Anyone Know Anything About "hope Mono Hubs"?

[† CETFLY †]

Boys.... how many of you have heard of a "Hope Mono" hub or otherwise known as "Hope Bulb hub"?

Apparently theyre an older series. Non-disk specific hub.

They arent a Pro 2 Trials. They have "3 pawls of engagement inside with around 52 slots in the hub shell" I was told.

Ive heard they "roll better/faster than a Pro2 Trials as the Pro 2 Trials slow you down something cruel."

Have you guys had any experience with the mono/bulb hub, and possibly even able to compare it to the Pro2 Trials?

The bike im looking to buy has a Hope mono/bulb rear hub and has slipped once.

Im so set on making sure the bike I buy (Inspired) has a Hope Pro 2 Trials as the set-standard rear hub so this atm is putting me off buying the bike. I want as many engagement points as possible within a Hope brand. That being the Hope Pro2 Trial. Im not interested in King or any other brand.

I spoke to another guy who said theyre absolutely useless and that they slip and the axles snap. He's not a heavy rider either at 12stone...

Let me know your thoughts!

Cheers

Wes

Edited September 24, 2009 by † CETFLY †

[Matt Burrows]

For trials use they aren't great, the Pro 2 Trials is far superior. The XC/mono hub had 21 engagements, the bulb was slightly different with 36. Compared to a Pro 2T they are flexy, engagements aren't as solid, axles are weaker and the freehub wears quicker. Get a Pro 2T if you can

[peggysue]

never run a pro 2 as yet so cnt comment on that , but used to run many of the older hope hubs..... from what i remember the xc/mono had 32 or 36 engagements and the bulb had 48... however the ratchets were aluminium and i broke so so many of them as well as snapping axle after axle. hope kindly sent me the bulb after sending one to many xc hubs back claiming it was alot stronger but it was not. broke about 6 bulbs hubs in a year and a half.

alot of people seem to be using the pro 2's nowadays so probably your best bet matey

edit.... bulb had 36 engagements , xc 21..... still a pile of crap though

Edited September 24, 2009 by peggysue

[padarik]

the monos were a non disk version of hope xc? im pretty sure of that , so in that case they only had 21 eng points . imo you should just get a pro2 as the hub shell and axle are far better

[† CETFLY †]

Wow, thats worse than I expected I really dont want to get/use this hub with this bike setup then.

Oh well, back to the drawing board and to look for a new bike I guess

That was a unanimous "Theyre Crap, go for Hope Pro 2 Trials hub"

Thanks so much for the help you boys, appreciate that

[N.Wood]

They were the best you could get (other than a King) back in the day and some good riding went down on bikes with them. But they're not really up to todays standards for trials.

The matey you were talking to about the hub was talking shit.

[† CETFLY †]

They were the best you could get (other than a King) back in the day and some good riding went down on bikes with them. But they're not really up to todays standards for trials.

The matey you were talking to about the hub was talking shit.

Hes the seller

[LEON]

never run a pro 2 as yet so cnt comment on that , but used to run many of the older hope hubs..... from what i remember the xc/mono had 32 or 36 engagements and the bulb had 48... however the ratchets were aluminium and i broke so so many of them as well as snapping axle after axle. hope kindly sent me the bulb after sending one to many xc hubs back claiming it was alot stronger but it was not. broke about 6 bulbs hubs in a year and a half.

alot of people seem to be using the pro 2's nowadays so probably your best bet matey

edit.... bulb had 36 engagements , xc 21..... still a pile of crap though

No hope rachets are alu, that jus wouldn't work. They're all steel, I've never used a pro 2, i use 8 gears so I've always used bulbs since 1999, the 21 clicks in a mono/xc is not enough, but the 36 in a bulb is fine, anything else is over kill for me personally. I've gone very big in the last 10+ years, I weigh 14 stone and do big drops. I've never broke a single axle, rachets will go now & then, it's a free/cheap repair from hope, They're fine unless you're a real rough b*****d or you're into huge static gaps which wont help it, obv a pro2 (later model) would be best if you don't use a full cassette of gears, but don't listen to anyone saying bulbs are shit as they're idiots, Martyn ashton and alot of the big names used them for years, and before that it was the ti glide, which was a high end cross country hub.

