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Chris King Disc Hub

4.33/5 (111 Reviews)

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Weight : 432 grams MSRP : $519.00


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Product Description

  • Weight: Front 150g; Rear 282g
  • Price: Front $179; Rear $339
  • Disc Rotor Adapters


    • Review Options:  Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

    Reviews 1 - 15 (111 Reviews Total) | Next 15

    User Reviews

    Overall Rating:1
    Value Rating:1
    Submitted by Steve G a Racer

    Date Reviewed: November 12, 2012

    Strengths:    They look great.

    Weaknesses:    High maintenance, unreliable, and expensive. The rear hub has a obvious defect with the engagement mechanism.

    Bottom Line:   
    If you want a lot of bling on your bike for a trip to your local coffee shop then Chris King hubs are for you. If you need a reliable, light weight hub look elsewhere. I am now working on five rebuilds over the last two years and now currently without a rear wheel because of my Chris King rear hub. I bought the CK hubs with the expectations of these hubs lasting a while. Unfortunately I seem to be spending more time listening to my local bikeshop mechanic tell me stories about how he has finally figured out why I'm having so many problems as if he's trying to solve a rubic's cube puzzle. After talking with other friends I realize that my problem is not isolated. It's clear to me that CK is aware of the fact that there is a design flaw with the rear hub and have chosen to do nothing about it as long a there are fools, like me, who want to waste their money on a faulty product! I really wish CK would take ownership of their product, fix it, and service their customers! CK, if you're listening, feel free to contact me.

    Expand full review >>

    Duration Product Used:   3 years

    Similar Products Used:   XTR, Hadley...

    Overall Rating:3
    Value Rating:2
    Submitted by Tillers_Rule a Cross Country Rider

    Date Reviewed: August 17, 2012

    Strengths:    Look pretty, quick engagement, sound cool

    Weaknesses:    High maintenance

    Bottom Line:   
    Rear hub is fickle. Inside engagement teeth on aluminum freehub body (inside the hub, not outside where the cassette goes) wore out in less than a year. Having serviceable hubs is cool, but not when they REQUIRE servicing on a monthly basis. Building another wheelset now and I won't be using CK again.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   Lake Hodges

    Duration Product Used:   1.5 years

    Price Paid:    $450.00

    Similar Products Used:   Mavic Crossmax

    Bike Setup:   Full suspension, XC, AM, 200 lb rider.
    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:4
    Submitted by jelliott a Cross Country Rider from richmond

    Date Reviewed: February 5, 2012

    Strengths:    Awesome in all aspects. Used pretty hard for over a year raced in multiple races and Shenandoah 100 with no issues and no need for maintenance yet.

    Weaknesses:    none.

    Bottom Line:   
    Great hub that will last a ling time! Very Expensive

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   buttermilk

    Duration Product Used:   1 Year

    Price Paid:    $250.00

    Purchased At:   NAHMBS

    Similar Products Used:   Shimano LX, shimano XT, Rolf,

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by nubcake a Cross Country Rider from Colorado Springs, CO

    Date Reviewed: January 18, 2012

    Strengths:    Pretty, Durable, Quick Engagement, Easy to rebuild, pretty much everything

    Weaknesses:    I sometimes wish I bought the stainless drive shell so I could use a cheaper cassette

    Bottom Line:   
    Fantastic hubs. I have seen some of these hubs go 5+ years without being serviced despite lots of muddy races and lots of miles, even though the bearings were rough, all it took was a cleaning and greasing and they felt as good as new. I have never had to replace a part in a king hub but have had to replace a few sets of bearings in various I9 wheels.

    Expand full review >>

    Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

    Similar Products Used:   Shimano (4-5 freehub body failures) Sram x-7, I-9

    Bike Setup:   4.5in travel FS bike, has seen some light DH use and lots over very aggressive XC trails with lots of rocks, roots, drops.
    Overall Rating:2
    Value Rating:2
    Submitted by Aslan a Cross Country Rider from Chico, Ca

    Date Reviewed: November 11, 2011

    Strengths:    Beautiful, light, strong. Front hub is great. Instant engagement is really nice.

    Weaknesses:    Rear hub requires monthly maintenance. Rear hub loosens up in less than 50 miles of riding. Ring drive had to be replaced after one year, even after adhering to the maintenance cycles.

