b12yan88 said:
I wanted to build a rear wheel with 517 ceramics, but don't know which rear hub to use. Any iinput ?
I am in the middle of the EXACT same exercise.
How do you quantify value?
$/gram
$/perceived quality
First thing is there are some great values in machine made wheels out there and onebay
XT/517 and XTR/517s are all over the place. You can detension them and retension/retrue them to make them better and to have that DIY feeling.
But there are better/lighter rear hubs out there than XT and XTR.
Now, I haven't actually ridden it yet, but I've got one in my hands, and have talked to other who have it.
And for the $ the best rear hub in my humble opinion based on $ to gram and $ to quality is the
GT/Hadleyhub (mine weighs 284 others have weighed it down to 273)
I got mine NEW for $19.95 on ebay, and it can be found there regularly for $39.95.
Ain't no way you can find a King, American Classic, Hugi, White Industries, Nuke proof, etc new for that money. Used you may find a White Industries going in that range, but not the others, unless it is an older AC which had problems.
The machining on it is incredible. The clicks on the pawls are distinct, loud, and crisp. NO comparison to the typical Shimano freebodies. The axle turns smooth, all sealed bearings.
Now before you go reading the reviews on MTBR and saying that the GT is crap. There are a few caveats to the GT/Hadley hub.
1) make sure it is the 3pawl version. the ones on ebay are the 3 pawl. The earlier 4pawl ones had problems.
2) you must take it apart and remove the factory grease between the pawls. This is SOO simple. 2 5mm wrenches and you remove the locknuts (just be careful you don't stick the wrenches in too far otherwise you will be trying to turn the axle and it won't go anywhere.
3) remove the existing factory grease which is TOO thick. It was the wrong grease. It will make the pawls sticky over time and kill the action. Replace with lube (Phils, etc. ) or very light grease like Mprep
4) do this maintenance once /year
Someone mentioned Real Designs. I have a soft spot for Real Designs in my heart. They sponsored my race team years ago. And I LOVE their BBrackets and brake levers. Same Ti BB going for 7 years.
The REAL front hub is a 'real' winner. The rear hub has some serious issues. Unless you are a hardcore tinkerer stay away
Anyway, I may be speaking too soon as I have not actually built it up yet and ridden it. But from what I have held in my hands and seen from others who have maintained theirs properly, it looks like the best value to me.
Also the best prices on x517 rims are at Colorado Cyclist and Universal Cycles at $29.95 for 32 holes.