Nowdays people use stupidly hard gears and everything's about static moves, so Yes a pro 2 would be a better bet, but to say a bulb is shit is just retarded.

Edited September 25, 2009 by LEON

[mr_malcolm]

I agree with Leon they will be alright yeah it might skip every now and then but most of the time it really isnt anything major. Im currently running a 4/5 year old hope xc hub and you can generally tell when its going to skip you can feel it through the pedals and know not to go at something.

[LEON]

Yea, it's common sense and feeling when it can go, 9/10 times it'll skip as you put your feet on the pedals and just spin the cranks instead of on anything big. If you're reckless and need an idiot proof hub then go for the pro2, but when I sold my bulbthis year it was 10 years old and on the original axle, plus have you seen the price of hope axles? They're about £11.

[† CETFLY †]

No hope rachets are alu, that jus wouldn't work. They're all steel, I've never used a pro 2, i use 8 gears so I've always used bulbs since 1999, the 21 clicks in a mono/xc is not enough, but the 36 in a bulb is fine, anything else is over kill for me personally. I've gone very big in the last 10+ years, I weigh 14 stone and do big drops. I've never broke a single axle, rachets will go now & then, it's a free/cheap repair from hope, They're fine unless you're a real rough b*****d or you're into huge static gaps which wont help it, obv a pro2 (later model) would be best if you don't use a full cassette of gears, but don't listen to anyone saying bulbs are shit as they're idiots, Martyn ashton and alot of the big names used them for years, and before that it was the ti glide, which was a high end cross country hub.

Nowdays people use stupidly hard gears and everything's about static moves, so Yes a pro 2 would be a better bet, but to say a bulb is shit is just retarded.

Ok. noted. Ta.

Martin Ashton and other big names used them for years...thats the concern....theyre many years old now and will be wearing out despite servicing. Older technology combined with less engagement points, less reliablity, a currently longer use-life so far and the fact that its already skipped and is going to fail again and more and more often, puts me off it.

It will hold me back and i'll never ride as hard or try to do things i want to try for fear of skipping. I want complete confidence in my componentry. I expect nothing less for the money we shell out for these items. I dont want one part holding back the potential of the rest of the build and also my own potential

[N.Wood]

Pay for a pro2 then. If the rest of the bike is right then spokes and a pro2 hub will be less than £100, and could probably sell the mono for £20 or so.

[† CETFLY †]

I agree with Leon they will be alright yeah it might skip every now and then but most of the time it really isnt anything major. Im currently running a 4/5 year old hope xc hub and you can generally tell when its going to skip you can feel it through the pedals and know not to go at something.

Thats no way to ride though. The only thing i want stopping me from doing something is my own ability or lack there-of. Cant sit there wondering "is it going to skip if i do this".

Not component failure. Id never ride if i wasnt sure if the bike isnt at 100% because i value my health and want to get full potential from my riding.

Skipping is proof that somethings wrong. If they dont skip straight out of the box then theyre simply not meant to. If they do after years of use, wear, or lack of service +wear, then it needs to be overhauled and putting up with it, or worse, changing your riding style to allow for it skipping isnt the right way to deal with the situation

[† CETFLY †]

Pay for a pro2 then. If the rest of the bike is right then spokes and a pro2 hub will be less than £100, and could probably sell the mono for £20 or so.

Hope Pro 2 Trials is 110.64, plus spokes 14.90, plus postage to Aus.

Tried to ring Tarts today to find out what postage is but theyre closed today!

Dont know if anyone would want a Mono when its a trials based forum and not XC...

