Hubs for tourer?

[Blue Hills]

Please bear with me - I'm not that technical.

I'm having a tourer built - wheels 36 hole of course.

Chap building it said it should have XT hubs as they roll smoother.

But have recently read stuff that implies that they may not be as tough as lower priced stuff - Deore or LX.

Something to do with an oversized aluminium as opposed to steel axle which necessitates smaller bearings?

Quick views please as I may be able to change the spec.

I should also say, though I've never adjusted any wheel bearings that I like the idea of "old fashioned" ball bearings rather than cartidge bearings.

Guidance on which of the above use these also welcome.

I also want to stick to Shimano.

 

[jags]

i have shimano xt m770 model excellent hubs ,fear not shimano is good stuff

 

[numbnuts]

I have Shimano Deore with SunCR18 rims mine have been fine, the rear bearing are 1/4 and front 3/16

 

[PpPete]

Steel axle sounds good - small bearings sounds not so good.
My "tourer" has Shimano road hubs, so I've no direct experience, but Deore and LX are both good solid gear.

In terms of "roll smoother" my Hope Pro III hubs (cartridge bearings) knock spots off the Shimano 105 cup/cone/loose ball.... and you can hear me coming

 

[Brommyboy]

Basic Shimano hubs have severed me well for many years of touring.

 

[willem]

Until recently Shimano XT hubs were excellent hubs for touring. Unfortunately Shimano decided to make the thing lighter and stiffer by using a thicker aluminium axle. As a result, there was less room for the bearings, so they reduced those in size. As a result, many people have had problems. So the current wisdom is to now spec LX hubs for the sturdiest affordable hubs.
Shimano cranksets now have a similar problem: the integrated designs with external bearings such as in XT cranks have tiny balls, and they have reduced the life expectancy of the bottom bracket from very long to sometimes no more than a few thousand miles. Square taper cranks/bottom brackets are much to be preferred.

Willem

 

[Blue Hills]

Thanks for that Willem (other views welcome of course).

And can you confirm that the LX has a steel axle?

Any move to aluminium (particularly if it affects the bearings) would seem a bit perverse for this application (or maybe I'll old-fashioned) , since the frame all of this is being built on is steel.

My fast city bike, which has been my main mileage bike until now has XT hubs and they have been no trouble at all, but of course these may be the older type - steel? They have been on the bike, with rim changes, for maybe 7 years.

 

[willem]

The change was made some two or three years ago. The recent LX hubs on my son's bike have steel axles, and I have not heard of any recent changes. Lighter and more rigid matters for the mtb crowd, and that is of course a far larger chunk of the market, particularly if you include all the wannabees.
For the chainset, I would personally opt for a Sugino XD with either a Shimano UN53 botton bracket, or if you want truly top notch, an SKF bottom bracket.
Willem

 

[looe]

Steel axle sounds good - small bearings sounds not so good.
My "tourer" has Shimano road hubs, so I've no direct experience, but Deore and LX are both good solid gear.

In terms of "roll smoother" my Hope Pro III hubs (cartridge bearings) knock spots off the Shimano 105 cup/cone/loose ball.... and you can hear me coming

+1 Hope are just brill

 

[Zoiders]

The Hopes or Goldtec Touring Hubs.

 

[willem]

The good thing about Shimano was that their xt hubs were very good value for a very good hub. That position has now been taken by the lx hub. There is of course a wide range of more expensive alternatives. Phil Wood, for example, make superb hubs. However, they cost so much that for a loaded tourer you might as well get a Rohloff.
Willem