I like Helicomatics. I've never broken a spoke on one and I find it easy to obtain spare parts, as the undeserved badmouthing they have been subjected to means there are always used Helicomatics for sale dirt cheap. Shimano certainly refined the design, but I thiink Maillard should get more credit for the innovation represented by the Helicomatic. You can't get spare parts for Cinelli Bivalents either, but no one considers them infamous.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Houston, TX
Thomas Adams <thomasthomasa@yahoo.com> wrote: The regular cup and cone Maillards are pretty good, and the high end racers (Professionals(?) or 600's(?) with the decal band around the barrel and the machined faces if high flange) are quite well regarded.
You may be remembering the infamous Maillard Helicomatic, one of the first freehub designs. Many have experience with these as they were speced by Peugeot and Trek for a while. They are renowed for breaking drive side spokes due to poor flange design, and having impossible to renew cog clusters, as the design was quickly overwhelmed by the better Shimano freehubs so there's no spare parts inventory to speak of.
Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ
Galen wrote: Marc,
They're a little tough to adjust perfectly, the bearing surfaces aren't as smooth and hard as the best from high-end manufacturers, the shells are not highly polished, and they don't have any winged wheels or other identifying symbols to enhance their quality. I have built a couple of wheelsets with them, and find them to be durable with low rolling resistance (if adjusted just so). Just replace the bearings with highet quality ones next time you rebuild them, and you'll like them even more.
Galen Poole
Jackson, MS
>I picked up a wheel set with these hubs, they seem
> nice but from what I've read most people hate them.
> What exactly is the problem with them? They're sealed,
> are the bearings prone to failure?
>
> marc garcia
> chicago IL
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