Need new hub

My SRAM 746 hub is starting to make noise, and after some quick research it's not surprising! And the Raceface AR30 have several dents already.

I have a Range 29er, looking for recommendations on a good reliable hub and rim.

I've heard Hope Pro4 and DT 350 are good options?

As for rims Stan's, DT, Spanky or Chromag. Which model?

I don't know much about hubs and rims as I just got back into Mtbing a year ago, so appreciate any recommendations and feedback.

Thanks

Budget?

buy cdn......

https://we-are-one-composites.odoo.com/page/home

Posted by: Endur-Bro

Budget?

Married with two kids.....I think that's self-explanatory!!

Carbon = Divorce.

Hahahaha.

Posted by: Ouch

Married with two kids.....I think that's self-explanatory!!

Carbon = Divorce.

Hahahaha.

Recently ordered a DT EX1501 Spline One rear wheel from Germany.  Real fancy item.  Bladed spokes, 240-ish hub, CL, maybe straight pull???, factory taped. 30mm inner.  Too bad they sent a 142mm instead of 148 spacing.  The DT has a bunch of different price points, specs, widths in that line. 

Probably some BF/CM deals to be had on CRC

So I looked at the rims suggested so far, the weight of my current Raceface AR30 are 545g. Most are in the  same weight range except the Chromag BA(610g). Looking at the profile of the BA it would definitely be the strongest with the internal support. Will the extra 65g  per wheelset be noticeable?

Stan mk3 527g

Chromag BA rims 610g 

Chromag Phase 30 510g. 

Spank oozy trail 345 540g 

Oozy 350 495g. 

DT Swiss ex511 570g

RF AR30 545g

610g is pretty portly. You can get full DH rated rims from Race Face (ARC HD) or E13 (LG1+) for lighter than that...

I have two bikes with Hope Pro 4's and one with a chris king. Performance is pretty equivalent. The engagement on the king is a bit better but functionally insignificant. You can get a whole wheel with the PRO 4 with a sale for the price of the king hub on its own. Not bad when you consider no real difference in strength or durability.

As for rims, because of the moment of inertia on a rim, increased rim weight will have a larger effect on ride quality than weight at the hub. I would rather have a heavier tire than rim for performance. I have ridden a spank oozy trail this season and it is great and comes in good colour options. I went with a flow mk3 on my most recent build - we will see how that goes.

Alternatively, I have a full Spank Oozy Trail 345 wheelset with 1/2 of one season on them. You can have the set for a great price if you want?

Tairin Wheels has decent hubs , been running their hubs and spokes and nipples on my bike for roughly a year . No issues to speak of , my Hope Pro 2 lasted a couple hundred km before the bearing died.

As for rims , Spank Oozy 345/395 , both killer rims no issues with either of them in a 2x build either.

Im going to say there is a big difference in terms of durability between a CK hub and a Hope hub.  I have several sets of CK hubs that are 10+ years old and still on their original bearings.  Maybe the Pro 4s are better than the Pro 2s, but ive never know a set of Hope bearings to last anywhere near that long.

Posted by: shoreboy

Im going to say there is a big difference in terms of durability between a CK hub and a Hope hub.  I have several sets of CK hubs that are 10+ years old and still on their original bearings.  Maybe the Pro 4s are better than the Pro 2s, but ive never know a set of Hope bearings to last anywhere near that long.

Agreed, any hub with pawls will be way less durable than a CK. While I have not ridden a hope hub yet I have exploded many others and when I went to CK...all that went away. Worth it!

IMHO- I'm married with 2 kids too and if I need new wheels I usually end up grabbing them from Pinkbike

If I had to buy wheels tomorrow it would be in this order, weight is very similar among the top 3, so its a none issue

**DT Swiss ex511 **

(Pro: DT Swiss quality, Strong wheelset Con: Same price as entry carbon)

**Oozy 350 **

(Pro: Strong wheelset, latterly stiff Con: Not DT Swiss bling?)

Stan mk3

(Pro: Good quality brand Con: On the flexy side)

As for hubs, this is more complicated as the options are endless and it comes back to budget

POE: High vs Low

Sound : Loud vs Soft

Weight:

Spokes count: 32 vs 28

Self service: Important to you or not?

Bearings: Ceramic or Enduro

And the list goes on.........

You're on the right path though, with either the HOPE Pro 4 or DT Swiss 350

Don't forget about your spokes and nipples as those can significantly impact the feel of your wheels and the longevity of the build

Thanks for the great feedback!

With the Spank oozy 350 vs the 345, the 345 weigh a bit more, are they a bit more burlier than the 350's?

I've been researching the pro's and cons of j-bend vs straight pull spokes, seems like j-bend are the better choice? What are some good options for good quality spokes? Nipples?

I like DT Swiss spokes and rims.  J-bend is your best bet.  DT Swiss Competition (double butted) are very common and build up well.  If you want to get fancy, bladed spokes are strong and light, but expensive and harder to build up.  My nipple of preference are also DT Swiss with Pro-lock (saves you having to put spoke prep on all your spokes).  Many will swear by brass nipples for longevity (at the cost of weight), but the DT Swiss Al ones I have used seem to hold up well.  Also getting hex head or squorx head nipples means you dont have to use a spoke wrench when tensioning/truing your wheels.  This option is nice to have, but not a necessity.