[RogerH]

Just wanted to show off my new Chris King 150x12mm rear hub!



As you may know, King doesn't make them in this size. Very annoying for downhillers... However I found some Norwegian dudes that came up with a solution! The "Frankenhub" uses a Single-speed hub shell mated to a standard 8/9speed cassette body and tied together with a 160mm tandem axle. The axle has been shortened to 150mm and the inside threads has been drilled and reamed to accept the 12mm axle.

The axle has been machined by Truls @ http://www.johnsenframeworks.com/
The parts was bought from http://www.aspirevelotech.com/ Recommended!


Here's the link to the thread that I found out about it: http://terrengsykkel.no/forum/arena/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=179428&an=0&page=11#Post179428
It's mostly in Norwegian, but you can see pictures from the machining.


I wonder why King doesn't sell hubs like this. They already have the parts... hmm..

 

[LOOnatic]

while thats cool and all, i fail to see why you want to go through all the trouble to that when many other better DH hubs are on the market for LESS money.
king = XC bling

 

[RogerH]

And here's a pic of the hub installed in the frame.



Had to space the brake caliper out about 3-4mm to get it aligned with the rotor. Can't see that to be a problem.

Can't wait to build up this wheel!

 

[RogerH]

while thats cool and all, i fail to see why you want to go through all the trouble to that when many other better DH hubs are on the market for LESS money.
king = XC bling

Because I can?

Sure, there are many cheaper hubs out there. Not so sure if there are any better though.

 

[LOOnatic]

Like a said , cool conversion but please don't even begin to preach that King makes a superior hub or design for DH abuse.
And yes i have owned many a king product so i know what i speak.

 

[RogerH]

Cool. I know of problems with King products as well. I just like their rear hubs.


...and don't get me started on the stainless angular bearings...
and engineering of the ring drive... their environment stuff and... sorry.

 

[offtheedge]

Because I can?

Sure, there are many cheaper hubs out there. Not so sure if there are any better though.

i am.

 

[LOOnatic]

Cool. I know of problems with King products as well. I just like their rear hubs.


...and don't get me started on the stainless angular bearings...
and engineering of the ring drive... their environment stuff and... sorry. [/QUO

No worries man, hope it rocks for you.

 

[Bikael Molton]

how does the weight of that finished frankenhub stack up to the typical 150mm competition?

 

[Zark]

No hadley, no care.

 

[Spunger]

I like the idea, I won't knock them for being creative!

But the DH/FR world doesn't really need a King rear hub, nor a Bottom bracket or anything else for that matter. King made their claim to fame with the headset (and even that now has some competitors). I know they make nice parts and all but there's products that are a close 2nd that cost less and perform the same.

The sad thing is as nice as that kit is GOOD LUCK getting a spare or replacement part soon if half the hub is one-off custom made. That alone for me would make it a no-go.

 

[mattmatt86]

Ill save my pennies, or paychecks knowing how much their 135mm hubs cost.

 

[RogerH]

Hadley, no care.

Totally agree.



I guess some have had better/worse experience with different products. Didn't mean to restart the Chris king war...

 

[jonKranked]

thats the same way hadley makes their 150mm hubs. single speed body, but mate it up with a 8/9spd freehub body. and their cone/axle kit for a 150. shazam.



very cool tho, props for the ingenuity

 

[seismic]

Hey Roger

As you know I think CK rocks and custom stuff is the bling. I have tried many hubs and I am yet to find a hub I like better than the King. Also, for looks and precision I am yet to see anything I like better. For some people "custom" is not appreciated.......but that is ok, as long as we can have some bling-stuff.......and why ? Because it is looking good, functioning well and a little different....

 

[Udi]

So how much does it weigh?

My bet is that a humble hope proII 150x12 is lighter.

 

[julian_dh]

well your kinda behind the times dude, brake therapy has been doing a conversion from regular king qr to pretty much any size. ill admit though that kit dose look pretty clean. how much are they charging?

this will be the seccond season using the kit w/o any problems, and the beauty is with only 50$ more parts i can swap the hub over in a min or two to a regular qr.

