Submitted by
mtbhead
a Downhiller
from San Joser, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2010
Strengths: Totally freakin bulletproof. High quality. Looks great. Even the freehub sounds cool...
Weaknesses: None. OK, maybe it doesn't have the instant engagement of the 72-pt Hadleys or Chris Kings...
Bottom Line:
These are marked "Hayes" on one side, and "DT Hugi" on the other. Fronts are 20mm thru-axle. I've figured out that these are also known as the "98/99 Hugi" hubs, and they share the same rear axle as the modern DT 340 hub (perhaps much of the 340s are the same as these?). I've rocked the same wheelset on my DH bike for 10 years. I admit I don't race it much anymore, but it still sees park time at Northstar at least once a year with these wheels. I've done zero maintenance to them, and they just keep on working. Big drops, doubles, railing corners, mud, rain, double-black diamond rocky-as-heck downhill runs, etc. They just keep on working... I'm impressed even more with the Mavic D321 rims that these are mated to, but that's another review...
Similar Products Used: WTB, Shimano, Ringle, Specialized
Bike Setup: Karpiel Disco Volante - 10 years old
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Dionne
a Weekend Warrior
from Newton, MA
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2010
Bottom Line:
The ratchet action started skipping on the Hugi hub on my tandem. It had no service in the 5+ years I've had it. I found instructions here and at the DTSwiss.com site. They all said to pull off the "adapter" piece (the outermost part of the axle) and also to pull off the entire freehub (the part that holds the cassette.)
I managed to pull off the adapter on the left side, but the adapter on the right would not come off. I came pretty close to ruining it trying to get it off. Finally I realized that it is THREADED onto the end of the axle, and it came right off. It actually has flats for a wrench, though they are small and easily missed. I had initially tried turning the thing, but it just rotated because at that point I still had the adapter on the left side, and the axle was spinning where the adapter mounts.
So the bottom line is: if you have this kind of hub, pull off the left adapter, grip the axle there, and remove the right side adapter with a 17mm wrench.
The reason the ratchets were failing is just that the old grease was gumming things up. I also noticed that the "gear teeth" on the outside of one of the ratchet pieces was worn, so I swapped the two ratchet pieces which are identical.
Submitted by
msujedi
a Cross Country Rider
from Macomb, MI. US
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2010
Strengths: Light & Durable
Weaknesses: a bit loud
Bottom Line:
I built my 'dream-ride' part by part from '94-'96 as I had money in college. Ahh, so light & quick! The Hugi hubs glide smoothly! After 1 month of riding, my bike was thrown from its rack during a highway car accident...only to be run over by 2 big rigs before I was able to get back to it! The rims, spokes, and tires were trashed. The stem, handlebars, and brake levers were tweaked. But, everything else was fine! Ok, so the frame had a few minor dents & scratches, but no structural damage. I replaced the front end parts & had my Hugi hubs re-spoked with a lower-grade rim due to financial constraints. 14yrs and many many mountain & road miles later I need to replace my rims...but I plan to continue to use my Hugi hubs. From my experience, they're BOMB PROOF! I don't understand why some of the others have had a different experience.
Strengths: Never had a problem with these. Although mine are about 10 years old, or so...
Weaknesses: None, that I've ever had.
Bottom Line:
I've been riding on mine for about 10 years now, and was informed by the tech at Colorado Cyclist that the hubset that I was having built up for mountain use, was actually a road hub. But I had them build them up anyway. I've been running them on a Rocky Mountain Team Only Vertex (aluminum hard tail) and a Specialized carbon/ti suspention fork (80mm) with no problems at all, and would have to say that these are probably the best hubs I've ridden (20 years experiance). Colorado Cyclist builds up some great wheelsets. My rear tire locked horns with a pretty big branch last year, that bent one spoke and knocked it slightly out of dish, but nothing wrong with the hubs. Maybe the production standards have changed since I've purchased mine.
Bike Setup: IBIS steel MOJO, Hugi, Race Face, XTR, Avid
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
lebikerboy
a Weekend Warrior
from North Van
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2009
Strengths: Strong hubs, high flanges allow shorter spokes which equals stronger wheels.
