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Big Whoop. Try to actually find a full group. My wife had a Tommasini frame custom built and painted in Italy. We got it almost 2 years ago. She wants Dura Ace 9200 on it. Still cannot find a group anywhere. On-line places keep putting the delivery time off further and further. To complicate things, its a rim brake frame in a world of disc brakes. If anyone has a source, I'm all ears.

near future my @ss.

 

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Finx -- Sorry about 'hijacking your Hijacker' -- Just venting a bit about how hard it is to get any of the new Shimano stuff. Yeah, it has to be Dura Ace. Mechanical 12-speed Ultegra? I thought it was only Di2 now.

DaveG -- Damn right it ought to have Campy on it, but she doesn't like Campy. Especially since the new Dura Ace electronic is priced about the same as Super Record electronic -- if you can find that either. I broke a White Industries hub last week and was told new ones are 16 weeks out. I found one on ebay. Black, not silver, but beggars can't be choosers. When is this going to end?

 

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I ordered 8 groups over the last decade or so from Ribble, but they seemed to have gotten out of the group business. Since they sold their own bikes, they could claim to be a bike manufacturer and get groups at reasonable prices. I think Shimano put an end to that and Campy followed suit.

 

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What exactly happened to this hub? I always thought WI hubs were pretty solid.

Cracked flange.

 

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Holy crap, how much do you weigh? Did you hit a curb or something? Those WI hubs are nearly indestructible. Damn.

Around 195 lbs. I'm not hard on wheels. I don't recall hitting a curb or pothole. They were 11 years old. I never even so much as had to true them. I use T11's on all my wheel builds. I have them on 4 bikes. I guess 'nearly' is correct.

 

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How many miles is that? I can't imagine this should ever happen before the brake tracks wear out. Could have been a rare manufacturing defect......or not.

I looked at my bike log over the weekend. Had the wheel built in 2014. Its got about 10.5k miles on it.

 

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I'd like to get di2 on my next bike. Everyone who has it raves about it. My brother has a bike with 11-speed Ultegra di2. He says the best thing is that you never ever have to monkey with the derailers. Its always spot on.

Over the years, I've increasingly despised Shimano. It seems like their goal as a company is to make your gear obsolete as fast as possible. Campy can keep updating its components while keeping the wheels backward compatible. How come Shimano can't do that? Why is Dura Ace and Ultegra ONLY available as an electronic group? Who has $4300 to spend on a Dura Ace di2 group (unfortunately, me)? Why did they do away with 53x39 chain rings? Ever try to find a chain ring for a 9000 Shimano group? 105 used to be the bargain group. $1900 is a bargain? The current pricing of Shimano di2 is right up there with Campy EPS. When I do go electronic, I'm sticking with Campy. Progress isn't about restricting your choice set.

 

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I would say that's premature for a hub flange failure unless you're a Clyde or have the strength of a pro rider.

Well. we all know you have your opinions -- and are more than willing to share them.

Its sports equipment. The stuff beaks from time to time. I have another set of T11 hub wheels I bought in 2011 that have well over double that mileage. Sheet happens, I guess.

 

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Also, hub flange failures can be attributed to poor wheel building, over tightening spokes, radial lacing etc.

Wheels were built by Psimet (PSIMET Custom Wheels - PSIMET Custom Wheels). It's a reputable outfit I've used several times. Not radially laced. In general, it seems that wheels have far more spoke tension than they used to years ago. Then again, I haven't had to true a wheel in many years -- so maybe that's a good thing.

 

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Warranty is only 5 years on that hub. Found a replacement on ebay. Sent it off to Pete's Wheels -- this guy is great -- going with a Pancetti rim mostly because that's about all that's available. Decided to toss the HED rim.

 

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The HED rim was getting worn. I used that bike as a winter commuter. It doesn't make sense to me to build up a whole new wheel with a rim that's worn when a new one costs $120.

I'd really rather have another HED Belgium. The Pancetti is tubeless. I don't do tubeless tires. Pete says its not as hard to mount a tire on it was with some tubeless rims. My wife has the dumb things and I have a hell of a time getting tires on and off her rims. She'd always flat on our ride home from work. In the dark. I had the LBS put tubeless tires on it. If the tires weren't so hard to mount, I'd have never gone that direction.

So what's your issue with Pancetti rims?

 

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Yeah, I googled after your response. Maybe a HED Belgium rim with 10k miles on it is better than a new Pacenti Forza rim? The guy at my LBS said to get a new rim, which I'd gladly do if I could find a HED one. The wear indicators on the HED are still clearly visible.

I'm so sick of this supply chain crap. It really should be getting resolved by now.

 

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Thanks, but screw that. Buying a group piece by piece from Japan isn't worth the hassle. How much longer can this go on, right?