    Bottom Line:   
    I get what the man below is saying. I do not have issues with needing to maintain my equipment; however, it is not reasonable to expect a rider to have to tinker with a hub on a monthly basis. It is relaxing to go into the garage and wrench but I should not HAVE TO DO IT. Not on parts this expensive. Rebuild-able and user serviceable should not translate to you must constantly rebuild and service, with new parts and proprietary tools.

    My xtr stuff is cheaper, lighter, and as durable and only requires maintenance every two years or so. When I bought this Chris King hub I was thinking it would need the maintenance that their excellent headsets require, which is almost none. In sum, nice parts but the amount of maintenance required to keep the rear hub running and free of play is just not reasonable.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   The one I am riding

    Duration Product Used:   2 Years

    Similar Products Used:   xtr, xt, old school nuke proofs

    Bike Setup:   Moots Cinco with a very nice parts spec.
    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:4
    Submitted by Biomedikal Gangsta a Cross Country Rider from Salt Lake City, Utah

    Date Reviewed: May 14, 2011

    Strengths:    Rear Ck hub = incredible engagement - most direct transfer of power from foot to rear hub that money can buy

    Weaknesses:    Relatively higher drag (rear). I suppose that a weakness from the perspective of people who are too afraid to pick up a wrench and properly maintain their equipment would be that you have to service these beauties relatively frequently. That's more a problem for them than the hubs, though.

    Bottom Line:   
    First year on my Chris King rear hub. In a word (or two)? HOLEE FRAK! Chris King rear hubs climb like nothing I've ever experienced before: Foot and wheel move synchronously, and it's a damn beautiful thing. CK sacrifices a bit of drag for a whole lot of grab. These hubs represent one of the best designs in the history of bicycle sports, bottom line.
    Given the clear excellence of CK hubs, it's frustrating to read all of the whiners on this thread. The negative commenters are almost completely composed of naive whiners who obviously invested more money than knowledge in their decision to buy CK hubs.
    CK ownership implies a mutually understood respect between buyer & seller. CK guarantees manufacturing defects on their end, and their machine tolerances are truly amazing. CK makes products that push the limits of performance but are constrained by considerations of durability. They push it a bit more toward the performance side because they rely on their customers to not be idiots (an incredibly rare thing these days). They expect a bit of thought (i.e. READING & UNDERSTANDING THE FU**ING MAINTENANCE GUIDE) on the part of the buyer for the whole thing to work.
    OF COURSE the ignorant whiners on this thread had bad experiences with the CK staff! CK expected more from you than you're used to. CK folks are right to be annoyed with idiotic questions from fools who thought they were dealing with McBike Inc. when they bought their wheels.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   I could never pick a favorite. Utah is epic.

    Duration Product Used:   1 Year

    Price Paid:    $325.00

    Purchased At:   ebay

    Similar Products Used:   Mavic, Shimano XTR, Shimano XT

    Bike Setup:   2009 Titus Racer-X (aluminum); XT all around & XTR cranks; 2010 Fox Float RLC 120mm & 2010 Fox RP23; front wheel Mavic SL, rear CK hub & Stan's Olympic rim.
    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by ltb a Racer from annandale QLD

    Date Reviewed: March 6, 2011

    Strengths:    good quality finish, strength, user servicability

    Weaknesses:    cost? user servicability

    Bottom Line:   
    We live in a world of high end bike gear with inbuilt obsolesence top of the list, yearly "product improvements etc" which do nothing but eek more money out of our pockets. Do yourself a favour and get with old school cycle maintenance and still top line ultra lightweight quality, the freehub, finish, fit and quality is superb. My mate just paid $600 for a bike service - $600! get gear like this and you do it yourself with a once in a lifetime tool purchase, read the maunal and get peace of mind that the job is done well and right - by you!

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   redtail black

    Duration Product Used:   6 months

    Price Paid:    $400.00

    Purchased At:   forgot

    Similar Products Used:   XTR, crossmax, american classic, (cheng huar - american classics! same) DT swiss, crank bros cobalts etc

    Bike Setup:   Ibis mojo, Sram XX, stans etc.
    Overall Rating:1
    Value Rating:1
    Submitted by splice35mm a Cross Country Rider from SImi Valley, CA

    Date Reviewed: February 25, 2011

    Strengths:    Supposed reputation? Unique sound? Lots of quality time spent wrenching in the garage?

    Weaknesses:    Value and longevity isn't there. Lack of support through Chris King.

