[cameden]

ok folks question here, which do we prefer the SRAM X9 hub or the Shimano XT hub...going to go with a set of WTB Frequency Team i23 rims.

anyone one know the big differences here and have any recommendations...im an aggressive trail rider with a little all mountain thrown in there every now and then.

Thanks!

 

[SS Hack]

Hope Tech.

 

[big_papa_nuts]

XT have issues with freehubs failing and will NEED regular preventative service to keep them in shape.

X9s are poorly designed. They have very small bearing for the job and the axle is missing a shoulder that causes the bearings to die quick and prevents "adjustment", and Sram provides no support fo them. I just scraped three of these things. Although the front seem to be fine.

Check out Woodman Bill LTC hubs. They should be about the price and seem a lot nicer.

 

[phsycle]

I have a set of XT hubs from '97 that is still running great. Rebuild is easy and they're pretty cheap, so I would go XT. I put Deore hubs on my cargo bike and it's not a concern for me. I do have other (nicer) hubs, but for the money, I think XT's are good.

 

[heartland]

SLX hubs are pretty good and seem durable. I built a wheelset with them last year and spent an inordinate amount of time researching affordable hubs. I didn't find many reviews saying their SLX's had blown up, unlike the XTs. I also have a set of regular Deore hubs on my cross bike that have been ridden hard in all sorts of nasty conditions and never maintained (oops...) but still roll like new. SLX might be worth looking into if, like me, you would like Hope/King/Hadley but can't shell out that much money.

 

[Bike Whisperer]

M529...BOMBER durability, best 6 bolt hub Shimano makes.

 

[cameden]

Anyone know the POEs on both of these? Also know if there have been any major changes in the past few years as the ones I'm looking at may be a season or 2 old

 

[mnigro]

There have been a number of different xt hubs over the past few years. The 775 were ok for me but I've heard of some freehub failures. I think this model was also the first of their hubs to get an increase the number of points of engagement to 36. The newer ones still have 36 POE while the slx have 30. The newer hubs with 12mm axles have also had some issues with free hubs cracking in half... the recent trend of 36t+ cassettes is the major culprit.

However, the major question is will you be having these wheels hand built/custom built or will they be OE wheels? If OE and relatively cheap, say under $225, they are fairly decent wheelset for the price.

If you are having wheels built, I cannot imagine them costing much cheaper than $375-400. If this is the case you are much better off buying Hope Hoops from Merlin cycles or another uk online shop. Or, spend the money on quality hubs. It's not a place to skimp as good hubs can be relaced over and over.

Simply put, using shimano or SRAM hubs for a wheel build that will cost more than a few hundred is pointless. The main reason, they are not convertible to any other axle size than what they started out as, they are heavy-ish and they are not worth rebuilding on a new rim. I will never buy a non convertible hub again.

 

[mnigro]

By the way, flucod, your reference to specialized (guessing here) and Hitler is insulting to Jews all over the world. I'm not Jewish but if I were I'd be highly offended. You're likening the death of 6 million Jews to a zealous bike company.

It would be like having a picture of a hanging black person in your avatar to insinuate the death of bike companies to the Big S.

 

[NYrr496]

Shimano M529 is THE good, inexpensive hub. Just like Bikewhisperer said.

 

[MTBeing]

I ran X9s for a solid year and never had any issue. They're quiet too.

8/2015 edit: Recently sold a bike with newer XT hubs on it and they were FABULOUS. Upon receipt of the wheels with the XT hubs I tore them down before I ever rode on them. One hub was fine and one was too stiff, rotating. The grease from the factory was more of a thick oil so I cleaned it off and supplanted with Phil Wood waterproof grease and properly tightened the cone nut and the lock nut. From what I've learned you're supposed to leave a wee bit of play on the cone nut because it tightens when you do the QR.

Anyway, I didn't ride these that long but they rolled really smooth and performed great overall. If I was to keep XT hubs for a long time, I'd just swap in new bearings every year with fresh grease. And it's really easy to disassemble a Shimano hub and service the bearings. That's a plus.

