Hubs: 

The hub is the heart of your wheel set. It's your first consideration when deciding upon your ultimate custom build. There are lots of choices and Cognoscenti Cycles has chosen the absolute best hub manufacturers in the world to enable you to build up a perfect pair of wheels for whatever cycling discipline you favour.  At the present time we have partnered with Chris King, Industry Nine, Project 321, White Industries, Hope Tech, Onyx, DT Swiss, Paul, Rohloff, Phil Wood, Trailmech, Syntace, Mack,  SON, Royce, Gokiso, and Hadley Racing Products. These companies represent the very best hubs available today and the number of diverse models is incredible! 

Below is a list of all the various hub companies that we deal with. I have only given the briefest of summations on each hub manufacturer, so please visit their websites for more information if needed, or contact us with any questions you may have.  

• Chris King: Chris King's hubs stand out as exceptional quality and are very popular. The R45 is their top end hub, with a slightly tamer version of their angry bee buzzing sound that comes from their specifically designed freehub. These beautifully made sealed bearing hubs come in several eye catching colours and spoke hole drillings from 24 to 32 holes. If you are looking to build a very special set of racing wheels for your all-round “go fast bike” then some Chris King hubs could be the answer.

• DT Swiss: DT Swiss is probably as famous for it's high quality spokes as it is for it's other components. Their sealed bearing hubs are unique in design and provide many useful options. Their 240's are great hubs for almost any cycling discipline. For the speed demons out there, their line of ceramic bearing 180 hubs can't be easily beat. Perfect for the road racer, time trial specialist, audax rider or triathlete. Very light weight with superb bearings.

• Gokiso: This company has the distinction of making the most expensive hub on the market. Their very unique hubs take their technology and expertise from the aerospace industry. Their patented design concentrates on minimising all rolling resistance by compensating for all axle deflection brought about by vibration. They have an incredible titanium version that looks like nothing I have seen before. Available from 24 to 36 hole drillings with ceramic sealed bearings. Check out their movie explaining their patented design.

• Hadley Racing Products: At the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains is the town of Upland California, home of Hadley Racing Products. This company has been turning out high quality hubs for several years and they have a loyal following. In this age of hyper information Hadley is almost invisible. They have no website, no Facebook page and no Instagram account. Despite their non existent advertising Hadley remains busy building some really lovely hubs. They employ some desirable features like a titanium freehub and a 4 pawl set up with 72 points of engagement, compatible with either a 10 or 11 speed cassette and a standard 6 bolt disc interface. When its time to service these hubs no special tools are required. Available in 32 or 36 hole counts in 5 different colours. Black, silver, blue, red and gold to suit your fancy.

• Hope Tech: This British company makes a large cross section of different hubs, including those for MTB, BMX, road, gravel, trials and Fatbikes. Their road hubs use stainless steel sealed cartridge bearings and are Campagnolo/Shimano compatible from 9 through 11 speeds and have a centre lock disc brake interface. MTB hubs are use a 6 bolt disc brake interface and are available in either straight pull or J bend spokes. A 150mm and 148mm "Boost" version is available. Six nicely anodised colours are on option.

• Industry Nine Componentry: My favourite hubs from this company are the Torch "Classic" series. They all incorporate a standard J bend spoking option which I personally prefer. This series has a road, mountain, cyclocross and Fatbike hub, most with a 6 bolt disc brake option. Available in a handful of eye popping colours with numerous axle configurations as well as drillings of 28 or 32 holes. Hybrid ceramic bearings are available as well.

• Mack: Mack hubs are made in the town of Tyczyn in Poland. They make beautiful custom made hubs for track, road and MTB. Due to their custom nature there are many different possible options available. Spoke hole drillings start at 12 holes and go up to 36 holes. A very large choice of colours exist as well. Rear axle spacing for road hubs are available from 120mm up to 135mm. MTB hubs incorporate a 6 bolt disc brake interface and sealed bearings. Track hubs are available with a double sided option to run two different cog sizes. Hub shells are cut from 7075T6 alloy stock. If you want something very special a custom order could take some extra time, so keep that in mind.

• Onyx Racing Products: Onyx Racing hubs use a "Sprag" system that gives you instant engagement with very low drag and a silent running hub. Their use of hybrid ceramic bearings ensures ultra smooth running. They provide hubs for MTB, BMX, Downhill, cyclocross, road, track, and Fat bikes in virtually every axle length currently available. The disc options are standard 6 bolt and Shimano's centre lock. All hubs in an assortment of various bold colours including custom colours for an additional up charge. An awesome USA made hub that leaves little to desire.