    Bottom Line:   
    The noise and constant maintenance required for Chris King hubs is a bit annoying, but beware... their anodized colors can fade inconsistently. I bought a pair of RED hubs about three years ago, and now the front hub is PINK while the rear remains red. I sent them to Chris King tech-support for service and they couldn't care less. "Our colors aren't covered under warranty. Your internals remain beautiful." Great, thanks. Much like that ugly fat girl with the really good personality? This is a high-end, very expensive set of hubs - I expected them to have decent longevity in both function and appearance. Look for these on eBay soon. Cheap!

    Expand full review >>

    Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

    Price Paid:    $500.00

    Bike Setup:   2010 Niner RIP 9
    Overall Rating:1
    Value Rating:1
    Submitted by taborbov2 a Weekend Warrior from Ashland,OR, USA

    Date Reviewed: April 7, 2010

    Strengths:    When the rear hub is actually working, it is stellar performance.The front hub {also King) has given me no trouble whatsoever.

    Weaknesses:    Very poor customer service regarding warranty service. The Chris King customer service is obstinate, recalcitrant, only negative connotations come to mind!

    Bottom Line:   
    All my other King components (BB,headset, front hub have been fine. Only the rear hub has been problematic. Also, after dealing with their "customer service" department, (a misnomer if ever there was one) I would not purchase any of their product line again. There are simply too many good choices out there, Hadley, Phil Wood, DT Swiss to name a few.To those of you who are still considering a King hub, especially a rear one, well... I wish you the best of luck!!!

    Expand full review >>

    Duration Product Used:   6 months

    Price Paid:    $400.00

    Purchased At:   Fullcycls.com

    Similar Products Used:   Shimano XT hubs, DT SWiss 240

    Bike Setup:   Turner Flux
    Overall Rating:1
    Value Rating:1
    Submitted by dbuilt a Cross Country Rider

    Date Reviewed: February 9, 2010

    Strengths:    loud and rides well when it isnt loose

    Weaknesses:    gets loose too much , complex

    Bottom Line:   
    If you want a good low maintenance hub look else where ( hadley)

    Expand full review >>

    Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

    Price Paid:    $250.00

    Purchased At:   local bike shop

    Similar Products Used:   Hadley

    Bike Setup:   XC trail ridding
    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by 22GILBERT22 a Weekend Warrior from Phoenix AZ

    Date Reviewed: January 18, 2010

    Strengths:    I use to brake xt's every 8 rides going up Mormon Trail, Now I rode National trail 12 times( which is a lot more demanding on a hub, with a 240 lb. rider like myself) and I havn't broke the free hub. For me, if this freehub doesn't break... its like gold. The bzzzz, The bling, The colors, The engagement, and hopefully the Durability is worth the money over xt's that break under real torque.

    Weaknesses:    None so far....All real Mountain bikers deserve to ride Kings.

    Bottom Line:   
    If your a Big boy and like to ride hard,climb hard, drop hard, don't waste your time and money on some weak hubs that will cost you more in the long haul.

    $863.00 was for the complete wheelset.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   National

    Duration Product Used:   3 months

    Price Paid:    $863.00

    Purchased At:   rbikes

    Similar Products Used:   The best I could ride was xt's. I recomend xt's if you weigh around 175 lbs. or less, but they don't come close to Kings!!!

    Bike Setup:   Jamis XLT 5 inch travel, Nixon 145mm fork, mavic 819 king ISO hubs, Gravity Dropper Turbo
    Overall Rating:3
    Value Rating:2
    Submitted by slimat99 a Cross Country Rider from Evergreen CO

    Date Reviewed: March 26, 2009

    Strengths:    engagement, quality parts, looks, made in usa

    Weaknesses:    feewheel drag, needs service often, doesn't seal out contaminants well, have to buy CK ring drive lube

    Bottom Line:   
    The engagement is super nice! If you like pedaling through technical terrain that requires you to ratchet your cranks you will love this hub. When you need to get on the gas your energy is transfered instantly. I really like this hub for that reason, but over all, I think there are better options out there for the price. I say this because CK hubs need too much attention; if you don't stay on top of servicing the rear hub drag becomes very pronounced, and if you get caught in a bad storm, or expose the hub to too much water/crud during a ride, freewheel drag can end your ride. I've owned cheap hubs that seal out the elements better than this. Very disappointing. With all the freewheel drag the hub has even when it's in perfect working order, you would think it would seal out everything, but that's not the case. For this reason I'm thinking about selling my hubs. Even after servicing my CK rear hub, there is still more freewheel drag than my cheapo atom lab DH hub on my other bike. I guess the ring drive system causes drag cheaper pawl systems don't? The best hub I've owned to date was a hope bulb with a 3 pawl design. Never had one issue with it over 2 years of hard riding, and getting caught in multiple storms. For the price, CK should be able to match that.

