Enduro

Distinctive

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Those who are interested will be able to find out easily how different are Enduro or All Mountain bikes from the others. The frame, its features, the suspension, the cockpit. At the same time when it comes to hubs, most of the time you will not see that. Yes, there is an intersection on the standards. The Boost is there, no matter whether it is a cross-country or an all-mountain rig. Is that all to consider? If you want to know more about the standards, we encourage to refer to the Standards Guide.

We believe that hubs for these disciplines are not equal to, say, cross-country. As straightforward as it sounds – different application defines a different set of requirements. What are they for Enduro or All Mountain? In our view these are: larger system’s weight, ability to withstand higher load & stress, and require less attention between service intervals.

Downhill

The Enduro model is a platform for several hubs. Likewise, the rear includes number of variants or O.L.D. (Over-Lock-nut Dimension): 135/142 mm, 141/148 Boost mm, the classic Downhill – 150/157 mm and Super Boost Plus 157 mm. Conversion is possible between some of them, not from “any to any”, though. Refer to Standards Guide for more details.

The System’s Weight

System’s weight is defined as a combined weight of the bike, the rider, and the accompanying gear. How is that larger weight, compared with cross-country, supported from the hub’s perspective? The answer is: hub’s axle, its shell, and the bearings. An axle with larger outer diameter has higher stiffness and strength. For Enduro hubs we use 20.0 mm rear and 25.0 mm front internal axles. This is substantially different from 17.0 mm and 20.0 mm respectively for cross-country models.

Higher Load and Stress Capacity

Larger axles permit the use of a different set of bearings as well. It should not be a surprise that for radial bearings, which are the most common type found in hubs, larger size leads the higher static and dynamic load capacity.

One of the bearings in use there is 6807 – 35x47x7 mm. We are not aware of anyone else using that size. Chris King mountain rear hubs come close with the 30x41x6.5 mm bearing. It is not an exact specification. But rather an approximation to metric size in mm. Typically, what you will find there is 6902 (15x28x7) or 6903 (17x30x7). These bearings are doing well. We stand for that Enduro scenario requires something different. It is also the reason why we do not have Center Lock for Enduro hubs.

Why to care about the figures there? What is important though, are the practical implications. Bearing’s useful service life is longer, as it operates under relatively lower stress vs it can endure by design.

Another factor there is how farther apart the shell bearings are placed. Because it impacts the lateral stiffness. Typically, the need to provide for the space for the drive mechanism is the limit there. That is why we place the Vortex engagement components completely inside the hub’s shell. It gave the space we needed for the bearing and something else – less frequent service.

Service Interval

The drive mechanism will be better off and run longer if it is protected from the outside elements. Whilst it is not possible to seal off hub’s components completely. The placement of the mechanism has a profound effect on how well it can be protected. Most common design is to have the mechanism at a junction area between hub’s shell and the driver (freehub). Here, the mechanism is placed fully inside the hub’s shell. Or between the shell’s bearings. Anything to reach out the Vortex system in there, must go through the bearings first. The bearings themselves are of double-sided contact seal type.

The procedure of removing the driver is somewhat more complex, as one need to use specific tools. Here we cover it in details.

The need to clean and maintain the hub is infrequent, though. It will spare you more time on your bike out there.

Technical Data