Phil Wood rear cassette hub - road vs touring model?

[saddlesore]

Hi

Long time sporadic lurker looking for some wisdom...

I'm in the process of building a bike for a long tour ie. "the big one" we all daydream about

I'm almost definitely going for a Phil Wood hub in the rear but can't quite fathom the difference between the touring and road models.

For the front (not important to me as I'm going for a Schmidt) there is clearly a difference. The touring model "hub body is slightly wider than our road body, with beefier quick release caps" compared with the road whose "flanges are canted (angled toward the rim center) and have flange optimization for both 700c and 27? rim"

However I can't see any difference between the rears (for the same axle length and number of spoke holes). They are the same price and quoted weight, with identical spoke hole diameters. No mention of any touring specific changes I can see.

Any idea? Are they identical?

I'm inclined to go for the touring, for obvious reasons, but the road model is in stock with a uk stockist whereas the touring version would require import and so the risk of getting stung by customs...

[Danneaux]

Hello Saddlesore, and welcome to the Thorn Cycling Forum!

A close look at the Touring hubs on the Phil Wood website shows they are available in a wider range of OLN (Over Lock Nut) widths than the Road hubs and they appear to have "windows" in the flanges.

The Road hubs are available in 130 or 135mm OLN.

The Touring hubs have relieved flanges in the product photos...which *might* be taller, thereby affecting spoke length...but I think not, since each is listed as a "standard flange". You're correct; the front touring hub body is slightly wider than the road body, with beefier quick release caps. The Touring hubs are available in 130, 135, 140, and 145mm spacings.

The MTB hubs have windows like the Touring hubs, but are available in only two OLNs (130, 135) and have the option to fit disc brakes. The MTB hubs can also be converted to a bolt-on configuration for an upcharge.

I presume you're going for the cassette model in each case, rather than the freewheel-specific hubs.

Each of the hubs is available in your choice of 9 finishes/colors.

If 't'were me, and I was buying for a 26" touring bike, I'd go with the Touring hubs...unless I needed to accommodate disc brakes, in which case I'd go for the MTB hubs. If I were going for a road bike or any bike with 27"/700C wheels and needed a front hub, I'd consider the Road hubs.

As a possibly reassuring data point, I have Phil hubs without the FSA (Field Serviceable Axles) dating back to the late 1970s that are still humming along happily with far in excess of 35,000mi/56,000km of all-weather touring use.

Hope this helps.

Best,

Dan. (...who shares a name and enthusiasm for this maker's hubs...but isn't related)

[NZPeterG]

Well, Well,   How about this  



I have an Idea? that the Road and Touring Hub's (and Mountain) are the same Hub in the Rear!
My Hub above is a Road/Cross Hub and when I ordered my last Phil Wood Hub   the road was/is 28, 32, and 36H.
The Touring is 36, 40, and 48H.
You can get any of the hub with windows SLR Option! to save weight! But why? its more to clean and if you are after a light pair of Hub's you would run Chris King   (I do not like CK because you need there tools to service them)
You can Email them and they will get back to you fast and to the point. (I have only had good service and help from Phil Wood)
I have mixed up my Phil Wood Hub's because when I build up my Africa Bike I run a Front KISS-OFF and the Road/Cross Hub rear all my spokes worked out to the same size!   that is Front to Rear and Left to Right   Also look sexy to   have a look below



Note's
1 - My Africa Bike Hub's have been relaced into 26" Mavic 721 rim's for my Cargo Bike and any up coming none Rohloff Touring bike.  
2 - On "Tom" I have a Phil Wood Suspension MTB Hub (front) Why? Because I can

Pete
 

[saddlesore]

Thanks guys, good to hear some reports of their longevity.
I've had a front track hub on my town bike for a couple of years now and it's been faultless, ditto the BB on my old road bike.

I'd actually emailed Phil a couple of days ago but thought I'd see if anyone here knew. Anyway they replied and it turns out my inkling was correct. The touring hub comes in higher spoke counts and more axle lengths but they are essentially the same otherwise. The 135mm, 36 hole version I'm after would be identical in it's road or touring guise.
Is the MTB hub the same also? I'm not sure.

Pete is correct in that you can have any of their hubs slotted for weight savings but as you say...if you were after an ultralight hub you'd be looking elsewhere. Not sure why they chose to show an SLR hub on their touring hub page as that's probably the last place you'd want a slotted hub shell!

That's a great idea to have the front and rear wheels built using the same spoke lengths, but unlikely for me as I'm going for a dynohub. Am I right in thinking the rear is designed so that driveside and non-driveside spoke lengths are the same? Very handy if so...

[NZPeterG]

1/ That's a great idea to have the front and rear wheels built using the same spoke lengths?

2/ Am I right in thinking the rear is designed so that driveside and non-driveside spoke lengths are the same?

Hi Saddlesore,
1st off thanks to point Number 1, It saved me carrying a load of spare spokes to Africa last year! (in the end I had no need for them as I only got to ride 2000km's of the 12000km bike ride  )

Yes you are right about point Number 2 the rear hub when laced to a 700c rim worked out the be the some, on relacing to my new 26" rim its very close so I have the some left to right spoke size again.
This is because Phil Wood have made the left side of there rear hub's bigger, a great idea.

Pete