Bike Hubs Buying Guide

All bike components are important, with each playing a part in the operation of a bike; the hubs however, are certainly one of the most important!

Hubs connect your wheel to your bike via the spokes to the axle of your bike. This allows the hub to spin on bearings. A bike has both front and rear hubs. The front hub of a bike is the simpler hub, it’s just designed to allow the front wheel to spin freely. The rear hub of a bicycle plays a more important role, as the rear hub is part of the bike’s transmission. The cassette, the sprocket that drives the rear wheel, is connected to the rear hub. This usually includes a mechanism which allows the bike to freewheel.

Front Hub Guide

Front hubs resemble a metal tube with bearings at either end of the tube. Different bearings are available; there are either loose bearings packed into the bearing via locknuts and cartridge bearings packed into the bearing as part of a single unit.

The axle of the wheel bearing runs through the front bearings - and the axle will be secured to the bike's fork or the bike's frame using bolts or quick-release clamps; most of us will be familiar with.

On looking at the hub, you will notice raised lips at either end drilled for the spokes, depending on the bike the hub is designed to go on.

Rear Hub Guide

Rear Hubs have some differences, and most road, BMX and MTB rear hubs will have a freewheel on the drive side of the hub. This allows the bike to freewheel, with the familiar clicking sound which can be heard on a freewheeling bike.

Mountain Bike Hubs

Mountain Bikes are incredibly varied in design and purpose, with hardtail mountain bikes and full suspension mountain bikes providing very different performances. This means that different hubs are available for different mountain bikes.

A lightweight MTB hub for cross-country racing will be very different from a hub for full suspension mountain bikes, which tackle large drops and jumps. Most mountain bike hubs, both front and rear, are made of alloy, although carbon fibre hubs are available for riders looking for the lightest possible component weight. Rear Hubs for mountain bikes that jump are typically made from steel - needing to be heavier than their aluminium counterparts.

The bearings fitted to your mountain bike will either be Cup and Cone bearings or Cartridge Bearings. Cup and Cone Bearings are found on older and cheaper bikes and using this bearing type do have some advantages, they are easier to maintain and service at home. Cup and Cone bearings have two loose ball bearings which are within the body of the hub; the Cone part of the bearing holds the ball bearings and the balls rotate between the cup and the cone.

Cartridge MTB bearings are more expensive but are more convenient. Cartridge bearings have a steel ball or needles which rotate within the single cartridge unit - making it very easy to replace.

Regardless of your mountain bike hubs, you must ensure they are compatible with your bike's brake rotor. There are two main choices here, there are six bolt and centrelock mounting. Six bolt systems have six spaced holes on the hub to bolt a matching rotor, and Centrelock systems (used by Shimano) have a splined hub rotor with a locking ring.

Those purchasing hubs should ensure they are compatible with the axle (front hubs) and buyers also need to be aware of the rear hub size. Standard rear hub size is 135x5mm, but bikes designed for downhill use can have thicker and wider axles in various sizes. A hub also needs to be matched to your bike rims, a 32h hub for example is designed for use with a 32-spoke wheel and rim.

Boost Hub Guide

Boost Hubs are a relatively new introduction in the world of mountain biking. They have been developed by Trek and SRAM and are designed to widen the rear and front axle by 6mm and 10mm. The result is a 148 x 12mm rear hub and a 110 x 15mm front hub. This design has been developed to increase the rigidity of 29-inch wheels.

Road Bike Hubs

Road Bike Hubs, like Mountain Bike Hubs, are a vital part of the road bike. In a world where efficiency and speed are key, road bike hubs represent the engine room of a bike - propelling the bike forward with each pedal stroke. Again, both Cup and Cone bearings are available - as are cartridge bearings, which are also covered above.

Hub Spares And Parts

At Westbrook Cycles, we stock and supply a massive range of Hub Spares - including replacement bearings, bodies, ratches, springs, axles and even conversion kits. We also stock and supply a large range of aftermarket bearings, perfect for upgrades.