# Chris King cross hubs



## dr pabst (May 16, 2007)

In trolling the internet tonight, I came upon Chris King's cyclocross hubs. Pricey, but rather sexy looking, particularly the anodized color options. Does anyone have any experience with them? I really want a pair. Can anybody justify the cost?


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

dr pabst said:


> In trolling the internet tonight, I came upon Chris King's cyclocross hubs. Pricey, but rather sexy looking, particularly the anodized color options. Does anyone have any experience with them? I really want a pair. Can anybody justify the cost?


No.

If you have the money, then spend it. However, if your budget is tight, save the money and buy DA hubs instead. Half the cost and almost as good. You can build a nice and light set of wheels from them.

I think the DT Swiss 240s are lighter and just as good in quality as well. I think the price is comparable or a little less.

But those King hubs are sexy and for me they are a local product. That counts for something too.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

dr pabst said:


> Chris King's cyclocross hubs. I really want a pair. Can anybody justify the cost?


All that matters is if you can. You're dead a long time Pabst. If you want 'em get 'em. Read your middle sentence here.


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## the pope (Mar 28, 2004)

you may be dead a long time but eating instant noodles and working a third job repainting dumpsters because of poor impulse control in buying shiny things on the internet will feel longer


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

the pope said:


> you may be dead a long time but eating instant noodles and working a third job repainting dumpsters because of poor impulse control in buying shiny things on the internet will feel longer


If you come here saying "I really want a pair", you get them on an impulse and can't afford the 400 measly dollars (or so) then you deserve to repaint dumpsters forever.


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## kreger (Mar 10, 2004)

ive had my set of king hubs for just about a decade. i do about a thousand or so miles a year on this wheelset- cyclocross, commuting and touring in pac northwest weather. they rock.

these things are alps proof


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

The hard part was convincing the wife they were worth the $$$ over the leading brand.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

dr pabst said:


> Can anybody justify the cost?


No. Some people can afford to buy them anyway.


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## 11.4 (Mar 2, 2008)

Chris King hub discussions capture a disproportionate amount of flak, much of it centered around whether they are too expensive/too bling/too whatever. The fact is, they are pretty much bulletproof, withstand wet, dirt, and worse better than almost any other hub, and are completely rebuildable. They also have one of the best geometries in the standard ("Classic") configuration -- they give some of the best bracing angles in a rear hub, which is also good for cross. So if you want to spend the money, they are certainly great to use. 

A few provisos:

1. They only come down to 28 holes, nothing smaller unless you are a special friend of theirs. For many carbon rims, that rules them out.
2. The front hub is not rated for radial spoking if you're so inclined. I've built plenty of front King hubs with radial lacing and never had a problem, but I tend to do it with 28's anyway where there's more metal between the spoke holes (and it doesn't make too much sense to radial-spoke a 36-hole wheel). 
3. If the arrival of the cross hubs meant that there are lots of King Classic hubs getting dumped on the used market, then by all means go for the Classics. They are still superb and may be much cheaper because there are a fair number of them available for sale.


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

I think... to sum up a lot of discussion about CK hubs... they are a really great product and if you can afford them buy them... because they are a really great product. If you can't afford them, there are other great products out there that will be good. You get what you pay for. I love mine so far.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

*Not so fast. . .*

. . .because of their notorious seal drag. Just kidding. . . . ? 



Dajianshan said:


> You get what you pay for


Assuming for the sake of this discussion that this is true, the fact of the matter is that the cost of CK products is based in part on factors that have nothing to do with performance, durability, design or even the fancy colors. So you really have to enumerate what you are paying for. You are also getting and paying for stuff like green manufacturing, progressive employment practices, supporting US industry etc. IMO, even *if* CK is the best in performance, durability, design etc., the cost difference is not justified on these factors alone.

Also, most purchasing decisions aren't made in a vaccum. Many people can afford CK products, but that does not mean that their funds are unlimited. As soon as CK hubs involve compromises elsewhere, the "if you can afford it" argument doesn't cut it. For example, if buying CK hubs means settling for tires with inferior suppleness that lose you .5 seconds in every corner. . . . .


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

> You are also getting and paying for stuff like green manufacturing, progressive employment practices, supporting US industry etc. IMO, even if CK is the best in performance, durability, design etc., the cost difference is not justified on these factors alone.


+1:thumbsup: 

Jeeze the environmental impact of a 10 year hub over a 2 year hub alone is so much less... 




> For example, if buying CK hubs means settling for tires with inferior suppleness that lose you .5 seconds in every corner. . . . .


... you can keep them for a long time and build better wheels around them as the budget permits.


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## d2p (Jul 29, 2006)

A Rolex or a Timex? Both keep time.

I used to wear a Timex and have full Camp bikes.

Then I had kids. Now I still wear a Timex . . .


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

Dajianshan said:


> you can keep them for a long time and build better wheels around them as the budget permits.


You could build wheels with other hubs that will last just as long and allow you to have nicer rims right away.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

Just what the world needs - _another_ Chris King hubset/headset "are they worth it" debate. All we can hope for is that they don't come out with any more bike parts.


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## Applesauce (Aug 4, 2007)

Gripped said:


> If you have the money, then spend it. However, if your budget is tight, save the money and buy DA hubs instead. Half the cost and almost as good.


_Almost_ as good? DA hubs are definitely _as good_ as Kings. Not better, to be sure, but perfectly on par. The weight is the same - 7800s with the alloy freehub body are actually a little lighter. (Bear in mind that Shimano and Campy always publish hub weights with skewers; the competition always _appears_ at first to be lighter as a result.) The bearings will last for ever in both, but the DA will require less adjustment initially and probably later on. Sure, the Kings will last for decades and are warranted to do so, but the DA will last just as long. DA only comes in boring silver, but I think that's the only trade-off; Kings make up for it by being loud as hell.

I like King and everything they do quite a lot, but in my opinion, there's no reason _not_ to buy Shimano or Campy hubs, regardless of the cost or the competition's offerings.


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

Applesauce said:


> I like King and everything they do quite a lot, but in my opinion, there's no reason _not_ to buy Shimano or Campy hubs, regardless of the cost or the competition's offerings.


I think that was my point?

For the record, I buy DA (used). It's the best bang for the buck.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

I bought an third hand 8 speed DA wheelset for $40 and used it about 1/3 of the time last season. If the original owner didn't get his money's worth out of the hub set, I sure did.


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## xccx (Aug 5, 2005)

$699 seems like a great price for this cross specific wheelset w/the new CK hubs:

http://www.speedgoat.com/productB.asp?part=130772&cat=49&brand=49

i've been seriously thinking about pulling the trigger.....


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## echappe (May 9, 2008)

Are the Speedgoat wheels tubular? $699 is a good price for that hub, but if I were to spend $700 on CX wheels, they had better be tubular.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

echappe said:


> Are the Speedgoat wheels tubular? $699 is a good price for that hub, but if I were to spend $700 on CX wheels, they had better be tubular.


Not with DT R1.1s. Would make a nice training/winter riding/commuter wheelset. . .

DT makes a tubeless upgrade kit for their MTB rims. Maybe they will do the same. Someday.


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