King SS hubset, yes or no?
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368 Posts
Yes yes yes!
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1,397 Posts
if you can find them, go for it...
i'm not sure if you're looking for a disc or non disc ss hubset...but good luck finding them anyways. i just got of the phoe with king to cancel a bolt-on upgrade for my classic rear hub. i wanted to order a few onther minor things...and as always...they answer they gave me on availablity for those parts (and what they told me for the past 3 months on my bolt-on axle upgrade) was "we don't know".
if you're hard up for a cassette style ss hub, and want or don't mind if it's disc...check out hadley's new hub.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.p...ighlight=hadley
cheaper than a king, available and in colors, quicker enagagement (though at this high a point, i'm not sure if anyone can tell the difference), reliable, bomb-proof...the only draw back is that they are heavier than kings.
you'll need a wide based cog for them, since the freebondy is titanium. i have a standard type 135mm qr rear hadley i will be lacing it to a 29er disc rim. the hub looks very promising!!!
cheers!
i'm not sure if you're looking for a disc or non disc ss hubset...but good luck finding them anyways. i just got of the phoe with king to cancel a bolt-on upgrade for my classic rear hub. i wanted to order a few onther minor things...and as always...they answer they gave me on availablity for those parts (and what they told me for the past 3 months on my bolt-on axle upgrade) was "we don't know".
if you're hard up for a cassette style ss hub, and want or don't mind if it's disc...check out hadley's new hub.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.p...ighlight=hadley
cheaper than a king, available and in colors, quicker enagagement (though at this high a point, i'm not sure if anyone can tell the difference), reliable, bomb-proof...the only draw back is that they are heavier than kings.
you'll need a wide based cog for them, since the freebondy is titanium. i have a standard type 135mm qr rear hadley i will be lacing it to a 29er disc rim. the hub looks very promising!!!
cheers!
pimpy said:
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2,246 Posts
yes, but...
good luck finding a SS disc rear hub.
My friend has been waiting 4 mos. for his, and all possible sources are sold out. One online shop has added a $100 premium to the retail price. Neat!
Unless you happen to have a lead on one locally, it's gonna be a while before King decides to crank out a batch.
good luck finding a SS disc rear hub.
My friend has been waiting 4 mos. for his, and all possible sources are sold out. One online shop has added a $100 premium to the retail price. Neat!
Unless you happen to have a lead on one locally, it's gonna be a while before King decides to crank out a batch.
I forgot to mention.... I had to wait about 3 months on mine. Try Paul at http://www.mtnpedaler.com Great prices and GREAT customer service. He also seems to have good luck with King.
like you had to ask.......
not being negative.
different note:
does CK manufacture anything that wouldn't pass the YES/NO question?
that would sum up questions anyone else might post 'bout CK components.
oh, and more bike porn...i decided to post some random bike pic with my postings...its not mtb but hey, its random...
not being negative.
different note:
does CK manufacture anything that wouldn't pass the YES/NO question?
that would sum up questions anyone else might post 'bout CK components.
oh, and more bike porn...i decided to post some random bike pic with my postings...its not mtb but hey, its random...
Attachments
Lone desenting voice....
NO.
Well there is always one in the crowd. I had a pair of king SS hubs and they are very nice to look at and work on. I have another set on my geared bike. The only bummer with the Kings is the Buzzzzz. On my geared bike I don't mind b/c the rear suspension creaks and the chain is slapping. But on my singlespeed I like the noise of my tires crunching the dirt and the wind in my ears. The buzz seemed much louder maybe b/c the frame is steel I don't know but it was distracting from my enjoyment. I swtiched to a Hugi and while there is still a slight buzz it's almost silent to my ears.
NO.
Well there is always one in the crowd. I had a pair of king SS hubs and they are very nice to look at and work on. I have another set on my geared bike. The only bummer with the Kings is the Buzzzzz. On my geared bike I don't mind b/c the rear suspension creaks and the chain is slapping. But on my singlespeed I like the noise of my tires crunching the dirt and the wind in my ears. The buzz seemed much louder maybe b/c the frame is steel I don't know but it was distracting from my enjoyment. I swtiched to a Hugi and while there is still a slight buzz it's almost silent to my ears.
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1,858 Posts
CK SS hubs
I just went to www.universalcycles.com and they had plenty of black and silver ones in stock. For the colored ones, they claim that they can get them pretty quickly since they're neighbors with CK now that they've moved from NorCal to Portland, OR.
As for the buzz, that's part of the allure of the CK freewheel. It's like the Harley sound of bicycles.
I just went to www.universalcycles.com and they had plenty of black and silver ones in stock. For the colored ones, they claim that they can get them pretty quickly since they're neighbors with CK now that they've moved from NorCal to Portland, OR.
