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Conference noted::bicycle

Title: Bicycling
Notice:Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:JAMIN::WASSER
Created:Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3214
Total number of notes:31946

1268.0. "High Flange Hubs" by WITNES::HANNULA (At a loss for words) Tue Aug 01 1989 11:51

    Does anybody still manufacture high flange hubs?  If not, why not?
    I've heard that low flange are suppoedly stronger - could somebody
    explain why.
    
    	-Nancy
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1268.1MEMORY::GOODWINin a spasm of lucidity...Tue Aug 01 1989 12:1313
    re: .0
    
    See if you can find a copy of "THE BICYCLE WHEEL" by Jobst Brandt. The
    book has a section on the uses of High and Low Flange hubs. The book is
    about $10.00 and your local bike shop should be able to get it.
    
    From what I recall the High-Flange makes a stiffer wheel due to shorter
    spoke length and is commonly used for track wheels. I'll look it up
    tonight and see what it says.
    
    Paul
    
    
1268.2HIGH FLANGE HUBS ARE OUT...FOR NOWAKOV11::FULLERTue Aug 01 1989 12:507
    Colorado cyclist had a real special on Campy Record high flange
    hubs built up. 
    
    My first Campy hubs were high flanged, circa 1974.  The rear hub
    cracked circa 1985.
    
    steve
1268.3curious phenomenonSUSHI::KMACDONALDIs there life after drywall?Tue Aug 01 1989 13:519
Not sure why hi-flange hubs aren't popular ... they supposedly make 
stiffer wheels, but a lot of folks buy lo-flange then go to a lot of 
effort to make the wheels stiffer with bizarre lacing patterns, etc.

Recently acquired my first bike with l-f's, but it's hard to say what's 
bike and what's wheels as I haven't done any wheel-swapping. Everything 
else is Campag h-f, some of my hubs still going after 15 years or 
more...
                                ken
1268.4Not for stiffnessTALLIS::JBELLCeci n'est pas une pipe. |Tue Aug 01 1989 14:5210
    The original idea of high flange was to make the wheel stiffer.

    This doesn't really work, because the tire is about 100 times as
    compliant as the spokes in any reasonably well built wheel.
    High flange hubs are heavier too.

    They are used for hubs with more spokes (40 or 48 spoke wheels)
    because the holes would be too close to each other.

    -Jeff Bell
1268.5For Stiffness & Maintainability !AQUA::OCONNORBuddy, can ya spare $1.2 mill for a Ferrari F-40?Tue Aug 01 1989 15:548
    I know High flange Hubs are/were stiffer I have a pair and there
    is a difference esp in the front.  I had a friend back in my racing
    days you went out bought himself a pair of low flange hubs and then
    had them tied and soldered to improve stiffness.  Another supposed
    reason for having high flange hubs was to allow the rider to change
    spokes with 13-17 freewheels still on the bike!
    
    Joe
1268.6$.02NOVA::FISHERRdb/VMS DinosaurTue Aug 01 1989 16:116
    I have some low flange 40 hole hubs.
    
    High flange hubs for changing spokes with 13-17 freewheels is not
    a problem I can relate too. :-)
    
    ed
1268.7lateral rigidity is where it's atTOOK::R_WOODBURYwhy silver bullets!?!? ...Thu Aug 10 1989 20:2616
    re: .4, et al
    
>    The original idea of high flange was to make the wheel stiffer.

>    This doesn't really work, because the tire is about 100 times as
>    compliant as the spokes in any reasonably well built wheel.
    
    What about *lateral* rigidity? That's where the high flange wheel
    really wins: in high speed manuevers, turns, etc. I've seen low flange
    wheels which collapsed - sideways - becauses of that kind of stress. 
    
>    High flange hubs are heavier too.
    
    They may be heavier, but the greater disadvantage is that they "cup"
    the wind, causing greater wind resistance: a couple of grams of dead
    weight won't slow you down that much.
1268.8WLDWST::POLLARDThu Sep 07 1989 16:027
    In case anyone ever comes back to read this...
    
    Brandt's conclusion is that the extra rigidity of a high-flange
    wheel is irrelevant to anything except a tandem and MAYBE a loaded
    touring single.   If this is general concensus among people who
    manufacture bikes, it would explain the disappearance of high-flange
    hubs over the last 10 years.