sealed bearing rear hub, singlespeed

lixxus · 5 May 2015 at 21:51

Hi guys,

can anyone recommend a rear hub with a sealed bearing please for single speed.

all i can find is very expensive hubs for £150 is there anything cheaper

lixxus · 5 May 2015 at 22:20

Shamrock said:
Ambrosio Zenith?

nice thanks, any reputable resellers ?

going forward im going to start building my own rear wheels. these cheap wheelsets I buy with single wall rims dont last long. want to make sure i get a decent hub

lixxus · 6 May 2015 at 00:37

thank you both. going forward im going to build my own rear wheel and keep using existing hub.

buying these cheap single wall rims wheels is becoming costly in the long run. especially when I throw away the wheel including the hub. They are usually all quando/joytech ball bearing hubs so i think theres no point in rebuilding a cheap hub.

lixxus · 6 May 2015 at 00:48

Shamrock said:
My single-speed has Ambrosio Evolution rims built on Zenith hubs. Very robust and durable.

I've used them in all conditions for over 3500 miles and the rear hub/bearings have only just needed a bit of servicing.

http://www.totalcycling.com/en/Ambrosio-Zenith-Large-Flange-Track-Hub---Rear/m-17294.aspx

realistically how long do these things keep going considering you can always replace the sealed bearings.

do you just change the hub if it gets damaged( ie cracked/dent) otherwise its perfectly fine to keep using.

lixxus · 6 May 2015 at 13:30

Jonny69 said:
Almost all of those entry level flip-flop hubs are identical, they're just branded differently. It's only the Miche Primato which is different with its solid flanges. If you're buying a pair and spokes, by far the best place to get them from is http://www.cyclebasket.com and their stainless double-butted spokes are exceptional value and strong. My Zenith hubs came from there and I put around 11,000 miles on mine over 5 winters in all weather before the bearings needed replacing.

The hub will basically go on indefinitely. You just replace the bearings with a standard good quality 6001 2RS size bearing. You can just relace it with new spokes when the spokes or rim die. I don't know what you would have to do to damage a hub tbh, they don't crack or dent these days.

If you want better quality then look at the Miche Primato and Sturmey Archer ones, above this you've got Dura-Ace track hubs which are up in the £150 region and above that there are probably Campagnolo track hubs for £lol. To be honest though, the only difference between the entry level ones and the Sturmey/Primato is the look of the hub. The Sturmey is a much more traditional looking hub

thank you for the advice. I think I will go for the Ambrosio zenith . It seems decent and good value for money considering it has sealed bearings. I only need it for rear.

going forward definately building my own rear wheel