Best Hubs for TDR?

[ride MT]

Which hubs are more dependable or easier to rebuild than others? I am going to invest in a good set of wheels soon, and have an idea that I may do the TDR in future. I would also prefer they be quieter rather than louder....Geared cassette hub setup, not singlespeed.

[Mauro_N]

Im going to run Hope Pro 2s next year. I don't have them yet but they are reported to be super reliable and easy to maintain. Although they may be a bit loud

[bmike-vt]

might want to have a look here:
http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,1900.0.html

lots of good stuff.

[taprider]

shimano
uses ball bearings, not custom pressed in cartridge bearings, and serviceable at any bike shop
even if the worst happens and you break the freehub, you can get a new one and replace it easily
most quiet, much much quieter than Hope
coast faster for me than loud hubs

[arno]

Currently I run Hope hubs. After 7 month of use 2 springs of the 4 pawls from the freewheel mechanism broke. The good news is they can be replaced without a tool (if you have spares with you ...) and the freewheel was still working with the remaining 2 operating pawls. Hope has a good reputation in supplying spare parts.
They are loud.

I never had a problem with shimano hubs, and usually every shop has them. The only thing you might research if e.g. the cassettte body of different models is interchangeable (eg SLX --> XT --> Deore) in case the freewheel fails. I don't know the current situation, but I have in the back of my mind that XTR quite often uses XTR only parts that might be harder to get, but maybe I'm wrong.
If you want a long life out of Shimano hubs you have to learn to adjust the cones properly - except for XTR they are usually set to tight when new.
With XT and SLX hubs you save plenty money for nicer rims, spokes and a proper built.

[rhino-x]

Ollie proved the Roloff is an option.

[bmike-vt]

groundshine used an alfine 8.
a friend is planning on the alfine 11.

[fotooutdoors]

groundshine used an alfine 8.
a friend is planning on the alfine 11.

I have read, I believe on MTBR forums, that the alfine 11 doesn't seem to have the staying ability of the 8, and obviously not of the Roloff.  No personal experience, just thought I would throw out that thought, as a mid-route igh breakdown would likely mean a drivetrain rebuild (to derailleurs) due to parts availability (or lack thereof).

[krefs]

DT Swiss and White Industries hubs have proven incredibly reliable for me. The DT Swiss rear hubs have a freehub that can be removed without any tools, and the two star ratchet pieces can be replaced in roughly 30 seconds should they wear out or break (I have yet to have either happen). Those pieces are small and light enough that you can easily carry spares if you're paranoid about them failing. With all other hubs that I'm aware of, you need tools (big hex wrench, hammer, and/or sockets) to remove the freehub body. Then you need to find a shop that has the appropriate replacement or replacement parts, which is often easier said than done.

As for the Rohloff option, Ollie's seemed to work well for him this year, and we loved ours on the tandem. And if something survives 2700 miles of abuse on a tandem, it'll probably survive whatever you could dish out.

[rhino-x]

I have read, I believe on MTBR forums, that the alfine 11 doesn't seem to have the staying ability of the 8, and obviously not of the Roloff. 

The 11 speed uses oil, and the 8 uses grease.

[BigPoppa]

I second the DT Swiss 240. I put about 4,000 miles on mine last year training for and racing the Divide. I still have the same hubs on my bike now and they are rock solid.

Come to think of it, maybe I should service them since I haven't done that at all....

[chriskmurray]

Roloff has been proven many many times over

DT, King, Hope, White Industries, Phil Wood, Hadly, are all very proven and reliable hubs.  I9 has a great freehub set up but initially their bearings did not seem to last long although they were in the process of changing them when I left a shop that saw a bunch of them.

Mavic freehubs in my experience are horrible.

I have always had issues with Shimano freehub bodies failing but many loaded touring cyclists claim 10k plus miles out of most freehubs so maybe it has something to do with the power spikes that come with mountain biking.

My favorite are Kings, I love the engagement and how well they are machined, the five year warranty is not bad either.

[Georg66]

As for the Rohloff option, Ollie's seemed to work well for him this year, and we loved ours on the tandem. And if something survives 2700 miles of abuse on a tandem, it'll probably survive whatever you could dish out.

I also used a Rohloff (a special honor for me as a German) and the only disadvantage - if at all - might be the weight and the fact that the hub is not compatible to every frame (if you do not have the suitable axle plate).

The latter caused me to switch to an almost new bike in Salida after my frame was broken :-( ... and to send the Rohloff back to my home.

During the next day I had to learn changing gears, since I was used to Rohloff, where you can change from gear 1 to 14 while the bike is standing.

[wunnspeed]

I used White Indus. M16 laced to FRM 388 rims which worked perfectly. I did have the rear rebuilt in Helena but that was because in the couple thousand kilometers I'd previously used them they'd never been adjusted. It was my fault, nothing to do with the hubs. Oh... I put extra stress on them using them singlespeed. If I hadn't used those I'd have run Chris King ISO. As far as easily servicable, I hate to recommend them, but Shimano are the standard (sadly) and most shops along the way could repair them. On the other hand, I was with one of the Italian guys when the shop told him that his Shimano hub was beyond repair and that a new wheel would be cheaper than trying to save his hub.

[krefs]

I used White Indus. M16 laced to FRM 388 rims which worked perfectly.

If you go with the M16, it'd be a good idea to get a couple extra pawls and pawl springs to carry with you. They're tiny, but should they fail, they're tough to find in shops. If you go armed with those, the M16 uses common cartridge bearings, and a shop needs to get them apart are cassette removal tools and a 1.5 mm (I think that's the size...) allen wrench to loosen a set screw. I far prefer this design to the Shimano hubs where the freehub is usually sealed and unserviceable. If the shop doesn't have the correct replacement, you're stuck.

That being said, I'll put in another plug for the DT Swiss hubs...they let you replace drive-side spokes with no tools other than a spoke wrench!

[campbellrae1]

I can put in a good word for DT 240's, put in nearly 50,000km on mine before I replaced them. Not through need ing to, I just fancied something new

Also had good experiences with Shimano hubs, got a set of XT's on my MTB training wheels that have 10,000km of abusive/winter riding and they seem to be holding up very well.