    Expand full review >>

    Duration Product Used:   2 Years

    Similar Products Used:   hope (very nice), shimano junk, wtb, azonic, atom lab,

    Bike Setup:   Nomad AM/FR build
    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by RobertCShay a Cross Country Rider from Stamford, CT, USA

    Date Reviewed: March 11, 2009

    Strengths:    Ringdrive drive system
    User serviceable and rebuildable
    Well made
    tight tolerances

    Weaknesses:    None yet

    Bottom Line:   
    I purchased the rear ISO hub for the Ringdrive system because I icebike through the winter. The Ringdrive system is superior, in my opinion, for icebiking. Forward motion on the pedals mechanically screw together the drive and driven gears to ensure engagement. The DTswiss 240 model comes closest to this secure engagement because it has two springs that push together the drive gears for engagement. Other model hubs I considered use Pawls - Shimano has two, others have more(and more moving parts).

    The Chris King ISO hub has demonstrated superior engagement in the coldest temperatures I've ridden so far - 6 degrees F. I did winterize my Shimano Freehub, but with only two Pawls it didn't give me much confidence and I didn't want to get stuck in the cold.

    I purchased the Chris King tool and took apart the hub and replaced the Proprietary grease with Pedro's Synlube. Works fantastic in the cold. Funny that the Synlube actually makes the hub quieter compared to the Proprietary grease. In temps above 30 degrees F I put the Proprietary grease back in.

    Highly recommended hub for icebiking in below freezing temperatures.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   Anything Iced over

    Duration Product Used:   3 months

    Price Paid:    $350.00

    Purchased At:   Excelsports.com

    Similar Products Used:   XT, Duraace, Ultegra

    Bike Setup:   2008 Stumpjumper comp
    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by cormactooze a Weekend Warrior from Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA

    Date Reviewed: October 2, 2008

    Strengths:    Long term durabilty, service with a 2.5mm wrench on the trail, light weight, strength

    Weaknesses:    not compatable with straight pull spokes

    Bottom Line:   
    Long term durabilty, service with a 2.5mm wrench on the trail, light weight, strength

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   Pats Track

    Bike Setup:   29er HardTail, Wide tires, 5" Fork-20mm thru axle, King Headset & Hubs, Stans Flow Rims, Stans Kit, SRAM X-0, Carbon Post & Bars, Disk Brakes
    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by hardmtnbiker a Cross Country Rider from Pasadena

    Date Reviewed: June 10, 2008

    Strengths:    easy to service and precision looks and craftmanship

    Weaknesses:    Aluminum driveshell but can be replaced with steel.Pricy but worth it.

    Bottom Line:   
    I have 2 sets. The first I bought over 10 years ago as the Bontrager Race-lite wheelset. These where converted to ISO disc and laced up to Mavic 717. The second set is over 4 years old and laced up to 819's. They both preform great and make climbing technical stuff easier and pedaling out of the turn faster. I like the buzz sound too. The thing to remember is to SERVICE them and send to to CK for a overhaul every couple of years. They need to be checked and tightened after hard rides but what doesn't? They roll better when warmed up so climb a little and you should not get backlash. The few parts that have been replaced are the springs,bearing seals and one driveshell. If they developed some type of axle conversion for the front hubs(they have "Fun Bolts" for the rear)then it would improve them for harder riding. I just don't think the old fashion QR skewers where made for 4 to 5.5" travel bikes of today. I have the the steel Salsa QR's but let's face it through axle is a better set up.If you are buying soon I would wait to see what they come out with or seriously consider upgrading your fork and getting a 20mmTA.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   any technical single track

    Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

    Price Paid:    $650.00

    Purchased At:   LBS

    Similar Products Used:   STX,LX,XT,and XTR.

    Bike Setup:   5.5" trailbike and old hardtail with 3" fork.
    Reviews 1 - 15 (111 Reviews Total) | Next 15

    Review Options:  Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

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