Winter duty hubs - specifically rear - 7 speed

[taffy]

right looking ahead to the winter i would like some cakky weather wheels to save my nice retro wheels form excessive abuse, wear and tear and general winter nastyness.

i'm ok for rims (Mavic X 317's)and front hubs ( thin bodied 105 or WTB momentum - not decided yet!) but am struggling to find a decent quality 7 speed rear that will not look out of place on my bikes but i'm stuck for a 7 speed rear. (before i commit any wedge to it!)

Any sugestions?

 

[MikeD]

Cheap 8spd rear and a suitable spacer.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

It's hard to know what would look out of place on your bike without seeing a picture of it, but 7-speed Parallax hubs from Shimano have good seals for winter use - LX, STX, even Alivio. They pop up NOS on eBay fairly frequently.

XT 730/732 hubs have the best seals of the pre-Parallax bunch.

 

[taffy]

They are all early 90's

i'm trying to avoid fat parralax bodies TBH - that's why i was going for a road style front hub (WTB excepted as it has grease nipples)

 

[barry2017]

You could do a lot worse than the Exage. I had a pair on my Dawes Galaxy for years, and they were tough as old boots.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

They are all early 90's

No, they're all mid-nineties, with the exception of the M730/732. You didn't mention any age criteria in your post. Are you looking for something older or something newer?

The only older hub that has seals I would rate for winter-long use is the XT 730/732. You might find something off-brand that has cartridge bearings.

Newer road hubs can be respaced (if necessary) and used with a 7-speed cassette and spacer. A late-nineties 105 5500 or Ultegra 6500 hub has better seals than almost any pre-Parallax mtb hub.

 

[taffy]

They are all early 90's

No, they're all mid-nineties, with the exception of the M730/732. You didn't mention any age criteria in your post. Are you looking for something older or something newer?

No - i meant my bikes are all early 90's. 91 -92 specifically.


Age or period isn't important per se. I'm just after something that doesn't jarr looks wise (without an obvious benefit the WTB ones i'd consider have their greaseguard - if i could find a rear to go with i would accept the 8 speed freehub and fat body)
i'd take a slim bodied rod hub and re space it but they are sadly thin on the ground.

My specifics
7 speed
slim body if possible
Reasonably priced (i.e no point in recommending a £150 rear hub when i can get 3 set's of wheels for that!)
They don't need to have disc rotors or any other unnecessary fittings

 

[Roger_P]

Have a look for Novatec, I have these on my Winterbike and they use commercial bearings so are easy to replace should the weather get to them and are cheap!
http://www.novatec.com.tw/novatec/english/p_racing.php?c1=2&c2=5

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Ah, OK.

In that case, I'll stick to my original suggestions. XT M732 hubs are still around NOS if you're patient, and you'll probably pick one up for under £20. The improved seals are worth the premium you'll pay over cheaper hubs from the same period.

Failing that, the improved sealing of the Parallax hubs is a real, practical benefit for winter use, and the fat hub barrel would match your WTB Momentum. LX versions are black. The others are silver.

 

[Neil G]

Old XT (1993/94) seemed really good hub wise. I still have a couple one used which runs as smooth as the day I got it.