[wirly]

I did in the axle on my Real rear hub and lookin for something that is good but I can break without bein' too pissed. Hope Bulbs I can get relatively cheaper than other quality hubs but are they good enough to justify the extra cost over a trust XT disc hub?

It's goin on an Armageddon for FR and droppin up to maybe 7', I'm ~185

 

[Roasted]

From what I have heard from a guy I know who rides hard. Hadley's are tough. I don't hear very much about hope up here. Around here Hadley or Chris King non-aluminum shell are the way to go.

How often do you damage hubs. PErsonally for some reason I don't go through them quickly een though I am a heavy clydesdale. At this point it isn't worth buying the very high end hubs. You have to analyze the cost vs the age f the hub for you as a rider. How long did the xt last you?

 

[amateur]

my xt is holding up fine. i abuse it plenty. seems to be strong enough, but it is heavy and lacks the engagment points of higher end hubs.

 

[afroboy]

I am just now ending my third year on a Hope Bulb rear hub. It is great. I have replaced the bearings once. Compared to an XT, you will notice more positive engagement from the freehub body. THe freehub body will also last for a long time, and is seviceable. This cannot be said for the XT as you need a specific tool to sevice it and they usually lose their feel after a year at best. My experience is that Shimano bearings are good, axles OK, freehub bodies crap. The Bulb is worth the extra cash, period.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Go with the Hope its a durable hub + easy to work on.

 

[jaydee]

My XT hub's freehub body is fried after one year. At least it's cheap and easy to replace. Having to adjust cones is a drag but it's not really very hard to do. Cheap comes at a cost.

 

[KonaDude]

I love rebuildable hubs like Shimano.

I wish Shimano would introduce an XTR-level standard disc hub. I know they have their new XTR disc stuff, but how about a standard one too? It would be a viable option for an awesome hub. Too bad it's imaginary.

The cool thing about XT's is that you can convert them to bolt-on axles. That's sometimes a good option if you ride hard.

 

[Roasted]

Originally posted by jaydee
My XT hub's freehub body is fried after one year. At least it's cheap and easy to replace. Having to adjust cones is a drag but it's not really very hard to do. Cheap comes at a cost.

Wow that lasted a long time. I have blown 3 in 5 months of riding.

To anyone,

Will hope hubs fix this problem? They are that much more durable. I know about the engagement points but durability vs cost is my concern.

 

[shocktower]

They are really bomb proof ,and the new ones have more teeth on the ingagement ,and they do very well in the wet

 

[MikeD]

OK,

I'm with you. I'm cheap. And I know Hadleys are good, but I ain't paying.

However, after rebuilding my cup and cone XT Discs one too many times, and having my rear come out of adjustment too often, I went with the Hopes myself (already had a set on my trailbike).
For some reason, my rear XT just wouldn't stay where I set it.

I have a bulb 20mm front and a sport rear, and I can feel the weight difference from the XTs. Most of all, I never have to worry about the hub adjustment, which I like. So I say Hope...worth the few extra bucks in the long run, but they're not going to cost you what CK or Hadley would.

I still run XT on my hardtail thrasher, but not on my DH bike.

KonaDude, what's the deal with a bolt-on axle? I hear so many different opinions...but it seems that you can get a QR as tight as a bolt, seeing as it pushes straight in on the frame, generates a lot of power with the cam mechanicsm, and you don't have to deal with friction as the nuts turn (though you should be using a washer in any case, no?) Does an axle itself actually flex enough to warrant a solid one??

MD

MD

 

[Roasted]

Does anyone know how many engagement points there are. I know shimano is a lowly 16 or something. Where does hope fit in?

I am getting excited I wasn't planning on redoing my rear tire but I sure would love more engagment points.

 

[wirly]

Thanks everyone, I am going to pick up a Hope rear and build it up stout and "hope" for the best, so to speak.

Thanks for all the personal input!

 

[Thylacine]

I quite like the DT/Hugi Onyx hubs, and think they're a better buy than the Hopes. Get the Hopes if you want that that 'little machine shop in England' cool factor, get the Onyx is you want to pocket some change and like Swiss stuff Hadleys and Kings are obviously out of your price bracket, so just ignore those I guess. Oh, and Hugi has a newish FR hubset too, which looks a bit more robust and is probably 'robust' on the old wallet too, but its obviously intended for FR, whereas the Hopes and Onyx arent specific. Forget the XT's, they're a joke - not even in the same category as the Hopes/Onyx.

Hope that helps ya out - good luck.