Boost hubs. Here to stay?

flamin'trek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Boost hubs 110/148 seem to be in favour currently. Are they the new standard, or something akin to octalink BBs that lasted a few seasons and all but disappeared?

Had a browse this arvo and can't seem to see anything extra new on the horizon, but they'll surely come up with something not too long from now to make current gear not compatible. Sure QR worked ok, but through axles are a better solution. Is 142/12 the transition and therefore the new octalink while boost with be the new hollowtech II and stick around for quite a while?

Don't really want to start a war on standards and how the designers are screwing us, so would appreciate if the discussion stayed with hub spacing. (But also know this is rotorburn and likely to go off on several tangents every fourth post)
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
110mm was the standard width on the front with a thru axle for many years. I am glad to see the deviation away from the experiment with 100mm.
 

Mywifesirrational

I however am very normal. Trust me.
They will have a new standard in 3? years, superboost or some such crap.

Syntace came up with a better standard than boost, maybe it will be adopted in time.
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
Why are they called 'boost hubs', it's not like they're going to make you boost any higher ? They should have just called them 'Steve Miller hubs' after that famous band that sung 'Take the money and run'.
 

wavike

Likes Dirt
Boost hubs 110/148 seem to be in favour currently. Are they the new standard, or something akin to octalink BBs that lasted a few seasons and all but disappeared?
Is 142/12 the transition and therefore the new octalink while boost with be the new hollowtech II and stick around for quite a while?
Doubt if anything will last more than 3-4 years until they try and screw us with the next standard

I'm still running the original octalink BB on my 07 giant alias, and it's been my wet weather bike. Been through about 6 XT external BB on various bikes since then. bring i'm back i say - and it doesn't creak
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
Doubt if anything will last more than 3-4 years until they try and screw us with the next standard

I'm still running the original octalink BB on my 07 giant alias, and it's been my wet weather bike. Been through about 6 XT external BB on various bikes since then. bring i'm back i say - and it doesn't creak
so much more reliable than pressfit
 

flamin'trek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Doubt if anything will last more than 3-4 years until they try and screw us with the next standard

I'm still running the original octalink BB on my 07 giant alias, and it's been my wet weather bike. Been through about 6 XT external BB on various bikes since then. bring i'm back i say - and it doesn't creak
I'm sure they are good, but in terms of becoming and orphan cheap/basic bikes still use square taper, the predecessor to octalink and anything new won't use octalink for weight reasons, now that holowtech II type cranks are in use. standard QR will be here for a long time, on the basic bikes. Newer hub standards haven't settled yet apparently, and neither have BBs.
 

Calvin27

Eats Squid
I'm sure they are good, but in terms of becoming and orphan cheap/basic bikes still use square taper, the predecessor to octalink and anything new won't use octalink for weight reasons, now that holowtech II type cranks are in use. standard QR will be here for a long time, on the basic bikes. Newer hub standards haven't settled yet apparently, and neither have BBs.
I hate the whole 'standards' thing. I get we need progress, but I rekon the rule should be you can't call it a 'standard' unless the design is open source, not proprietary owned.

On BBs and headsets and boost hubs etc. I've pretty much learned that anytime someone mentions 'stiffness' they are talking about marketing bs or the sensation inside their pants when they claim how good their new kit is. Stiffness has basically been the driving force behind BB, headsets, boost, and every other stupid un-standardised thing on a bike. If we added it all up, 2018 bikes would be like 500% stiffer than 2012.

So when I hear boost makes it stiffer, I tune out completely.
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
I hate the whole 'standards' thing. I get we need progress, but I rekon the rule should be you can't call it a 'standard' unless the design is open source, not proprietary owned.

On BBs and headsets and boost hubs etc. I've pretty much learned that anytime someone mentions 'stiffness' they are talking about marketing bs or the sensation inside their pants when they claim how good their new kit is. Stiffness has basically been the driving force behind BB, headsets, boost, and every other stupid un-standardised thing on a bike. If we added it all up, 2018 bikes would be like 500% stiffer than 2012.

So when I hear boost makes it stiffer, I tune out completely.
It all makes sense we need a stiffy standard. I often wonder about people wanting stiff wheels then running tyres like jelly.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I've pretty much learned that anytime someone mentions 'stiffness' they are talking about marketing bs or the sensation inside their pants when they claim how good their new kit is. Stiffness has basically been the driving force behind BB, headsets, boost, and every other stupid un-standardised thing on a bike. If we added it all up, 2018 bikes would be like 500% stiffer than 2012.

So when I hear boost makes it stiffer, I tune out completely.
What is or isn't stiff may well be a matter of perspective. I've switched between 135x10, 135x12, 142x12, 150x12 rear hubs a fair few times over the years, especially 135x10 to 150x12. You can definitely feel the difference between them when punishing the bike through a DH trail. I'm sure the frame design will come into this a bit as well, especially what tubing has been used to construct the rear end.

In support of your claim though Specialized have used a 135mm wide hub on the demo range for a long time. I think it was a 10mm axle originally and now a 12mm.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Not here to stay, they will move again when someone reckons its 1% stiffer.

I read somewhere that they have been told that they can go to 157mm without affecting the BB spacing... its coming... maybe in steps of 153 then 157 just to string it out.

My fatbike and 29+ have 100mm BB and 192mm rear spacing, 135mm front, no big deal apart from a wider Q factor.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Not here to stay, they will move again when someone reckons its 1% stiffer.

I read somewhere that they have been told that they can go to 157mm without affecting the BB spacing... its coming... maybe in steps of 153 then 157 just to string it out.

My fatbike and 29+ have 100mm BB and 192mm rear spacing, 135mm front, no big deal apart from a wider Q factor.
You do know dh bikes have been running 157mm hubs for a while now?

https://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?252211-157mm-hubs-whats-the-deal

Or did I get caught by ironic font?
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
You do know dh bikes have been running 157mm hubs for a while now?

https://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?252211-157mm-hubs-whats-the-deal

Or did I get caught by ironic font?
I didn't mate, last time I heard DH was 150mm... dont have much to do with DH at all. I just like watching it.

Problem is manufacturers of the bikes we ride, 100mm to 160mm covering XC to trail to AM making the frames to 157mm now, or stringing it out with people not even wanting 142mm bikes now as Boost 148 is hipster. Drip feeding hub standards over a few years and costing 3k a frame, 1k a fork and 1k+ a wheelset to get with the new standard.
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
A lot of the people on the trails don't need these new standards, its just the bike industry telling them they do. 26 inch wheels are quite stiff and don't place as much leverage on the frame as the bigger wheels do. QR is horrible for stiffness and if you do away with that and run through bolts even at 135 it will make the frame more stiffer as it will limit the twisting in the rear drop outs.

I run a hope SS/Trail bolted hub on a 135 rear and it's no different to a 12mm through axle. I've just gone over to a 27.5 tapered steer frame because it's near impossible to buy quality forks and tyres at a good price for my old frame and TBO I'm pretty pissed because it does everything I need it to do. I'm not one of those blokes that gets bored with their bike really quickly, so I like to hang onto them for a while.

23032725_1736552453084222_3906077195983244733_n.jpg
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
It's as if 26" wheels are no longer round and don't roll.
Yep so true.

A mate had a go on my 2010 Gt force, the front shocks 07 marz AM the rear float x eval can, his bike a 2016 trance 2 standard except for tyres and he couldn't believe how smooth my bike was and it actually out rolled his bike also, even though we both have semi slicks on the back.
 
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