Alchemy hubs:

ELF – £140 –  20, 24, 28h, black, silver, red

The Alchemy ELF or extra light front is a very innovative front hub.  It is probably likely to appeal to the weight weenie in all of us, however it is actually a lot more clever than all that. You also need to consider that it is suitable for radial lacing.  The Centre to flange measurement is 39.3mm and it has a static loading capacity on its bearings of 303/bearing (606 total).

What does that all mean?  Well, in short a great hub.  In more detail:

- Radial lacing is fundamentally a weaker system, however it is also lighter and stiffer, so although I generally recommend tangential lacing for strength, you can extract more performance out of a hub if laced radially as you will get a stiffer, lighter wheelset.

- Essentially your centre to flange measurement will determine the bracing angle of your spoke.  A larger bracing angle, means more strain on the hub flanges, generally a heavier wheelset as it normally comes with a larger shell but it also means a stiffer wheelset.  The spacing on the ELF is wider than Chris King, DT Swiss, Royce, White Industries, Hope and NovaTec hubs.

- Static load.  This is essentially the amount of force the bearings can withstand without deformation.  This is predominantly determined by the size of the ball inside the bearing which will also impact upon the lifespan of the bearing.  The static capacity on the ELF is less than the R45, but greater than DT Swiss’ 180, 240 and nearly as high as the White Industries T11 front.  They have done this by running a 6900 bearing which is larger than most hubs in its weight bracket would be, increasing the strength and durability of the hub.  The bearings themselves are also very close to the fork (3mm away) which also helps to improve stiffness and strength.

Anything wrong with the hub – well, you do need to pre-load the bearings.  So they aren’t as maintenance free as some options, however they are no worse than say an R45 and you can make the adjustment with 2 5mm allen keys.

- 65g

 

ORC-UL – £335 – 24, 28h, black, silver, red

The ORC UL is a complete revision of the old ORC which is designed to be better than the old hub in every way.  It is lighter, stiffer and stronger and shimano 11s compatible.  They come with a spacer so you can still run smaller cassettes.  They are very nearly the lightest rear I sell, just beaten by the DT 180 hub by a modest 3g but they are also significantly cheaper.  Their hub shell now goes underneath the freehub body, the result of this is a better loading on the bearings and a stiffer hub too.  The large shells, especially on the drive side, also help to keep the build stiffer.  The smaller flange on the non-drive side helps to keep the weight down.  The pawls in the body are steel for strength and offer an above average 36 points of engagements which helps to ease the strain on them and make for faster engagement as well.  They have also put a hard anodising on the body which helps to reduce ‘bite’.  However on such a lovely pair of hubs, I definitely recommend an alloy spidered cassette, which also helps with bite.

Ceramic bearing upgrades are available.  Please note, there is a 5 week lead time on these hubs.

193g

Pair – 256g

 

Chris King R45, pair, many colours, 20, 24, 28 and 32h, £460 (Campag price TBC)
- Made in USA – Light Weight
- Angular contact bearings
- Available in black, silver, red, navy, green, mango, pewter, gold pink and brown
- Available with ceramic bearings as optional extra
- Unique, patentent Chris King ring drive system for faster freehub engagement and the ability to withstand higher torque. Reduced from 72 to 45 engagement points on the road hub to offer less drag.
- Front hubs are suitable for radial lacing
- Easily servicable
- Now available in Shimano and Campagnolo freehub
- 102g front, 215g rear. 317g/pair.
- 5 year warranty

DCR says:
The R45 is my all time favourite performance road hub. I contrast it to the Royce range which offers miles of trouble free riding with good performance. The Royce hub is better suited to high mileage users in all conditions, the R45 is better for those looking for a racing edge. There are lighter hubsets out there, however it is a deliberate decision to have the R45 set at the weight they are. Chris King believe in hubs you can service yourself that will last you for many years. Precision is an obsession for them as well as responsible manufacturing.

The angular contact bearing system does need checking regularly and periodic adjustment. This can be done with two 5mm allen keys, however it is better to use the cone adjusting tool (£26) with your hubs as well as some Ring Drive Lube (£9). Better still, if you want to be able to completely service your R45, you can buy the Hub Service Tool Kit (£153) – not only a satisfyingly elegant tool but it comes with comprehensive instructions on maintenance.

