New Bike & Awesome Wheel
I am officially bike obsessed, there’s no other way of dealing with it other than just coming out and saying it… I AM OBSESSED. I do nothing else on the internet in my spare time other than scooting about looking at the next best/most recent bicycle related component/frame/wheel whatever.
When i think back to my early days of riding bikes, there was one thing that has stuck in my head and that is Chub Hubs from The Hive… for some reason (probably the obscene size), they stuck in my mind and i’ve wanted one ever since.
Fortunately for me, my good friends and local bike shop, Hewitt Cycles, have just started stocking Chub Hubs and i can now say that they’re more awesome in real life than i could have imagined.
Just look at them!
They weigh next to nothing and their physical size is something incredible, they’re in the same region as Rohloff hubs or some of the older coaster brake hubs. But instead of having a load of technical jiggery pokery inside them, it’s an aluminium hub with a carbon shell around it, coupled with some mega-high flanges.
This hub is strong, i can tell that already. I’ve done a few miles on it and pulled some daft speed skids and i can feel that the rear wheel of my bike is a lot sturdier and a lot more responsive. Granted, i have an NJS Chain, Cog and Lockring, but i think that just adds to the whole strength feeling that i can feel in my legs.
Paul (owner of Hewitt cycles) is an amazing wheel builder and he built the Chub Hub to a Campagnolo Delta rim with 32 double butted, black spokes and we gave the wheel a 25c Gatorskin Hardshell. The grip is awesome and so is skidding this thing, it whips out as much as i want it to but without feeling like i’ve lost it at any point.
This hub is amazing, i recommend it to everyone. It compliments my new bike better than i could have hoped. With that thought… here is my new Hewitt A6N track bike. It’s 55cm, full aluminium frame with carbon forks and that beautiful wheel on the back.
I took it out into Avenham Park this morning to get some of the standard ‘Bike Porn’, type photographs.
Massive thanks to Paul Hewitt for building the ‘dream wheel’ and an amazing frame for me, The Hive for making the Chub Hub, Continental for creating the best tyre, the only tyre, the Gatorskin! and even more thanks to my lady for putting up with me constantly harassing her about bikes (when i can tell deep down inside that she hates them).