products Used: Crossmax Crossride whats the differance.
Bike Setup: Intense tracer Chris King USA
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Submitted by
Brady
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2007
Strengths: Durable, Instant engagement, User serviceable, smooth as butter.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I've had these hubs for eleven years, I HAVE NEVER EVER HAD ONE SINGLE PROBLEM WITH THEM, AND THUS, NO REGRETS. I have worn out three sets of rims and two bicycles with this single set of hubs! They are now on a third bike! I believe the secret to their success is all due to the engenieering genius of Chris King, and his brilliant idea of a user friendly design. You don't need three hands and a vice to service these hubs, two 5mm hex wrenches slide in where your skewer lives and pow! you're in! On the trail, at the camp site or in the garage. this ease of service makes it quick and simple for you or your mechanic to tune (clean & repack) that you'll do it more often thereby extending the hubs life. (This is a preseason ritual for me.)I've put tens of thousands of miles on these hubs, oh did I mention I weigh two hundred pounds and that I love to climb and descend the harsh-bump-and-grind, trials-like, technical trails? Anyone who rides technical cross country or trials will tell you the more points of engagement your freewheel has, the better. In other words, the less you have to ratchet your cranks to find a point of engagement the easier it is to keep your pedals in their power "sweet spot" for greater control. Beg, borrow, pan-handle or simply save enough money to buy Chris King hubs! If you don't, remember this, you'll be buying twice as many inferior hubs for the same amount of benjamins and you will have spent less time on the trail! (happy trails guys and gals.)
Submitted by
steve holcomb
a Weekend Warrior
from tampa florida
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2007
Strengths: 5yrs old and going strong w/1000's of miles on them. Granted, I ride in "clean conditions" and rarely on dirt roads or when it is raining. These are the best hub I have every owned, and I have cycled 10's of thousands of miles.
Weaknesses: After 5yrs, I have found no weaknesses. About a month after starting to ride on these hubs, they loosened up alittle, which is normal for the "break in period". I easily adjusted them, AND HAVE NOT HAD TO ADJUST THEM AGAIN, EVER !
Bottom Line:
If you can afford these hubs, get them, they are the best hubs on the market in my opinion.
Similar Products Used: Campy Record and Campy Super Record Hubs, and they are great too, but I rate Cris King a step above
Bike Setup: doesn't matter.
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Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Saint Louis, Missouri USA
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2006
Strengths: Indestructable and jewell like quality. A really nice set of hubs.
Weaknesses: The seals for the bearings, making them last such a long time, are WAY TOO STIFF!!!
Bottom Line:
I hand built a set of Chris Kings with Mavic rims and Wheelsmith spokes, blahblahblah... Bottom line was that I put over 1000 miles on these hubs and the seals for the bearings still dragged way too much. They talk break-in mileage for these things, but it was rediculous. I have built a set of Phil Wood hub wheels and they roll way better than the Chris Kings, even after 1k on the CK's.
The hubs are really nice and built well, no doubt about it. But the drag from the seals is way too much. Loosen up, Chris (Pun intended)!
Similar Products Used: Various Shimano, Phil Wood, etc...
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Submitted by
Brian Jay
a Cross Country Rider
from Cleveland, OH
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2006
Strengths: Still strong and smooth. Good service (I did pester them a bit 'cause I thought they could be faster)
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
This is a follow-up to a previous post (see below) The ratchet wore out after 10 years of all kinds of riding. I sent the wheel back to Chris King where they gutted the hub and put in all new + upgrades for $25. It cost me more to ship it than the repair cost. It is better than new, and for those of you who perceive added drag from the ratchet, I out-coasted 13 other bikes including 2 guys on 29ers on several dirt roads in PA last month just to test them. I'm 185#, running 2.3" Vertical Pros at 35-40 psi. The front hub has been adjusted maybe twice, and survived a 4" post going through my spokes (call that a minor trajectory miscalulation - oops) Thses hubs are great!
Submitted by
Maxim
a Cross Country Rider
from Urawa
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2006
Strengths: 72pt
Weaknesses: Price If you tell something they'd like not to hear, chris king won't give you warranty Customer service 5-year kid level drilling job bearing rolling resistance
Bottom Line:
The one I purchased today was the worst hub. (king SS rear hub)
Spoke hole drilling was worse than the chinese hub.
I mailed king and they rejected my mail address.
I've paid $400 and got the botch.
I complaint Ms Adrian Knapp about bearing price before and sounds like she put my address to black list.
You can try my e-mail address vengo_subito@hotmail.com and chris king rejects it and other fake email pass.
Bike Setup: All of my bikes were equipped with king hubs and won't in the future
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Submitted by
Maxim
a Cross Country Rider
from Urawa
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2006
Strengths: 72pt
Weaknesses: Price If you tell something they'd like not to hear, chris king won't give you warranty Customer service 5-year kid level drilling job bearing rolling resistance
Bottom Line:
The one I purchased today was the worst hub. (king SS rear hub)
Spoke hole drilling was worse than the chinese hub.