DT Swiss 180 Carbon Ceramic hubs, pair, white, shimano/campagnolo, 24, 28 or 32h, £730
- Ceramic bearings have a superior lifespan than steel versions. They also require less maintenance and they are lighter.
- This version comes with a UD carbon shell and aluminum flange.
- The carbon fibre makes this hub lighter and torsionally stiffer than an aluminium counterpart, especially as they have been able to expand the body.
- DT patented star ratchet system has a lower engagement count than some hubs, however it system allows for particularly fast engagement and particularly low drag.
- Ratchet system has special coating to improve lifespan
- Front 100g, rear 190g, pair 290g.

DT Swiss 240, pair, black, shimano/campagnolo, 24, 28 or 32h, from £382/pair
- The more economical counterpart to the 180
- DT patented star ratchet system has a lower engagement count than some hubs, however it system allows for particularly fast engagement and particularly low drag.
- Ratchet system has special coating to improve lifespan
- Stainless steel bearings
- Forged aluminium shell
- Quad bearing system with corrosion resistant stainless steel bearings and improved contact-free double flange sealing for added durability.
- Front 105g, rear 209g, pair 314g.

Miche Primato road hubs, pair, black, shimano, 32h, £78
- Made in Italy
- Lightweight
- Sealed bearings
- Small flange
- Forged lightweight aluminium
- 460g pair
- Available in Campagnolo version by special order
- Available in 28 and 36h by special order
- Comes with q/r skewer

NovaTec a171 or NovaTec Classic, front, silver, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h, £25
- Made in Taiwan
- Classic design (similar to old campagnolo hubs)
- Made from 7075 alloy
- Sealed bearings
- Lightweight
- 111g

NovaTec f172/272 or NovaTec Classic, rear, shimano or campag 8/9/10 speed, silver or black,24h, 28h, 32h, 36h, £45
- Made in Taiwan
- Classic design (similar to old campagnolo hubs)
- Made from 7075 alloy
- Sealed bearings
- Lightweight
- 271g

NovaTec a291 front hub or NovaTec Superlight, black, 20/24/28h, £40

- Made in Taiwan
- Ultra low flange
- Available in 20 and 24h
- 82g only
- Sealed cartridge bearings
- Comes with quick release skewer

NovaTec F392/F292, Shimano or Campagnolo, 24h, black, £60

- Made in Taiwan
- Reduced flange height on non-drive side to save weight
- Weighs only 299g
- 4+1 bearings
- Sealed bearings throughout
- One additional needle bearing for extra strength
- Complete with q/r skewers
- Would make an excellent complement to the kinlin xr300 rim

NovaTec F482/F582 or NovaTec Superlight, Shimano or Campagnolo, 24/28h, black, £75

- Made in Taiwan
- Reduced flange height on non-drive side to save weight
- Weighs only 245g
- 4 bearings
- Sealed bearings throughout
- Complete with q/r skewer
- Would make an excellent complement to the kinlin xr300 or Ambrosio Excellight

Powertap, Powermeter Hubs:

Powertap Pro – £750 (available in 32h, Shimano and Campagnolo)
This is the standard powertap hub, weighing 446g.  It features an alloy axle to save weight and increase stiffness.  It is ANT+ compatible along with the rest of the Powertap range.

Powertap G3 – £1080 (available in 20, 24, 28, 32h in Shimano and Campagnolo)
This is significantly lighter than the Pro version weighing only 325g.  The flanges are further apart to build a stiffer wheel but the overall hub profile is smaller.

Powertap G3C – £1500 (available in 20, 24, 28, 32h in Shimano and Campagnolo)
This is the lightest of the Powertap hub series; this is the G3 hub with ceramic bearings.  It comes in at 315g.

Also available:

Powertap MTB hub – £750 – this is a 135mm spaced version – 32h shimano

Powertap MTB disc – £915 – suitable for disc brakes – 32h shimano

Powertap Track hub – £915 (available in 20, 24, 28 and 32h)

Please contact for more details.  More information to follow shortly.

Royce hubs
- Made in New Milton, Hampshire, UK
- All with sealed cartridge bearings
- Titanium axles with a lifetime warranty
- Ultra light front hubs weigh as little as 99g
- Machined out of a solid billet of aluminium
- High polish finish
- Hard anodising coating
- A wide variety of hole counts available
- A variety of axle lengths available
Ultra light front – £142
Venus front – £142
Venus rear – £215 for Shimano freehub, £225 for Campag
Royce lockrings are required with Campag freehubs, two versions available:
- CS201 – when the lowest cog on the cassette goes down to 12 teeth or more
- CS301 – when the lowest cog on the cassette goes down to 11 teeth or more.
Please note, standard lockrings are not compatible with Royce hubs. Royce lockrings are £29 each. For more details on Royce hubs see Royce hubs.

