Illicit Industries Hub and Headset
Illicit Industries - Australian designed, Australian-made and with their sights firmly set on producing blinged-out components to rival any of the world's major manufacturers. We've got their 20mm Front Hub and brand new sealed 1-1/8" Headset for you to drool over.
Type out your damn words!
When God gives you lemons, YOU FIND A NEW GOD!
You really need to publish weight figures and go into detail about what makes the parts special, rather than just saying they are "bling" and great because they slap a serial number and a signature on a card.
$270 is a lot of money for a 20mm front hub, and similarly priced options such as king and hugi boast features like light-contact labyrinth seals, stainless steel bearings, one-piece axles, and very low weight figures.
The headset was covered a lot better, but again things like stack height are important at the top-end of things - and that one looks somewhat tall.
Just my horrific dissection of the review... I think they call it constructive criticism these days?
Sorry, I forget that people don't click on links these days. Don't know why I even bother putting them in the review.
Claimed weight for the hub is 210 grams, I got 212 on an accurate digital scale with the hub and was happy with that, didn't see a reason to challenge it in the review and had you clicked on the link that said "20mm front hub" all of this could have been revealed. To be honest, everything that is "special" about it was covered, there's not that much about a front hub that can be "special" in my eyes. It's light, it's individually numbered, it runs on quality bearings and it's locally made. That is what is special about it. If you really need labrynth seals on your sealed-bearing hub, you obviously don't actually live or ride in Australia, where nothing ever gets wet or muddy
Claimed stack height on the headest is 33mm, my verniers agree, not the lowest out there but not unreasonable by any means. Again, clicking the link that said "1/18th Sealed Headset" could have told you this as well.
I will add these pieces of information to the actual review text though, so as to save people the horror of having to click hyperlinks.
Last edited by Ryan; 10-08-2006 at 10:55 PM.
Type out your damn words!
When God gives you lemons, YOU FIND A NEW GOD!
Ah sorry, my mistake.
Last time I visited their site they had nothing up - no weights no stack heights, nothing. Just assumed it hadn't changed. Any news about what's on the cards for the rear hubs?
PS. in regards to wet and mud, damn that first toowoomba race was dry and dusty... and all those canungra rounds were cancelled due to sandstorms I heard?
Originally Posted by udi
Why? stainless steel is softer than hardened steel, Isn't it? Surely a proper non-stainless steel bearing would last longer than a stainless steel one?
You are correct. But they do cost a fair amount more, and my comment was in regards to where the money goes in other highend hubs.
In regards to the rear hubs, they are in the prototype testing stage as we speak. Word from Illicit is; light weight, same/similar bearings and more engagement points than you ever thought possible. Well, maybe not that many, but a lot of them.
Type out your damn words!
When God gives you lemons, YOU FIND A NEW GOD!
What TYPE of bearings do they use? I've seen pics of full complement bearings being used in bottom brackets made by companies such as race face. It'd be nice to know that that stupidy doesn't manifest itself in the wheel bearings at the whim of a braindead designer who gets impressed by the higher load ratings.
I run an illicit headset and oh so smooth is the feel. I have checked the front hub , that thing just spins all day. When your at the next vic races, check out Evan Winton's and Jarl Jensen's rides they are sporting some illicit product, nice, smooth and a nice AUSSIE product what more is there to say.
Airel australia also make this sorta stuff and its just as good, cheaper to! so when did these guys become the only small DH parts in aus?
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