VS
When I first got into bikes, the one part of a wheel that people obsessed over was the hub. High Flange Campy hubs made everyone drool. Grease Ports as well. A gleaming machined hub got everyone a twitter. Over the last few years you rarely hear anyone geek out over hubs, the last 3 or 4 years has seen the ascendancy of the rim. Mainly do to carbon fiber tech. It is hard to miss people drooling over Edges or Zipps or Reynolds. I was holding a Lightweight a few weeks ago in VT. The total package of lightness was amazing, but since the entire wheel is bonded, how could one part stand out? It's a wheel system now.
One opinion offered by the Major is that hubs tech has been pushed as far as possible so advancements on the rim would be the next thing to get highlighted
Even retro grouch types focus on rims (non carbon of course)
I think it is more an art vs industry type thing. We used to marvel over the gleam and machining of the hub-the artistry. But overall there has been a shift towards the inexorable march of product development and weight weenies, and we look at the gram count before the picture.
I am no retro type and definitely drool over Edge rims, but it is sad to me to see the cult of the hub fade away.
naming this post as I did allowed me to find this-ouch
this is better
time to ride
