I have started building my own wheels and I want to experiment with differing rear hubs to see if there are alternatives to the mainstream hubs. I am currently running Kooser XM490.
They are a 6 pawl, 4 fully sealed bearing hub and have worked really well over the last 5 years I have used them. But since buying the Amflow PL Carbon Pro. I have been getting far more air, and jumping off higher and higher drops to flat. Clearly placing much more energy through my rear hub.
So to check the hub was performing ok. I removed my rear wheel and noticed the freehub was much more difficult to slide off the axle. I did manage to completely strip the hub of all bearing and inspected the hub. Everything looked ok, but once again, after reassembly, sliding the freehub back on the axle was not as easy as it should be. I can only surmise the axle is not perfectly straight. The hub is working perfectly after 500km. But I'm not happy with the way the freehub slides on and off.
So I have been searching for an alternative hub with a thicker axle and stumbled across the Tanke TH490. It also runs 4 fully sealed bearings and 6 pawls, but the pawls have 3 attachment points, giving it 120 clicks per rev. Much better than the Koozer.
I have bought one of these hubs and stripped it down. The axle is 2mm thicker, though this means the bearing inner diameter is bigger. The bearings are NBK out of Taiwan. But as the entire hub is only AUD$36. I have bought a spare hub, to give me a full set of spare bearing, spare freehub, springs and pawls.
I am going to build an entire new rear wheel. I have bought a 27.5 Raceface ARC30 rim. And I'll keep the Kooser XM490 hub and 27.5 DT Swiss Rim fully intact as a spare rear wheel. I also have the original Amflow 29er carbon wheel as a spare.
Because these hubs are only AUD$36. My plan is to just change all bearings, and entire freehub every 2 seasons. I guess I could just change the entire hub, and maybe I'll build another spare wheel and just do that every 2 seasons. But servicing the hub is so much quicker, than lacing an entire new wheel.
I'll report back on how the Tanke TH490 goes.
BTW. Yes I could just buy expensive brand name hubs. But that is not the point. The point is to find an easily and cheaply serviceable alternative, that is a fraction of the cost, but performs just as well. I have run the Hope Pro 4 previously. Great hubs, but expensive to buy and service.
BTW2 : My front wheel will remain a Kooser XM490 in Oil Spill colouring, as I have never had any issues with front hubs, and the Tanke TH490 rear hub is also in Oil Spill colouring as well.
If anyone has used less recognised hubs and had a good experience. Please post about them here.
They are a 6 pawl, 4 fully sealed bearing hub and have worked really well over the last 5 years I have used them. But since buying the Amflow PL Carbon Pro. I have been getting far more air, and jumping off higher and higher drops to flat. Clearly placing much more energy through my rear hub.
So to check the hub was performing ok. I removed my rear wheel and noticed the freehub was much more difficult to slide off the axle. I did manage to completely strip the hub of all bearing and inspected the hub. Everything looked ok, but once again, after reassembly, sliding the freehub back on the axle was not as easy as it should be. I can only surmise the axle is not perfectly straight. The hub is working perfectly after 500km. But I'm not happy with the way the freehub slides on and off.
So I have been searching for an alternative hub with a thicker axle and stumbled across the Tanke TH490. It also runs 4 fully sealed bearings and 6 pawls, but the pawls have 3 attachment points, giving it 120 clicks per rev. Much better than the Koozer.
I have bought one of these hubs and stripped it down. The axle is 2mm thicker, though this means the bearing inner diameter is bigger. The bearings are NBK out of Taiwan. But as the entire hub is only AUD$36. I have bought a spare hub, to give me a full set of spare bearing, spare freehub, springs and pawls.
I am going to build an entire new rear wheel. I have bought a 27.5 Raceface ARC30 rim. And I'll keep the Kooser XM490 hub and 27.5 DT Swiss Rim fully intact as a spare rear wheel. I also have the original Amflow 29er carbon wheel as a spare.
Because these hubs are only AUD$36. My plan is to just change all bearings, and entire freehub every 2 seasons. I guess I could just change the entire hub, and maybe I'll build another spare wheel and just do that every 2 seasons. But servicing the hub is so much quicker, than lacing an entire new wheel.
I'll report back on how the Tanke TH490 goes.
BTW. Yes I could just buy expensive brand name hubs. But that is not the point. The point is to find an easily and cheaply serviceable alternative, that is a fraction of the cost, but performs just as well. I have run the Hope Pro 4 previously. Great hubs, but expensive to buy and service.
BTW2 : My front wheel will remain a Kooser XM490 in Oil Spill colouring, as I have never had any issues with front hubs, and the Tanke TH490 rear hub is also in Oil Spill colouring as well.
If anyone has used less recognised hubs and had a good experience. Please post about them here.
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