[mtb4life45]

I have been running chris king hubs for about 6 months, and i can't help but wonder if i could make them faster. The ring drive will increase rolling resistance and all, but there has to be a way to make them roll faster. Is there any ceramic bearings i could run. Does any specific type of lube help um. I work at a bike shop, so i can understand all the techy stuff. Thanks.

 

[Homebrew]

Your hubs are not slowing you down. If you really want your wheels to go faster, try some intervals.

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

All hubs slow down when you stop pedaling.

 

[Blaster1200]

All hubs slow down when you stop pedaling.

Especially King rear hubs.

 

[noshortcuts]

My King rear feels as fast or faster than any hub I've had. I only notice added drag when spinning the wheel by hand on the stand (it does not spin as long as some). But on the trails, it feels turbo-charged... quit pedaling and just rip. It picks up speed rapidly... going downhill of course!

One thing to check... make sure it's not over-tightened or over greased or with overly heavy grease.

 

[HOser]

You may not race, but still this advice applies to everyone - you don't win races coasting. Freehub drag is only an issue when you're not pedalling, and if you're coasting a lot then, by definition, speed isn't a priority for you. So your concern with freewheel drag might be mostly psychological - just pedal more!

But more seriously, you mention freewheel drag, and then mention the idea of ceramic bearings. Bearing drag and freewheel drag are completely separate - quality ceramic bearings, properly installed, will certainly reduce drag a bit, and will reduce it whether you're pedalling or not, and is therefore a good upgrade (although it ranks low on the scale of cost vs. return). Freewheel drag won't be effected by bearings.

 

[29Colossus]

If you put two identical bikes on two identical stands with two identical wheels and tires ands spokes.... everything is identical... except the hubs. A computerized machine spins both wheels up to 30mph... identical speeds.

The only difference is one has a King hub and one has another hub. When the computerized machine stops spinning the wheels, allowing them to freewheel, it is noticed that the King hub wheel spins three-quarters as long as the other hub wheel.

Does this King hub "drag" translate into a loss of speed and/or energy on the trail?

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

Based on personal experience in coasting contests I say no, it does not make a difference. The difference between the stand and the trail/road are hard to quantify, though, the former being under no load and the latter being under load, but I'm no engineer. I do think it's not worthy of much concern. While pedalling I think it makes even less difference. Just my opinion.

 

[the Inbred]

replace the grease in the bearings with Phil's Oil.

 

[AndrewTO]

Does this King hub "drag" translate into a loss of speed and/or energy on the trail?

Further, how is this changed when you have the weight of a rider on said identical bikes? Assume the riders are identical, also (fraternal or otherwise - same sex, too, so no "aero advantage" either way).

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

Yeah, you can always do the oil the bearings thing, but what about dealing with it on a maintenance basis? For maybe an important race or something, but for most purposes just not worth it.

 

[headhunter]

Break In

My hubs required several months of break in. Also, the King cone adjuster is very handy for dialing in the play on the hubs.

Depending on your riding conditions, your hubs may be dirty and may require cleaning and lubing. This is pretty simple and the instructions are on the King site: http://www.chrisking.com/pdfs/ISO.pdf