Hubs
Used road bike hubs on Cranxs come from private sellers across the UK, from precision ceramic-bearing builds to bombproof everyday hubs. The hub dictates how smoothly a wheel rolls, how quickly the freehub engages and how long the whole build lasts. Buying second-hand hubs is a straightforward way to start a custom wheel build.
What should I check buying used hubs?
Hold the axle and rock the hub shell to feel for lateral play, then turn the axle by hand and feel for notchiness or grinding, which points to pitted bearings. Spin the freehub backwards and listen for even, consistent pawl engagement rather than skipping. On alloy freehub bodies, check the splines for gouges cut by cassette sprockets. Bearings are often a cheap replacement, so a rough hub is not always a write-off.
Which freehub body do I need?
Match the freehub to your cassette. Shimano and SRAM 11-speed road cassettes fit an HG body; SRAM 12-speed road uses XDR, which is 1.85mm longer than the mountain bike XD body; Campagnolo's newer cassettes use N3W. Many hub brands sell a swappable freehub body, so check whether the model you are looking at supports the standard you need.
Which axle standard fits my frame?
Front hubs are 100mm wide, either quick release with a 5mm skewer rod or 12mm thru-axle. Rear hubs are 130mm quick release on rim-brake road frames and 142x12mm thru-axle on disc frames. Measure your dropout spacing before buying, and confirm the front hub matches too if you are building a pair.
Six-bolt or Centerlock?
Disc hubs mount the rotor either with six bolts on a circular flange or on a splined Centerlock interface secured by a lockring. Adapters exist to run six-bolt rotors on Centerlock hubs but not the reverse, so buy the hub around the rotors you already own.
Cup-and-cone or cartridge bearings?
Cup-and-cone hubs are adjustable and can be reconditioned indefinitely as long as the races are not pitted, which suits high-mileage winter use. Cartridge bearings are pressed in and simply swapped when worn, and ceramic cartridges cut friction at a price premium. Either way, plan the build around the rims and spokes you intend to use, or compare against a ready-built wheelset.