Weaknesses: I have two sets, one are Hayes/DT the other DT/Hugi. The former are standard lengths while the latter required use of spacers to make the disks centre correctly.
Bottom Line:
Great hubs which require a little more finesse to setup and maintain. If you keep the ratchets lubed correctly (I use a sticky fully synthetic spray made by wurth) they'll last just about forever!
Similar Products Used: Hope, Formula, Shimano etc.
Bike Setup: Rocky Mountain Blizzard/Santa Cruz Heckler
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Oriol Garrote
a Cross Country Rider
from Barcelona, Spain
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2007
Strengths: Precision, durability
Weaknesses: None as far as I know
Bottom Line:
I've had one rear hub for several years now and I have no complain at all. I've never had any problems with them. I have the steel cassette version, not the alu one. I was a heavy rider some years ago and had no problems, now I'm a more light weight and smooth rider and this hub is extremely effective.
Submitted by
Ken Atkinson
a Weekend Warrior
from Thailand
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2007
Strengths: Looks good, bearings can be replaced from a bearing shop. easy to mantain, very good pickup on ratchit. can change spokes on freewheel side with out tools!
Weaknesses: I had a rear hub split, with standard spokes and full suspension, but have had no problem for the last 3 years ( I am 100kg)
Bottom Line:
They could be stronger, and cheaper, I like the way you can service them without many tools. don't over grease the star ratchit. the sealed bearings can be regreased by removing the plastic covers with a small pin
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Heckler Hope Mini disks brakes rear gear XTR
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick Jonte
a Weekend Warrior
from Indianapolis, IN
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2007
Weaknesses: Piece of CRAP!! Hub split right down the middle like everybody else. Cheap die cast aluminum hub with spoke holes right next to hub OD, no wall thickness. No way to service the cassette.
Bottom Line:
Stay away from HUGI products all together FOREVER!! These hubs were actually branded and laced up by Magura.
Submitted by
Kenny G
a Cross Country Rider
from Signal Mountain
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2006
Strengths: Light.
Weaknesses: Durability. Lack of ability to handle the forces associated with its intended use.
Bottom Line:
My rear Hugi hub body cracked in half lenght wise after less than 1 year of normal xc use. I might normally say that this is was an isolated, freak occurance - but look at all the similar reviews. Hugi (or DT) need to re-design this product as it is obviously not capable of withstanding the forces of normal cycling.
Bike Setup: You probably only care about the hubs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
s
a Cross Country Rider
from oxford ma
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2006
Strengths: its light.
Weaknesses: ripped two hub shells apart. Dt warrantied it twice
Bottom Line:
The magura wheelset I bought came with ST 240 hubs. The rear shell split. dt warrantied it, I laced it up and road 3 times with broken wrist. the hub split again. Not sure if I am gonna lace this hub up again or try something else.
Similar Products Used: nothing similar used since other hubs did not break
Bike Setup: 2004 enduro set up with xc stuff, I dont jump studd just pedal and try to get my heart to stop
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bill Phillips
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: December 16, 2005
Strengths: Reputation
Weaknesses: Broke after a little over 1 year of casual use.
Bottom Line:
I used to race hard tails before now and always used either Shimano XT or XTR and never had a failure. The Hugi 240S came on my Epic and it actually broke after a year of casual rides. Not only that, I probably only rode it 20 times.
I was also dissapointed that the make you pay for the shop to unlace the hub and send it to them. Next time, I would apply that money to switching back to XTR. I don't have any confidence in this hub now and I don't want to get stuck out in the middle of the desert again.
Similar Products Used: chris king shimano and real
Bike Setup: Orange Zero trials set up avid juicy 7 rhino light rear wheel hs33
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Del Sharp
a Cross Country Rider
from Vail, Breckenridge, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2005
Strengths: Reliable, smooth, bulletproof, servicable and the clicking rear hub makes riders in front of you anxious.
Weaknesses: The old ratchet system failed. (I bought my hubs new in '95 when the Trek Y came out.)