I mailed king and they rejected my mail address.
I've paid $400 and got the botch.
I complaint Ms Adrian Knapp about bearing price before and sounds like she put my address to black list.
You can try my e-mail address vengo_subito@hotmail.com and chris king rejects it and other fake email pass.
Bike Setup: All of my bikes were equipped with king hubs and won't in the future
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Submitted by
Brian Jay
a Cross Country Rider
from Cleveland, OH
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2006
Strengths: This set is 10 years old! ...and they're still just as PURPLE as the day I laced them up. They have been on a fully rigid bike the whole time and have survived the roughest terrain: Snowshoe, W.VA (like Gut Hammer and the like); Windy Gap, Fort Mt., and Bull Mt. GA; Laurel Highlands and Wolf Rocks PA.
Weaknesses: I think the ratchet finally wore out (must be coasting too much). I can't find anyone local with the King hub service tools. They are also very expensive - more than I would currently spend for hubs of any sort.
Bottom Line:
When the flange rips off a Nuke Proof front hub (laced x-3) and the freehub strips out of the rear, what do you replace them with?
Bike Setup: Full rigid X-C Stumpy w/ Instigator fork (in its 3rd revision)
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Submitted by
T.J. Hogan
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson
Date Reviewed: July 3, 2006
Strengths: Made in U.S.A. by American kids (how often can you say that in this day and age of unrivaled greed?) Customer Service Department is the greatest. Smooth, quick engagement. Product pride.
Weaknesses: Nada
Bottom Line:
If you have the ca$h, don't be afraid to buy the best. Expect nothing but great service and even better support from the folks at Chris King. I beat the s*** out of these hubs! They are OVER ten years old and just recently needed a rebuild. I am hard on stuff and unforgiving of s*** that doesn't work. Buy and ride with complete confidence that IF something goes wrong, they will have your back. NEVER seen a company stand behind their product like Chris King. I stick with what works and my next bike(s) will have CK hub(s) and headset(s).
Similar Products Used: Shimano XT hubs, WTB Laserdiscs, WTB DH, etc.
Bike Setup: Marin Mt Vision Pro, Fox float, Marzocchi Z1, Shimano XT, Mavic X729s, C.K. headset.
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Submitted by
Robert Perkins
a Racer
from Brampton Ont Canada
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2006
Strengths: Re-Post,I wanted to give Chris King a futher review.My complaint was excessive drag.I removed two plastic washers,very thin behind the bearings.Wheels spin very freely and no complaints. All the good points listed in reviews are true and my only complaint corrected.It could have been i just set the bearings in to tight on adjustment but i don't think so. I had bearings removed by shops and when rebuit problem remained. Washers out hubs spin great with no problems.They are not my race wheels anymore and use them to train in spring winter rain mud snow etc.No maintance or reliabilty issues. Will change my score to fives.
Weaknesses: Price, but you do get what you pay for.
Bottom Line:
These hubs are great for the desert and various mountain ranges in the area. After a break in period of three weeks I tightened them according to the instructions and they have been great ever since. I have had literally Zero problems or complaints with them. I ride an average of 60 miles a week. I mainly do XC riding with some rock beds and they have done a great job of handling my big butt(250 lbs). I rather like the loud characteristics of the hubs.
Similar Products Used: Shimano STX, LX, XT, Bontager Superstock, Real Designs, Ringle
Bike Setup: Jamis Dragon, Marz. X-Fly 80, Race Face Turbine Cranks, Truvative Giga-pipe BB, XO rear der., XTR front der., Chris King Classic Hubs w/Rhyno Lite Rims, Thomson Stem, Monkeylite XC handle bars, Stans no-tubes, and Syncros seat post.
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Submitted by
Rico Mundy
a Cross Country Rider
from Angwin, CA
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2005
Strengths: They look beautiful. The cartridge bearing seals are the best out there. Easy to disassemble and maintain with standard tools.
Weaknesses: I stripped out the ringdrive gear mechanism once and two times had the rear hub start loosening itself.
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up to a another review I put in several years ago.
Here are my current riding stats for these hubs: 7100 miles 5 years
That says quite a bit to me. They have proved quite durable over the long run with minimal maintenance. I do want to mention one problem that I did have when they were about 4 years old. BTW I do maintenance on the hubs 2-3 times a year. I was riding up a steep singletrack and at the top I went to do the final power stroke to clear the hill. There was a metallic cracking clinking sound and my pedal swung down hard. At first I thought I had stripped the teeth off my cog but further inspection revealed I had stripped all the teeth off the ring drive mechanism. Luckily I was still under the King 5 year hub warranty and when I sent it in they decently replaced the whole freehub body and ringdrive mechanism with the latest version. It was excellent service and I was glad to see they stood behind their warranty. However, I don't feel like I'm quite so much an advocate of King hubs since the incident. I love their headsets though