[N.Wood]

1. Cheaper second hand. can be all done and posted to Aus for under £100.

2. There are other forums to sell things on. Alot of people on here have other bikes other than trials rigs.

3. You've just said how imperitive it is to get a pro2, but you won't pay up for it. Not alot we can help with there.

[† CETFLY †]

1. Cheaper second hand. can be all done and posted to Aus for under £100.

2. There are other forums to sell things on. Alot of people on here have other bikes other than trials rigs.

3. You've just said how imperitive it is to get a pro2, but you won't pay up for it. Not alot we can help with there.

Hey Nick.

No, its imperitive i buy a bike with one already on it. I'd love to buy this bike in Japan but only if the price is dropped to allow for a Pro 2, or if I can get the rear wheel from the other guy selling/splitting his Inspired on the forums, and get that sent over to Aus. That would be the easiest. Its still going to cost me but its all about keeping costs down.

Would obviously rather buy a very near new, 2nd hand pro 2 hub/wheel rather than buying brand new as its cheaper.

Edit: Forgot to add, ive been chasing a Hope Pro 2 Trials hub for months now and nothings come up. That wasnt related to this bike im interested in though. It would be helpful for this sale now though of course

Edited September 25, 2009 by † CETFLY †

[LEON]

All hubs skip, there's no avoiding it, I've seen chris kings skip/fall apart/ worse than any hope I've seen, I've heard pro 2's skip/sound like crap, it's so much load on a tiny system it's impossible to make 1 that's skip free, but if you're using 1 gear and doing hoppy stuff you might as well buy a pro2, they don't cost the earth.

As for holding me back, if it skips it skips, I've never been held back because my hub skips, It always holds when it matters.

[mr_malcolm]

Again with Leon on this. You learn to get used to it if its major. I think my hub has possibly skipped a maximum of 20-30 times in the 2 years i have owned it, done it a lot at first but a quick clean/service sorted that out now its time for another 2 years on. if its the bike you want buy it ride it, get used to it. Then upgrade at a later date, no matter what hub you buy it will probably skip on you at one point or another. I rember when i was running FFW set up with a tensile and that skipped on me loads.

[† CETFLY †]

All hubs skip, there's no avoiding it, I've seen chris kings skip/fall apart/ worse than any hope I've seen, I've heard pro 2's skip/sound like crap, it's so much load on a tiny system it's impossible to make 1 that's skip free, but if you're using 1 gear and doing hoppy stuff you might as well buy a pro2, they don't cost the earth.

As for holding me back, if it skips it skips, I've never been held back because my hub skips, It always holds when it matters.

Yeah, im sure all trials hubs will skip at some point as you've said. If youre on top of maintenance, as soon as it skips strip it down and inspect. Change required parts to change and throw it back together. Im sure they'll all skip with age of course. Its simply wear and tear.

Again with Leon on this. You learn to get used to it if its major. I think my hub has possibly skipped a maximum of 20-30 times in the 2 years i have owned it, done it a lot at first but a quick clean/service sorted that out now its time for another 2 years on. if its the bike you want buy it ride it, get used to it. Then upgrade at a later date, no matter what hub you buy it will probably skip on you at one point or another. I rember when i was running FFW set up with a tensile and that skipped on me loads.

Mmmm. If Osram would get back to me so I could buy his bike I would and not worry bout the one in Japan. Solves all the current problems. Its the cheapest, simplest option as it has what im after. He is worried about postage to Aus even though i'll be wearing the responsibility and cost of it, so not sure why he wont get back to me about it....

[LEON]

You don't strip a hub everytime it skips lol, if it's a big loud 1 which instantly makes the hub roll badly then take it apart, but a big part of alot of hubs skipping is people pissing about with them, stripping as soon as they buy it to make it louder/take the grease out. Anything's good if looked after properly, i got 10 years out of my bulb, in which I've seen people chris kings come and go.

My mates pr02 skips worse and more frequently than my bulb, so it's not always all good.

If you've got the money and don't need gears just buy the pro 2.