Bottom Line:
The Hugi's were built up by Pedal Power when I bought the newly introduced Trek Y bike in '95. In the second season, the ratchet system failed. It was replaced with the updated system which was quieter.
After a few years I flat spotted a rim (bunnyhop over a curb came up short) and I had Pope at Mountain Pedaler lace my Hugi's up with ti dyed spokes and Mavic 217's. Over the years I've broken nearly a dozen spokes, but the wheels have remained rideable even with v-brakes. After ten years of abuse, I'm passing them onto my wife so that I can build up my new Tracer I found on ebay with disc brakes.
As a cross country rider, I always liked the trademark sound of Hugi's and the way riders tend to move to the side of the trail when they hear me coasting behind them. I built up my Hugi/ti wheels for way less than what a pair of Crossmax's cost back then and they were lighter and cooler, too.
Hugi's aren't expensive and they're light, too. I have complete confidence in them, but I usually have my bike serviced every spring, too.
Bike Setup: 20" Trek Y-22, Kooka cranks, Specialized ti bb, Kooka levers sub 24lb; 20" Cannondale Raven, Sweet wings 25.5lbs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Geoff Husband
a Cross Country Rider
from Brittany, France
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2004
Strengths: Looks? Qudos?
Weaknesses: Failed hub
Bottom Line:
2000 miles of gentle loaded touring on road and the rear flange failed taking three spokes with it. If it's important to you all the comments on sprockets welding on etc are also correct. DT didn't want to know about either fault telling me it wasn't designed for touring. I run a cycle holiday company with loaded touring bikes running hundreds of thousands of miles (www.bretonbikes.com) and I've had a few Shimano freehub bodies fail but otherwise nothing in 10 years. Shimano Alivio is infinitely better than the DT's... I have contacts with a tandem manufacturer and he's stopped using them because of the failure rate.
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2003
Strengths: Light, Well Made
Weaknesses: Very difficult to service. "Tooless" concept is a joke, and specialized toolkit is expensive and incomplete.
Bottom Line:
These are lightweight and have proven to be durable. That's the good part. Now, the bad part. All hubs, no matter how durable, need to be serviced occasionally, and servicing (dissasembling, cleaning, re-greasing) these hubs is a huge pain.
Hugi claims that the rear hub supports "toolless" partial disassembly (enough to service the ratchet drive, but not the bearings) - don't believe it. In order to service the rear freewheel/ratchet drive, you have to remove the axle end-cap (or "adapter", in Hugi-speak) and the rotor (the part that carries the cassette). Both of these are press-fit onto the axle, and thus can be removed without tools, *in theory*. Here's the reality: The end-cap/adapter will almost always require, at a minimum, an axle vise to get off. Axle vises are cheap, so this is no big deal, but it already throws the "toolless" idea out the window.
The rotor is much worse. I can almost guarantee that, if you have been using your hubs for a while, you will not be able to remove this "by hand," and the alternative is to use a removal adapter, which is part of the toolkit (which costs $85) and which must be used in conjunction with a gear puller, which is not included in the toolkit and will run you another $35 (more, if you want a decent-quality one - mine cost $100).
So, doing even basic service on these hubs will most likely require a $100+ investment in tools. Contrast this with Chris King hubs, which can be serviced to a similar degree with the help of two 5mm allen wrenches.
Bottom line: If you want hubs you can maintain, get Chris King.
It seems like more and more of the race forks and hubs are specked with 15mm, even weight weenie hardtails like the Scott Scale 29 RC. Yeah, I know you love your 9mm and always wi Read More »
Hi guys, newbie here
I have a C'dale F7 (26 entry level hardtail), stock everything
I've been riding more difficult trails lately. On a routine maintenence day, I noticed the Read More »
Last year the Anthem 29er featured a rear DT Swiss 350 hub and this year 2012 the rear hub is a Giant Tracker. Just wondering if anyone know is this new hub from Giant might be jus Read More »
Anybody want a pair of black Spin Doctors? 36h front, 48H rear, QR/20mm, QR rear convertible to solid nutted. Trying to finance a new white front hub to match the new white I had t Read More »