• Paul: Hailing from Chico California is a small but specialised bicycle component manufacturer. They offer several different hub options. Paul has a few cool hubs on offer. Fat bike riders enjoy their Fhub 15X150. Single speed mountain bikers love their renown W.O.R.D rear hub. All their hubs are made from 6061 aluminium and come in black , polished or silver finish. Spoke hole counts from 28 to 36. Enduro sealed bearings come standard.

• Phil Wood: Phil Wood began producing hubs in 1971. They have continuously evolved with new innovations & improvements to all their components. They cater to pretty much every need be it track, road, tandem, mountain bike, touring, BMX and cyclo-cross. They are also available in a multitude of cool colours. Custom options are available if required but allow for plenty of lead time. Their website is extensive so check it out and see if their hubs figure into your next set of dream wheels.

• Project 321: These hubs shine for the off road crowd. The G2 MTB hub is J bend spoke friendly and has a 6 bolt disc brake interface. Available in 28 or 32 holes with an impressive newly designed freehub. Comes standard with Enduro ABEC 5 angular contact bearings. One can upgrade to ceramic if desired. Some recent new hubs include their 150mm x 12mm or the 157mm x 12mm, as well as their G2 single speed hub. Tons of bright colours to choose from! Made in the USA with a 3 year warranty. They make everything that a MTB rider might lust after.

• Rohloff: This German company has taken the internal hub gear into new territory. Their Speedhub 500 has 14 gears that are staggered at 13.6 % increments for even gear changes. Operated by a twist shifter on your handle bars that works with 2 separate cables for up and down shifting. You have the option of either a quick release or solid axle hub. Disc brake options are also offered. For Fat Bike riders there is the new Speedhub/14 XL that has a 170mm OLD. Flange distances have increased to strengthen the rear wheel as well as new internal components. This hub is available in 32 hole only with a beautiful black anodised finish.

• Royce: In 1980 Royce was founded by Cliff Polton, a Precision Engineer with a passion for high end bicycle components. This small British firm employs only a few people but manages to turn out some of the loveliest hubs you will ever see. Made to the highest standards and polished to a mirror finish in either alloy or titanium with an option for a carbon fibre shell. If that's not enough they give you the option for a gleaming gold Titanium Nitride finish which is about is eye catching as it gets! Royce is not just about exceptional aesthetics. Their components s have been ridden to a gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games by Chris Boardman and several other top riders have chosen to trust Royce to help put them on the podium. Their hubs cater to both road racers, MTB/cyclocross riders and track riders. Disc version's use a standard 6 bolt interface. At this time there are no thru axle options.

• Schmidt SON Nabendynamo: Wilfried Schmidt is the inventor of a unique front dynamo hub, the SON series of hubs. The SON Deluxe, SON 28, and SON XS all provide excellent lighting performance. These high quality German made hubs are a great option for either a commuter bike or a touring machine. A six bolt disc friendly version is available. They are available in several axle widths and 3 colours.

• Syntace: This high end German MTB hub looks much like many other good quality off road hubs, until you get inside. Don't let its basic black exterior fool you. The Syntace Hi-Torque MX hub makes use of a few important innovations that separate it from the others. Their patent pending design incorporates a unique system of engagement that relies on 36 tooth precision machined spur gears driven by 4 spiral springs. Syntace claim a far greater degree of strength and reliability with their design. Their 17mm butted axle and careful bearing placement guarantees maximum stiffness at a competitive weight. Adaptable to all current axle standards with removable end caps. The hub shells are machined from 7075 aluminium.

• Trailmech: Trailmech came into existence in 2012. Based in Poltava in the Ukraine, these hub designers and manufacturers have broken the mold with an innovative new engagement system that uses no pawls. Their award winning design is being used by the Ukrainian National MTB team at the UCI World Cup and the World Championships. Their "Vortex Ring Technology" offers just 6 degrees of rotational play. The XC hubs engagement mechanism is made from hardened tool steel and the hub shell is machined from 7075 aluminium. Coming soon are both Enduro and Freeride/downhill versions. Trailmech offers a confidence inspiring 5 year warranty on their hubs. They are available in 4 colours, black, red, silver and blue. Disc brakes are 6 bolt interface

• White Industries: White Industries hubs are made in the USA. Another high quality sealed bearing hub, that are available in road, track, tandem and MTB/cyclocross/ versions. Their track hub has a unique splined interface for the cog that will most likely never strip like conventional track hubs do on occasion. Their T11 road hub sports a titanium freehub for added durability. All their hubs are available in 24, 28 or 32 hole drillings. Their disc hubs are available in a standard 6 bolt interface or Centre Lock with various thru axle configurations. All in all an excellent choice for most any type of riding.