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Is A King Hub Really Worth It?


NVWOCI WVS

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yeah, kings are just overpriced piles of shit really

at the end of the day you get what you pay for, pile of shit? the only bad king is one that hasnt been looked after.

i have seen alot more hope hubs broken snapped etc than kings and the king has been out alot longer!

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at the end of the day you get what you pay for, pile of shit? the only bad king is one that hasnt been looked after.

i have seen alot more hope hubs broken snapped etc than kings and the king has been out alot longer!

king flanges, countless broken, broken axles, crappy cog thing

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at the end of the day you get what you pay for, pile of shit? the only bad king is one that hasnt been looked after.

i have seen alot more hope hubs broken snapped etc than kings and the king has been out alot longer!

Nearly every king i've been on has skipped while i had a go on it. They are most certainly not a hub for my current riding style, and if i was to run one i'd need to change the way i gap and everything. I like the sound of the pro II's, i prefer them having pawls too... and the whole dishless wheel idea is somewhat appealing to me.

I'd say get a hope.

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If it was my money and I was on a budget, I'd go for the Hope. It just makes sense really. But Kings are better, and you have to pay for it. No-one really needs a King hub, in the same way as no-one really needs a King headset, but they're very nice to have and they work better than anything else...

I have had two Kings over the last 3 years or so (One got stolen :( ) and I've never maintained them at all. Skip free. I snapped a normal axle, but King USA were pretty good to me and I got a new HD axle on warantee (had to pay difference, something like £26). They are just the best :wub:

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I love my King - it's never once done me any harm. 2 years of trouble-free use with a beautiful noise to boot. I wouldn't have a problem with buying a Hope II if I was on a budget though. However if I had the cash - I'd definitely go with another King.

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Hard to say really. I rode a Profile for a while (essentially the same system as the Pro II) and had 2 kings throughout the last 14 months. Neither of the hubs skipped once, so if I was to base my opinion on just that, I'd buy what's cheaper. But knowing how the King mechanism works I will never again get a pawl hub.

So for me it's Chris King all the way unless I'd be using my bike every second rainy Sunday in which case I'd get a pawl hub.

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got my first king hub 29 august 2002, and i can safely say, i wont be running anything else on any stock of mine.............

that said, i would definately get one with a stainless steel drive shell, my first disco lasted me until summer last year without a single skip..... it made a few loud noises once or twice when it needed a service, but never actually missed an engagement or caused me harm....

my new king single speed has an alloy drive shell, and you can see very slight deformation on the splines now after 9 months use.... so perhaps the single speed hub isnt SO amazing, although, its still super reliable. makes noises every once in a while, but never actually skips at all. i trust it 100%

ive seen several pro2's that skip, fred judds in particular is AWFUL, although he still swears its the chain!

rich pearson had his leeson super pimped out with new wheels including pro2 hubs, and kennard went to gently pedal off a 2ft wall and the hub totally missed all pickups and ash came downand smashed richs brand new front wheel.....

ive seen too much to trust one.

i wont be using anything other than a king again.

Yes! Freds hub skips all the time! Somehow it hasnt skipped whilst doing something dodgy luuuuucky!

Mike crowthers (salis rider) skips all the time and hasnt ever worked out of the box.(and put him in hospital last year)

Im a very nervous rider due to knee injury and i trust my King 100 percent .

Maybe a king isnt the best hub for bike mashers and spaz hands with hammers? I dont know :lol:

I dont remember profiles getting slated as much as pro2's?

It has to be said Hope haven't got it 100 percent right on the pr02.

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king, had mine 3 years never failed me yet!

heard of a fair few pro2's fooking up!

afew lol loads have lol. My silver king has never ever skipped no lies it hasnt., my black one has and my blue one may of. i have had this for ages and its amazing relaly trust it. I know i would brak ea hope with in a week no doubt.

