Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

forum
road.cc bike forum

Dying Free hub

by fillip2k
Fri, Apr 10, 2015 17:38
10

I'm new to these parts so sorry if I'm basically asking a question that has been asked a million times before.

So looks like my Freehub is on its way out. Last August I bought myself a Felt Z95 off Wiggle to see if I would actually get into road biking and whether or not I would stick to it for commuting. Turns out I enjoy it immensely....

So the bike came with some pretty cruddy wheels, Alex A500 rim with some pretty flimsy Felt hubs. Went to ask about some shifting problems I've been having recently and haven't been able to get to the bottom of and the guy told me that the free hub hasn't got much life left in it and he then showed me some Ultegra wheels that I had been looking at on Evans so now I think I might pull the trigger on a new wheelset... Oddly for someone working in a bike shop he seemed to be telling me that I should look online for the wheels so I'm willing to take his advice with less of a pinch of salt than usual as he had no axe to grind...

These were the ones I was looking at, so I was wondering what peoples opinions are and which they have experience of etc...

Shimano Ultegra 6800's £250
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/ultegra-6800-tubeless-ready-...

Cole Rollen Elite £225
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cole/rollen-elite-700c-clincher-road...

Fulcrum Racing 3 Clincher only £350
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fulcrum/racing-3-clincher-700c-wheel...

Hunt Race Season £399 (obviously not released but I like them they look pretty...)
http://www.huntbikewheels.com/collections/wheels/products/hunt-race-seas...

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

Add new comment

10 comments

Avatar
Simon E | 9 years ago
0 likes

A normal freehub should last years, not months!

A500 might be cheap but surely the standard warranty applies. Contact wiggle first (or find an honest mechanic).

Avatar
fillip2k | 9 years ago
0 likes

I had thought that maybe the cassette needed changing, but the cassette is only 5-6 months old and as the chain is not damaged in anyway I reckoned it should be fine?

I replaced the cassette that came with the bike for an ulterga cassette. I took the cassette off and checked the profile of the teeth against the outer most cogs as these have seen the least use (pretty flat round here) and that all looks fine.

Although it is a much cheeper avenue to pursue a change of cassette than new wheels....

Avatar
gdmor10 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Last August? As in 2014? No way the freehub should be dying no matter how cheap the wheels are! Even cheap modern wheels should last for years so something not right with advice in my unqualified opinion. 3

Avatar
Derny | 9 years ago
0 likes

I don't think the condition of your freehub or rear wheel has anything to do with the chain skipping. If the freehub were slipping that would happen in other gears as well. The first thing I would want to do to diagnose it is swap out the cassette. That would be easy if you had a second set of wheels with another cassette...

Avatar
fillip2k | 9 years ago
0 likes

thanks for the replies people!

I think I misrepresented the problem I have...

Whats happening is that the chain skips when in the middle of the cassette, cogs 4/5/6, when under load not when I shift. In fact shifting is pretty much spot on, its quick and silent. I'm happy tinkering myself, I used to ride and muck about with MTB's as a teenager till I smashed my face on a tree and broke my nose resulting in my mum forbidding me riding bikes...

The chain has been checked for stretch, stiff links and any other damage... there is none. Although last time I cleaned my drive train I noticed the hub body was marked in the middle of the cassette. I took them to LBS and the guy said they could see no problems with anything on the bike....

As for the wheels I kinda let the guy tell me what I wanted to hear which was "buy new wheels" mostly as I want them and as much as till now these have been good they are pretty heavy and my rims at least flex a lot when I'm out of the saddle putting some welly through them or climbing... I've been veering towards the Ultegras as even though they are slightly heavier than the Fulcrum 3's they have a steel body hub and generally seem to be built much better and are less shouty than the Fulcrums. I'm not a huge fan of the decals on the F3's...

Avatar
kev-s | 9 years ago
0 likes

before buying new wheels id be contacting wiggle regarding the freehub, if the bike was only bought last august then there is no way the freehub should be on its way out

They may pass your onto felt's uk distro who should sort the freehub out as it will be under warranty

even if you do want to upgrade your wheels id still be contacting wiggle/felts uk distro and getting em fixed then you can sell on or keep them as spares/winter wheels etc...

Avatar
pablo | 9 years ago
0 likes

Replace your wheels if you feel like it the ultegras are good but I wouldn't spent any more than that. I run fulcrum 5's on my Z4 they have done over 4000 miles and still run true I have replaced all the bearings due to riding in crappy weather. On that note even if a Hub is said to be none serviceable all the bearings are replaceable pretty easily. I think the set I bought were £6. It's always worth having two sets of wheels though. Wheels can make a massive difference to the comfort of your bike and basically make you go quicker.

Avatar
2 Wheeled Idiot | 9 years ago
0 likes

Sounds like a dodgy salesman going yeah, basic(ish) problem, here's the most profitable fix for it......
However if you're happy to spend the cash wheels are a good place to do it, ultegras are the sensible pick out of those wheels but the hunts look amazing....light, wide and supposedly aero (but at only 28mm I double that).
I've heard nothing but bad things about Cole wheels.... Snapped spokes are the main issue from what I've heard.

Avatar
Derny | 9 years ago
0 likes

Not to discourage your shopping, but I had two unrelated reactions to your post:

1. Is the condition of the freehub related to your poor shifting performance? Usually a dying freehub does not cause shifting problems, unless it's very loose.

2. Have you asked a Felt dealer about replacing the freehub? If that's the only problem with the wheel then it's probably worth fixing, even if you choose to buy some new wheels as well. Having two sets of wheels will help keep you on the road.

Avatar
mike the bike | 9 years ago
0 likes

The Ultegras are lovely, and, as a bonus come tubeless-ready, which may be useful in the future. The hubs are the usual Shimano loose ball arrangement which makes for simple servicing and adjustment, if you are into that sort of manly pursuit.
I wish I still had mine but the bike is gone.

Latest Comments