Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Velo Fixe => Topic started by: The Solo Socialist on 30 July, 2018, 05:58:06 pm
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Has anyone experience of their fixed/fixed hubs and wheel builds ?
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No experience of their fixed hubs. Never had any issues with the quality of their wheelbuilds - Stayed true and well tensioned.
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They used to have a thing for plain gauge spokes, which I would never use unless I needed a weird length where butted spokes aren't available from DT or Sapim. I don't believe you can build and sell a rear fixie wheel for £60 with butted spokes; the parts alone are about £60 if you shop around. My last one (basic good quality stuff: System EX hub, Sapim Race, Ryde Chrina 32h) cost almost exactly that but I built it.
The only review is very poor.
I've never ridden anyone else's wheels that stayed perfectly true except a pair from Merlin (also very cheap). Hewitt, Thorn, DT...none of them were perfect.
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An update, I went ahead and purchased a wheelset in August. However mid January Rear Wheel Bearings failed, possibly due to my incorrect chain tensioning? However last week in January the Front Wheel Bearings have failed. When I replaced these at w/end it now seems some of the spokes are loose on the front wheel....
Not the best of starts ?????
I weigh 72 kg and have ridden some 3000 kms.
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For clarity, is this St John Street Cycles?
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Are the hubs the usual Formula/System EX ones? They may be unbranded but it usually says Formula somewhere on a nut or lockring.
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Yes Ian St Johns Cycles.
I've looked for any Brand Names but cannot see anything rogerzilla (bearings are standard 6001)
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The Formula hubs don't have a reputation for bearing problems (which are a minor thing on cartridge hubs anyway), just cosmetic rust on the axle and locknuts.
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Just my misfortune then, basically what SJS Cycles have said. :-[
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Are they plain gauge spokes? These are more likely to loosen than butted ones, because they aren't as elastic and are more likely to lose all tension when you hit a big bump, especially if the wheel wasn't built very tightly to start with. The wheel can be trued, but I'd also add a lot more tension.
A couple of years ago, I bought some pre-built wheels because it was cheaper than getting the parts separately (this is sometimes the case). Deore hubs, DT Competition spokes and ceramic rims, all for about £100. They weren't bad but were a bit slack for my liking. I added another half turn of tension all the way round and then re-trued them.
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Thanks Rogerzilla, they are plain spokes, I'll tighten them all half a turn...