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I was lucky enough to get my king secondhand off somehow who had bedded it in properly on his xc bike, 5 (ish) years later it still hasn't skipped. yeah I have had to replace the hub shell a couple of times (broken flanges), but i do mash my bike up doing icepicks....

but the hope is a great hub for the money...

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i always used hope XC hubs for AGES !!!

finally saved up and got a pair of kings and a headset a while ago !

woooo thinks me.

after bedding in and stuff,....

the rear one skipped so bad i hit my face and hand on a sharp rock ,and still have quite a big scar on my hand.

so i thought.. oh well, and sold it and got a rear XC again.

then the front king flange rips off so im missing 2 spokes !

so i continue ridin with a slightly buckled wheel, then i did a big gap to front wheel.

the axle snapped. which caused my avid caliper bracket to snap.

arr well the headsets are ace !

now i have a pair of pro2s and they seem really good. and cheaper, and prettyer, and not shite !

iolo.

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i had a King classic with all the trials gubbins before i got my pro 2 and it was WANK!! ABSOLUTE BOLLOCKS!! durin the bedding in period it did nothing but skip, then after like a few month when it was bedded in, it was always skipping, about 2 go for a drop gap to bollard and it skipped resulting in me landing on front wheel :blink::sick:

Kings sound cool, but i had nothing but trouble with mine and so do the people i know with them. and loads of the flanges snap.

I love my PRO 2! :)(Y)

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I've had 2 Kings now, And just sold one Had full HD one and just Normal one. Now just gone to a Pro2 and I love it, feels stronger and I prefer 48EP's to be honist even though you can hardley feel the difference but it just feels stronger, I prefer the sound of pawl'd hubs aswell.

Kings are f**king good Hubs, I never thought Id hear my self sayign that Pro2's are better but they are, Alot better in My opinion. Less to go wrong, Kings are way to precise, The smallest things can make them go wrong and when they go wrong your loosing you nose.

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alot of people say "look at the amount of kings broken compared to hhope hubs" etc. well it's probably worth noting that many many more people have hopes so you will hear of more breaking. i'm trying a king but my pro2 was always flawless, i just cant be assed changing the rim over.

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Kings.... good hubs that work very well for trials if looked after.

ProII.... good hubs that work very well for trials if looked after.

difference = price.

my proII has been perfect since it arrived (pretty much the first one available to buy from TB) It was perfect through a broken spring - working on 1 pawl on one of the engagements for over a month, with no bad effects.

so i would say no its not worth it but if you have money to burn then it will be a good fairly reliable hub for trials.

oh btw PROII = a trials hub built and warrantied for trials - King = XC hub with addons.

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Kings.... good hubs that work very well for trials if looked after.

ProII.... good hubs that work very well for trials if looked after.

difference = price.

my proII has been perfect since it arrived (pretty much the first one available to buy from TB) It was perfect through a broken spring - working on 1 pawl on one of the engagements for over a month, with no bad effects.

so i would say no its not worth it but if you have money to burn then it will be a good fairly reliable hub for trials.

oh btw PROII = a trials hub built and warrantied for trials - King = XC hub with addons.

Despite that King are still pretty good about warrenties, the other plus of a king hub is the bearings, they're of far better quality than the hope ones. As you said though its all down to how much you want to spend really.

Pete

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arr well the headsets are ace !

For trials, i would be tempted to disagree with you (mine keeps coming loose, it may be damaged already). Nick (Prawn) would definately disagree with you.

I love my king and got the whole raer wheel for £170, as the previous rider had it skip and didnt trust it. Turned out it was just loose. I took it apart, cleaned it, lubed it with proper stuff, and rode ever since. I am very happy.

Considering the king is designed as an XC hub, its held up very well to rials abuse. Im sure if king made a trials specific hub, it would be insane! Hope have tried to make a trials specific hub, and somehow im very sorry to say it, appear to have failed! I love hope i really do, every other hub i own (apart from the rear screw on freewheel on my rag around commuter) is a hope, and i havent ever had a problem with them, yet ive ridden pro2s that have skipped.

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