As for the buzz, that's part of the allure of the CK freewheel. It's like the Harley sound of bicycles.
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1,858 Posts
All things being equal, I'll take the CK if only for longevity. As for friction, there are so many factors that would affect your "test" with your LX/Ringle hubs against the CK hubs. Tires, hub condition, lube, rider/bike weight (gravity), etc.pacman said:
However, it must be pointed out that CK hubs take a bit longer to break-in than other hubs, and usually go through about 3-10 adjustments before they're dialed in. After that, you can literally forget about them.
DT Swiss
I'll throw in a vote of dissention as well. I've got a pair of King hubs on my geared bike and while they are among the nicest hubs being that they are adjustable and all. But it's really hard to adjust the play out of the bearings without making the hub axles very difficult to turn by hand. I've had them over 2 years and have adjusted the rear at least 15 times and still don't think it's as good as it can get - and I'm a damn good mechanic.
My money went into a pair of DT Swiss single speed hubs and I've been pleeezed as punch with them.
Besides, why be like everyone else out there with CK hubs? Dare to be different!
I'll throw in a vote of dissention as well. I've got a pair of King hubs on my geared bike and while they are among the nicest hubs being that they are adjustable and all. But it's really hard to adjust the play out of the bearings without making the hub axles very difficult to turn by hand. I've had them over 2 years and have adjusted the rear at least 15 times and still don't think it's as good as it can get - and I'm a damn good mechanic.
My money went into a pair of DT Swiss single speed hubs and I've been pleeezed as punch with them.
Besides, why be like everyone else out there with CK hubs? Dare to be different!
Nup
I'll stick my neck out and say nup. The freewheel sounds like a load of bees in a box and frankly there are a lot of hubs out there that are just as light, just as functional, and a LOT cheaper.
And they don't sound like a swarm of angry bees. Ask me about the headsets, though, and my response will be somewhat different..!
I'll stick my neck out and say nup. The freewheel sounds like a load of bees in a box and frankly there are a lot of hubs out there that are just as light, just as functional, and a LOT cheaper.
And they don't sound like a swarm of angry bees. Ask me about the headsets, though, and my response will be somewhat different..!
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237 Posts
I am going to have to agree with the DT Swiss hubs. They are so much easier to get and maintain. The axle in CK is sort of a pain to get perfectly adjusted. I do miss the super fast instant engagement of the CK but the Dt is pretty fast. Plus the DT is lighter. There is also the Center lock. Makes for a lighter hub and rotor. XTR rotor that is. Hadley is good too it is super beefy.
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1,858 Posts
Color!
Do companies other than CK offer hubs in a rainbow of colors? I've only seen Hadley, DT, Spot, et. al., come in black and silver and not much else.
Not really a deal-breaker--quality is first and foremost--but something to think about if you want your bike/wheelset to be visually striking as well.
A Rasta CK headset with orange CK hubs on a chrome Bianchi SASS sure looks sweet!
Do companies other than CK offer hubs in a rainbow of colors? I've only seen Hadley, DT, Spot, et. al., come in black and silver and not much else.
Not really a deal-breaker--quality is first and foremost--but something to think about if you want your bike/wheelset to be visually striking as well.
A Rasta CK headset with orange CK hubs on a chrome Bianchi SASS sure looks sweet!
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133 Posts
they say KINGS rule........
...and i thought that noise i hear every time i ride was only in MY head... apparently these King Rear hub gadgets do buzz a bit, but it always goes away when you pedal! :0)
...still, i really like em! IF you plan to continue riding this bike for MANY years to come, buy the KINGS, they can be hard to get (at the moment) as they are slow to make them (low SS demand compared to their other products), especially since their recent FACTORY RELOCATION to OREGON (no easy feat i am sure!) ...but they will likely not go out of production, which means being able to get serviceable parts when you MAY need them far into the future...KING does so much R & D before they release a product that you can bet it will be around for a long, long time, and IF they make a change or an upgrade, you can be sure the parts will retrofit your hubs... if you have the funds, buy them once, USE em for life!
...and i thought that noise i hear every time i ride was only in MY head... apparently these King Rear hub gadgets do buzz a bit, but it always goes away when you pedal! :0)
...still, i really like em! IF you plan to continue riding this bike for MANY years to come, buy the KINGS, they can be hard to get (at the moment) as they are slow to make them (low SS demand compared to their other products), especially since their recent FACTORY RELOCATION to OREGON (no easy feat i am sure!) ...but they will likely not go out of production, which means being able to get serviceable parts when you MAY need them far into the future...KING does so much R & D before they release a product that you can bet it will be around for a long, long time, and IF they make a change or an upgrade, you can be sure the parts will retrofit your hubs... if you have the funds, buy them once, USE em for life!
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