Jobst Brandt's book "the Bicycle Wheel" addresses the issue of Hi-Low hubs and he says that the actual physics/dynamics of the Hi-Low hub offers no real advantage in strength or stiffness over a hub with equal-size flanges on the left and right sides. Jobst says that when you use tangental spoke lacing (as most of us do -- 3x being the most common), the effect of the different flange sizes is virtually wiped out. In practice, it also makes lacing the spokes more difficult, assuming one is building their own wheels. In the end, I suppose a lot of it comes down to marketing. Like Emanuel says, it "seems like a good idea at first glance" -- and that is where the marketing comes in.
Kyle Brooks Akron, Ohio
-----Original Message-----
>From: Emanuel Lowi <lowiemanuel@yahoo.ca>
>Sent: Mar 15, 2006 9:11 AM
>To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR]Hi-Lo rear hubs
>
>I see several manufacturers have made hi-lo rear hubs
>over the years: Campy, Maxicar, maybe Phil.
>
>Seems like a good idea at first glance -- but i'm no
>engineer.
>
>If it is a good idea, why hasn't the concept become
>ubiquitous?
>Or is one better off just using an all HF rera hub for
>greatest strength?
>
>Or does it matter most how many cogs one has got
>running back there, or whether freewheel vs. cassette?
>
>Emanuel Lowi
>Montreal, Quebec (where they hit us for duty and TWO
>taxes on imported used vintage cycle components and
>frames, and a handling fee on top of it. But we have
>free health care!)
>
>
>
>
>
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