Just remember the bulb paved away for the pro 2

Leon

Edited September 25, 2009 by LEON

[† CETFLY †]

You don't strip a hub everytime it skips lol, if it's a big loud 1 which instantly makes the hub roll badly then take it apart, but a big part of alot of hubs skipping is people pissing about with them, stripping as soon as they buy it to make it louder/take the grease out. Anything's good if looked after properly, i got 10 years out of my bulb, in which I've seen people chris kings come and go.

My mates pr02 skips worse and more frequently than my bulb, so it's not always all good.

If you've got the money and don't need gears just buy the pro 2.

Just remember the bulb paved away for the pro 2

Leon

Yeah. Ive never owned a trials hub so havent personally experienced a skip to understand the big vs small skips.

Ive been building engines, cars, turbo setups, the works for 12years. I cant see a service on a Pro 2 being overly difficult, but know how inexperience can lead to problems.

The latest Pro 2 Trials come oiled, not greased. Theyre meant to be louder now.

The old bulbs paved the way for the Pro 2, sure.

Dont forgot, new things are made to correct/better old or faulty designs and create a better, stronger, longer lasting product

Im trying to get hold of Osram to sort this situation out as its the better easier option to buy his bike.

I just need him to come to the party on this deal....

[Scott Gibbs]

do hope pro 2 trials really drag that much then? As my new bike will have one but i also need it ti ride to work too.

[peggysue]

No hope rachets are alu, that jus wouldn't work. They're all steel, I've never used a pro 2, i use 8 gears so I've always used bulbs since 1999, the 21 clicks in a mono/xc is not enough, but the 36 in a bulb is fine, anything else is over kill for me personally. I've gone very big in the last 10+ years, I weigh 14 stone and do big drops. I've never broke a single axle, rachets will go now & then, it's a free/cheap repair from hope, They're fine unless you're a real rough b*****d or you're into huge static gaps which wont help it, obv a pro2 (later model) would be best if you don't use a full cassette of gears, but don't listen to anyone saying bulbs are shit as they're idiots, Martyn ashton and alot of the big names used them for years, and before that it was the ti glide, which was a high end cross country hub.

Nowdays people use stupidly hard gears and everything's about static moves, so Yes a pro 2 would be a better bet, but to say a bulb is shit is just retarded.

compared to todays hubs they are shite , but back in the day they were the best hubs on the market , and yes all the big names used them. however they did break alot with me , any drop over 10 foot was a garunteed axle snapper ... and as for the rachets im 99% sure they were aluminium. the pawls were steal. the shell was ali and its all one piece with the rachets machined into the shell. everytime i had a big skip and a bang , that was one rachet gone. after 3 or 4 snapped the freehub would not turn so i would have to send it back to hope for a replacemant shell.

if you really want one buy one but be warned , they are not up to todays standards of trials hubs!

[Matt Burrows]

compared to todays hubs they are shite , but back in the day they were the best hubs on the market , and yes all the big names used them. however they did break alot with me , any drop over 10 foot was a garunteed axle snapper ... and as for the rachets im 99% sure they were aluminium. the pawls were steal. the shell was ali and its all one piece with the rachets machined into the shell. everytime i had a big skip and a bang , that was one rachet gone. after 3 or 4 snapped the freehub would not turn so i would have to send it back to hope for a replacemant shell.

if you really want one buy one but be warned , they are not up to todays standards of trials hubs!

99% of people on this forum know a lot less than they realise! Also 99% of statistics are made up on the spot with no evidence to back them up.

All Hope ratchets were and are machined rings of steel, threaded into the alu hub shell. I agree with you on how poor the Bulb hubs were though, they would last me a few months at best

[peggysue]

99% of people on this forum know a lot less than they realise! Also 99% of statistics are made up on the spot with no evidence to back them up.

All Hope ratchets were and are machined rings of steel, threaded into the alu hub shell. I agree with you on how poor the Bulb hubs were though, they would last me a few months at best

oh well my memory aint so good...... was 10 years ago..... if they were made of steel like you say then they were god dam weak.. snapped like ali..