I'm a telecoms engineer. In my spare time I enjoy photography, fiddling with my Landrover and consum...
I'm a telecoms engineer. In my spare time I enjoy photography, fiddling with my Landrover and consuming fine ales.
Member since:21.07.2000
Reviews:106
Members who trust:6
The Hope XC is another one of the Lancastrian firm's well built bits of metal. Just fiddling with a hub which isn't built into a wheel gives a feeling of quality. The hub is sturdily made, but without being heavy.
Spinning the axle in your fingers is a joy. Smooth. Furthermore, Hope's use of cartridge bearings means that the hub body itself has no bearing tracks, so when the bearings fail, there's no need to scrap the rest of the hub. Moving on to the customary twirling of the freehub (I know people who don't ride are reading this too, so just for you, it's the bit that makes the "Ticky ticky ticky" noise) it feels positive and similarly well built. In use when freewheeling it is really, really loud. I don't find this a problem, but apparently it annoys the people that I ride with, and I know of at least one other owner of a Hope rear hub who gets annoyed by the loudness of it.
Unlike many freehubs, it's also surprisingly easy to service, requiring no tools the freehub just pulls straight off, revealing the ratchet mechanism, which is incredibly simple and easy to service. Fitting the cassette (cogs, for the non-cyclists!) takes a bit of gentle persuasion, however, in the form of a rubber mallet. Removing the cassette is even more difficult. Could do better there, I'm afraid.
In use, the hubs are a dream. Despite riding in mud, through rivers and general neglect of the bike, the hubs have stood up to it all admirably. Let's hear it for British Engineering!
Since I wrote this opinion, I've noticed two things: 1) Shimano XT cassettes seem to fit no problem, unlike cheaper stuff that just gets stuck. 2) Having lost the springs from the freehub and replaced them with what I had lying around (Campagnolo freehub springs), you can make it a lot quieter! Not sure how long it'll last with those springs, but never mind!
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Another biker, Its nice to see. I run hope xc's both front and rear (in red) and i love them to bits. I wouldn't say they were any louder than my old shimano's though.
mbmb11 08.11.2001 13:44
Gave you a helpful as your op kind of presumed i'd know what you were referring to when in fact i didnt!
Perhaps you could spell it out for dimmos like myself who dont know jack sh** about biking related things!!!
Mel x
TallTone 08.11.2001 13:35
Very good opinion Pritch. I'll have to take your word on the techy bits, but you certainly sound as though you know what you're talking about! It's good to see a wide range of subjects (and quality opinions on them!) on Ciao. Regards, TT.
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