# Rear Hubs: Dura Ace vs. Ultegra vs. Novatec



## morgan1819 (Nov 22, 2005)

I know there are a lot of high-end hubs out there, but I am just looking to build up a nice reliable back up set of wheels. I plan to source the hubs and rims myself, and have a local builder handle the spokes and build.

My first choice would be a 24h or 28h Dura Ace rear hub, but for some reason these seem difficult to find. Is an Ultegra rear hub a huge drop-off in quality from the Dura Ace? Can they be found in a 24h or 28h?

Finally, how do the Novatec F482SB hubs compare to Shimano? They seem to be readily available in 24h and 28h, at a reasonable price.

Thanks -


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

morgan1819 said:


> Is an Ultegra rear hub a huge drop-off in quality from the Dura Ace?


I think so and I have both. The Ultegra has plain steel threaded rod axles where the DA has lovely CNC machined large diameter aluminum ones. The Ultegra has a steel cassette carrier and the DA has a titanium one. The exterior hub finish for DA is much nicer. If you're going with the new 7900 hubs, they have no-tool bearing adjustment. The older 7850 and the Ultegra need cone wrenches. But when rolling along you can't tell which hubs you're on.

Consider the White Industries C2 front and C3 rear hubs too. They're similar to the DA except they have sealed cartridge bearings (5 in the rear one) plus the Ti cassette carrier and they're dead easy to strip down and service. They're less money than the DA as well as being lighter by 30 grams. A nice hub made in the USA.

I can't answer your other questions.


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## Hank Stamper (Sep 9, 2009)

morgan1819 said:


> Is an Ultegra rear hub a huge drop-off in quality from the Dura Ace? Can they be found in a 24h or 28h?


For looking and fondleing yes. For riding a bike....no, they perform the same.


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## morgan1819 (Nov 22, 2005)

Thanks Mike ... I agree on WI hubs, I have heard lots of positive things on them. Unfortunately for the build to make sense monetarily, I need to stay in the $80 range for the rear hub. Otherwise I would be tempted to just snag one of CRC's complete Shimano wheelset deals.

I think I will keep scouring the internet for a rear hub deal for a while, and see if something pops up...


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

morgan1819 said:


> I need to stay in the $80 range for the rear hub...


Arrgghh I could have saved myself the blisters on two index fingers had I known.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

depends if you like really nice things or things that are not quite as nicely finished but do the same job

i use dura ace hubs on a couple of my wheelsets and they are nice. no performance difference between dura ace and ultegra hubs for the average punter. there were reasons i went with dura ace, got the hubs relatively cheaply (less than US$200/pair) and didnt want to have any regrets on the build, do it once and do it the way you really want it.


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## valleycyclist (Nov 1, 2009)

I have the same hub comments as Mike T. In addition, to reduce your cost you can consider Shimano 105 hubs. The quality is similar to Ultegra.


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## morgan1819 (Nov 22, 2005)

Update: Ended up finding a respectable deal on a 28H Dura Ace rear hub, so I am good there.

Now ... do I go with 27mm or 30mm rims? I've got my weight down to 165lbs, so I think 27mm is more than strong enough with 28 spokes.

Who makes a 27mm rim that competes with the Kinlin's?


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