9/6/14 8:16 PM

Anyone know if I can put a 10 speed Campy cassette on an 11 speed hub? I've had new bike itch and am trying to relieve it with used wheels.

9/7/14 2:08 AM

AFAIK Campagnolo haven't changed their freehub design since they went from 8 to 9 speed. Any 9-11 speed Campagnolo cassette will fit on any 9 to 11 speed Campagnolo splined freehub.

9/7/14 9:01 AM

The only differences are in the lock rings for various size cassettes.

9/7/14 9:02 AM

I also think 9-10-11 hubs are good with those speed cassettes.

9/7/14 10:20 AM

quote:

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The only differences are in the lock rings for various size cassettes.

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9/7/14 12:35 PM

Question for Brian.

Wheel/hub related, but unrelated to the OP.

Question is Erik told me in email you had used the hubs that came on his eBay wheels?

Novatec? Steel Axles ?

Bearings?

Thanks

9/7/14 1:36 PM

mine are not Novatec. They use 2/4 cartridge bearing like most hubs. I am not sure the size.

I also don't think they are Al axles on mine but they may be.

Ask DIY on eBay, they were very good with communications, even if it was in broken English.

9/7/14 4:54 PM

I've been riding Novatec 271 hubs for a year with no issues. One of the big internet sites-bikeradar or someone, did a factory tour. Its a for real operation that happens to be located in China. Not DT swiss quality, but perfectly servicable.

9/7/14 5:55 PM

Mostly the internets seem to have blurbs about the bearings in the 271. Needing to be replace more frequently than some. Is that your experience?

9/7/14 6:21 PM

No. But 1 yr under a 130 lb rider may not be a very good sample size...

9/8/14 5:21 AM

I'm not sure how many companies are actually making hubs in Taiwan and China, but there are a lot of brand names on the market selling the same hubs. I purchased the hubs in question from: http://www.bikehubstore.com

I've bought several sets of hubs from Brandon and they've all worked well on road and 'cross bikes. The axles are 1/2" diameter with pretty thick walls, but it's hard to tell if they're Al or steel at a glance. They're not magnetic and the hubs are quite light, so I'm pretty sure they're Al. Whatever they are, they work just fine.

12/11/14 1:14 PM

Just an update. After 2 seasons of use, the rear freehub outer bearing became rough. Replaced all bearings as a preventative measure. The bearings inside the freehub are not easy to do, but not impossible. It does require some patience and a pair of c clip pliers.

12/11/14 2:20 PM

Has it seen much wet mucky use?

12/11/14 5:23 PM

Almost none-I'm a fair weather rider, given that I don't commute.

12/12/14 11:55 AM

While I rarely ride my road bikes in the rain - and never intentionally - our cross bikes do see a fair amount of mud and frequent washings. So far, the bearing are fine.

I've come to the conclusion that with the improvements in Chinese manufacturing, the bike market is no longer a strictly "you get what you pay for" proposition. This is especially true with wheels, where it's possible to build light, durable, low-maintenance wheels for under $250, or $300-$350 if you pay someone to build them. The wheel market also seems to be polarizing, with "value" builders selling essentially generic spec wheels in the $500 (Al) to $1000 (carbon) range, and the "boutique" brands who are pushing cutting edge products at stratospheric prices ($2000-$4000+) that are unjustifiable, IMO. Yes, the latter are "better" in the strictest sense, but for my needs, they'd be nothing but a waste of money. I can't see enough advantage over my sub-$250, sub-1300 gram wheels to justify paying an order of magnitude more for them.

I see the same thing in bike lights, too. I've recently started to do some night ride off-road and have delved into the world of LEDs and lithium ion batteries. A few years back, I picked up a Lupine Betty light (at ~80% off on a closeout), which retailed at over $900 (the current version is ~$1000). Recently, on a whim, I picked up some Chinese lights to play with, including a 7-LED light similar to the Betty. The price? $43 shipped from Amazon. The Chinese light (sold by "SecurityIng") is substantially brighter than the Betty, due to improvements in LED tech over the years. While it's certainly not as well engineered, it is solidly built (machined Al) and it works every bit as well. The other two lights are a 3 LED (also from SecurityIng) and a 2 LED (spot and flood beams, by UniqueFire). The total cost for all 3 light systems combined was around $100. Perhaps the batteries won't last as long or there will be other issues, but even if that's true, the value is still off the charts.

It seems like it's a whole new world out there...