 

[rosenamedpoop]

10 cool points man. Tune out the ney-sayers, they don't like anything.

 

[LFB]

Right on!

After seeing Mr Kaiser's post about the conversion on another message board, I was considering doing the same thing. I already have an extra rear King hub, so all I would have needed to order is a SS hubshell and the tandem axle (and a few misc parts). Fortunately, it's really easy ordering parts from King, unlike other hub brands. I'm sure that's particularly the case in Europe, where I'm pretty sure Hadley has very little - if any - support.

However, I got lazy and just ordered my wheels built up with Hadleys. Hadleys and Kings are at a much higher level than Hopes, so I don't even see the comparison.

 

[SteezyWeezy]

10 cool points man. Tune out the ney-sayers, they don't like anything.

exactly, that hubs rocks. as much as i love hope, that thing is amazing

 

[DHS]

Totally agree.



I guess some have had better/worse experience with different products. Didn't mean to restart the Chris king war...

its called. actually maintaining your bike and parts.. sure is dirty in that freehub. looks like some rust too..

 

[RogerH]

So how much does it weigh?

My bet is that a humble hope proII 150x12 is lighter.

Just put it on the scale. Pretty much exactly 350g. Not so light...
Wheel build will be Mavic 721, DT comp. 2.0/1.8 and alu. nipples.

well your kinda behind the times dude, brake therapy has been doing a conversion from regular king qr to pretty much any size. ill admit though that kit dose look pretty clean. how much are they charging?

I thought Brake Therapy made a longer axle and disc spacer to fit the 135mm hub. I admit I never looked into the deatails... The beauty of the "Frankenhub" is that it's all Chris King components.

The axle machining was about $50.

its called. actually maintaining your bike and parts.. sure is dirty in that freehub. looks like some rust too..

Yeah, I know. It's actually a friends hub. No maintains for two seasons = lots of rust and worn out bearings. The small one was split in half!
Some cleaning and re-lubrications before and after each season is a minimum for sure.

[Cult mode=On]Chris king, however uses stainless steel parts. And according to the manual, are designed to work normally even if water are trapped inside. The ring-drive is very sensitive to debris, though. But it's pretty well sealed.[Cultmode=Off]

 

[RogerH]

Right on!

After seeing Mr Kaiser's post about the conversion on another message board, I was considering doing the same thing. I already have an extra rear King hub, so all I would have needed to order is a SS hubshell and the tandem axle (and a few misc parts). Fortunately, it's really easy ordering parts from King, unlike other hub brands. I'm sure that's particularly the case in Europe, where I'm pretty sure Hadley has very little - if any - support.

However, I got lazy and just ordered my wheels built up with Hadleys. Hadleys and Kings are at a much higher level than Hopes, so I don't even see the comparison.

Hadley actually has a distributor in Sweden. A nice guy, but he's a one man operation with limited stock, so sometimes it takes a while. I believe the Chris King distributor is in Finland...

Aspire has a great website with all parts listed. They send stuff all over, and fast too!

 

[dhkid]

besides the drag, king hubs are the best design out there. the bike shop i worked in iss a king dealer and the hubs that i have seen come in after years of neglect. i remember one hub, which pretty much had mud inside it from all the river crossings and mud riders this guy has gone through. just a quick cleaning of every part got it working like new again....

but i used hadley hubs coz king doesn't have a 150 and i dont run hopes coz of the engagement. really tempting tho...such a weight difference.

i just dont get it with king.

 

[RogerH]

besides the drag, king hubs are the best design out there. the bike shop i worked in iss a king dealer and the hubs that i have seen come in after years of neglect. i remember one hub, which pretty much had mud inside it from all the river crossings and mud riders this guy has gone through. just a quick cleaning of every part got it working like new again....

but i used hadley hubs coz king doesn't have a 150 and i dont run hopes coz of the engagement. really tempting tho...such a weight difference.

i just dont get it with king.

If Hope made a 48poe body for 9speed cassettes (like their trials hub) they could really compete with Hadley. But I guess it would have to be made out of steel or Ti, because of the offset pawls. That would also add weight.. 24poe for the Pro2 is kind of weak..