Sent from my mountain bike while crashing

 

[cameden]

they are prebuilt, 239 for the x9s and 255 for the xt...and in what i save on the x9s i can get a generic set of rotors and keep my old set as a back up as they have much more lower profile tires and more suitable for the road....also the X9s are white, added style bonus.

 

[SS Hack]

they are prebuilt, 239 for the x9s and 255 for the xt...and in what i save on the x9s i can get a generic set of rotors and keep my old set as a back up as they have much more lower profile tires and more suitable for the road....also the X9s are white, added style bonus.

You can get some Sun-Ringle sets at Nashbar with a coupon for that price and the hubs have more POC. People seem to like the hubs ok.

 

[Bike Whisperer]

You can get some Sun-Ringle sets at Nashbar with a coupon for that price and the hubs have more POC. People seem to like the hubs ok.

You can also get a set of low miles TCS wheels with laserdisc lite hubs from the classifieds for less. Save about a pound over what you're looking at.

WTB Laser TCS Trail 29in Wheelset - Buy and Sell and Review Mountain Bikes and Accessories

 

[SS Hack]

You can also get a set of low miles TCS wheels with laserdisc lite hubs from the classifieds for less. Save about a pound over what you're looking at.

WTB Laser TCS Trail 29in Wheelset - Buy and Sell and Review Mountain Bikes and Accessories

Well 250 grams at least, lots like a great option.

 

[Bike Whisperer]

Well 250 grams at least, lots like a great option.

XT 6 bolt front and rear with skewers 797g
Laserdisc Lite front and rear with skewers 520g

That's 277g alone just in the hubs

Laser TCS Trail 29" rim 470g
Frequency i23 29" rim 523g

53g in rims

Pillar triple butted spokes vs DT Champions is about ~15g savings
Alloy nipples vs brass nipples is ~47g savings

So total 392g...I over estimated, it is about 14oz or .87th of a pound.

 

[tigris99]

Vote again for Shimano m529s for a budget hub. Freaking bombproof hub!!! I'm. 270lb Clyde on a 29er ht and was having freehubs wear out in a month or 2, almost full season of putting my 529s through hell and not one issue or complaint. Easy as hell to service too. Just getting ready for a clean and regrease for the new season, but that's only because my bike sees some snowy salt covered roads.


Slx hubs are the centerlock version of 529s but yet to see them with high flanges for the rear. Not sure how much it matters but I know the free hubs are solid unlike XT, so many posts just on mtbr alone of exploded freehub bodies. And Shimano is yet to have a fix for it.


Sent from my Nokia Stupidphone using Tapatalk

 

[jnroyal]

The interwebs will tell you that the XT's are prone to failure but I've got several sets of M756 XT's (including 1 on a fatbike) and have yet to have any problems with them.

General consensus is that the M529's are more durable but Man are they heavy. I'm certainly no weight weenie but I just ordered one and am stunned at how much it weighs, it's like the internals are made of depleted uranium...

 

[SS Hack]

XT 6 bolt front and rear with skewers 797g
Laserdisc Lite front and rear with skewers 520g

That's 277g alone just in the hubs

Laser TCS Trail 29" rim 470g
Frequency i23 29" rim 523g

53g in rims

Pillar triple butted spokes vs DT Champions is about ~15g savings
Alloy nipples vs brass nipples is ~47g savings

So total 392g...I over estimated, it is about 14oz or .87th of a pound.

Sorry, thought you meant compared to the BST Sun-Ringles I mentioned.

XT hubs are heavy, but you get the fun if playing with the bearings at least.

 

[big_papa_nuts]

The interwebs will tell you that the XT's are prone to failure but I've got several sets of M756 XT's (including 1 on a fatbike) and have yet to have any problems with them.

General consensus is that the M529's are more durable but Man are they heavy. I'm certainly no weight weenie but I just ordered one and am stunned at how much it weighs, it's like the internals are made of depleted uranium...

The thing to remember about the internets is the information posted is very subjective. For every one person that posts about his hub blowing up I'm sure ten do not. But personally I wanna buy the hub that nobody post about it blowing up, ya dig.

but you get the fun if playing with the balls at least.

Fixed that for you.