Shimano Tiagra, front, silver, 32h, £18
- Made in Malaysia
- A reliable front hub for road cyclists
- Like those at the top-of-the-range, Tiagra road hubs feature labyrinth and contact seals to prevent the ingress of corrosion-causing dirt and water; this, along with the internal grease sleeve both increase durability and reduce service intervals
- The hub uses angular contact bearings designed to cradle the balls giving both radial and lateral support for superior strength and durability in real world riding conditions; theyalso offer precision bearing adjustment and easy maintenance
- Cup and cone bearings
- A classic benchmark for road
- Complete with skewer
- Servicable internals

Shimano Tiagra, rear, silver, 32h, £25
- Made in Malaysia
- A reliable rear hub for road cyclist
- Like those at the top-of-the-range, Tiagra road hubs feature labyrinth and contact seals to prevent the ingress of corrosion-causing dirt and water; this, along with the internal grease sleeve both increase durability and reduce service intervals
- The hub uses angular contact bearings designed to cradle the balls giving both radial and lateral support for superior strength and durability in real world riding conditions; theyalso offer precision bearing adjustment and easy maintenance
- 8- and 9-speed compatible
- Servicable internals
- Complete with skewer
- 130mm

White Industries hubs

T11 front hub available in 20, 24 and 28h, black/silver – £88:

White Industries say:

Our lightest weight front hub designed specifically for road bikes. We engineered the T11 front hub to be light without sacrificing durability. In today’s market the demand for light weight products continues to drive the market. We understand the market, and, yet, we also understand that quality of craftsmanship, design, and engineering are vital in producing a product that will stand the test of time. With that in mind, we confidently present the T11 front hub. Made in the USA

97g

DCR says:

The T11 is a smart hub. The weight is right. You could go lighter, but you are getting diminishing returns and fundamentally undermining the durability of the hub. The big question that a lot of people ask me is why would I go for White Industries over either Royce or Chris King? Well when it comes to the T11 front, price is a significant factor. It costs a lot less than either of them for a start. It is about the same weight as an R45 front hub or a Royce Ultra Light front. Unlikely the Royce and like the Chris King it comes with an alloy axle. It has standard cartridge bearings unlike Royce that has NTN bearings and the R45 which has Chris King manufactured angular contact bearings. The bearings themselves roll very nicely. Other major differences include an engraved logo – while this is purely aesthetic, it is very smart and has been done well. The centre to flange on an Ultra Light is 34mm, on a Chris King it is 34.5mm. On the T11 it is 35.5. Flanges that are further apart will help to keep the loading closer to the dropout and also increase the overall stiffness of the wheel. It will take a little maintenance, but less than an R45. The longevity is good on them. So in a way it offers the practicality of a Royce hub with the performance of an R45 with a few unique features thrown in.

T11 rear hub, 24, 28 and 32h. Shimano and Campagnolo, black/silver – £260.

White Industries say:

Lacing up a new set of road wheels? Try our T11, a perfect choice. The hub shell design is a high/low flange which allows for a more even and better spoke tension with a hub spaced to 130mm. The hubs design maximizes aerodynamic efficiency – always a goal for road riders. Unique to the T11 is our titanium freehub body in a choice of Shimano or Campy configurations. Titanium, we feel, is the best choice in the freewheel application since it is nearly as light as aluminum and has the equivalent strength to many forms of steel. Made in the USA

- 252g

DCR says:

Titanium is a sensible choice for a freehub body, but I would not put it quite as optimistically as White Industries do. Cassettes tend to bite into aluminium freehub bodies. Steel freehub bodies will always make a rear hub heavier. So titanium is a good choice for a freehub body but aluminium is the more popular choice on performance road hubs, generally something from the 7000 series which is nice and tough. Titanium is an expensive way to make a freehub body, so that accounts for the extra cost of this hub. The centre to flange spacing is pretty similar to an R45, although the drive side is 1mm closer. This is probably because of the particularly large flange on the drive side which will add stiffness to the build.

White Industries have also used a steel axle on this which will make it nice and strong and generally adds quite a bit of weight. Despite this, they have managed to get the weight to a feathery 252g which is remarkable. This is a good option for a durable, strong and high performance road hub.