10sp shimano cassette on 9sp alloy (Bontrager) hub

[Bleve]

Sheldon Brown wrote:
> carl.I.brewer worried:
>
> > Perhaps current 10sp Shimano Ultegra cassettes are just
> > not suitable on 9sp pattern Al alloy hubs at all? If that's the case,
> > and now I have two examples of this, then I'd say it's fair to suggest
> > that Trek has shipped a part with my bike that is not suitable for it.
> > What's your opinion Sheldon?
>
> I wouldn't expect there to be a serious problem with _Ultegra_ cassettes
> on such a hub, since they use spiders for the larger sprockets, but
> would expect a problem if you substituted one of the cheaper cassettes,
> such as 105 or LX, on the alumin(i)um body.

Here are the photos :

http://www.aboc.com.au/images/galleries/20060116-bontrager-freehub/

In particular, see this one :

http://www.aboc.com.au/images/galleries/20060116-bontrager-freehub/DSCF6998.html

That's done 7,400 km, with the original Ultegra 12:25 (~5,000km) and
then an Ultegra 12:27 (~2,000km) cassette (both 10sp) on it.

 

[Shane Stanley]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Here are the photos

It looks like only some of the splines are affected, which would suggest
they're not lining up properly, wouldn't it?

--
Shane Stanley

 

[Bleve]

Shane Stanley wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Here are the photos
>
> It looks like only some of the splines are affected, which would suggest
> they're not lining up properly, wouldn't it?

It would, except that Shimano in their 10sp cassettes, have reduced the
number of splines (to save weight? Or just to kill 9sp alloy
freehubs?!), so they were lined up, they just don't all have homes.

 

[Shane Stanley]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote:

> except that Shimano in their 10sp cassettes, have reduced the
> number of splines

Ouch -- that's one way to compound the problem.

--
Shane Stanley

 

[Bleve]

Shane Stanley wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > except that Shimano in their 10sp cassettes, have reduced the
> > number of splines
>
> Ouch -- that's one way to compound the problem.

yep.

We're waiting to show the freehub to the trek rep this week. BTW, this
hub is *not* the good one Disco/US Postal use, it's an elcheapo junker
- the Race-lite Aero is a 1910g(!) wheelset, and the freehub etc looked
like it had been put together by monkeys on a bad day. That's not one
that came out of the DT/Hugi factory, I'd be betting.

 

[Shane Stanley]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote:

> BTW, this hub is *not* the good one Disco/US Postal use

Given that they throw their wheels away after 500km or something equally
ridiculous, it might as well be.

--
Shane Stanley

 

[Bleve]

[email protected] wrote:

> I'd expect that the same should apply to the Bontrager hub? Ie: Trek
> should not have supplied that hub with that cassette? We're getting in
> touch with Trek Australia to confirm that this is a mistake, but can
> anyone here confirm that Trek should not have shipped that hub with
> this bike? I'm 90% sure it's a mistake on their (Trek) part, but would
> appreciate any confirmation from anyone here with a bit more experience
> with this kind of thing.

An update on this. The local Trek rep has replaced the freehub body
(with another alloy body, but this time a DT one, which won't fit the
hub! Honest mistake, and I'm sure they'll replace it again ...) after
some grumbing - and of course it will do the same thing. When this was
pointed out, his response "ride in different gears so it doesn't
happen". Errr ... Not good enough....

I'm a bit disappointed. Trek should see this as a learning experience
- we're not angry with them, we're a Trek dealer and we want to work
with Trek to sort out the problem for the benefit of our customers
*and* for Trek. Here's a problem, let's work together to fix it.

So if the local Trek rep is proving to be reluctant to address the
issue, does anyone here have an email address or similar to get in
touch with Trek USA to escalate to?

 

[Shane Stanley]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote:

> An update on this. The local Trek rep has replaced the freehub body
> (with another alloy body, but this time a DT one, which won't fit the
> hub! Honest mistake, and I'm sure they'll replace it again ...) after
> some grumbing - and of course it will do the same thing.

Apparently it doesn't happen with the one on the $299 Aldi special
(sorry -- couldn't resist).

--
Shane Stanley

 

[Bleve]

Bleve wrote:

> So if the local Trek rep is proving to be reluctant to address the
> issue, does anyone here have an email address or similar to get in
> touch with Trek USA to escalate to?

I found a form on the Bontrager web site and submitted a summary of
this issue to it. Hopefully they'll be interested in fixing the
problem!

 

[[email protected]]

I haven't had a reply from Bontrager, but have spoken to our local Trek
rep, who has now seen the freehub for himself and agrees that
"something needs to be done".

We'll see ...

 

[[email protected]]

A new freehub has arrived, so they're replacing it, but it's the same
part, so will have the same problem. I'll take a few photos of the way
the cogs engage with the freehub body this week and post them on my
site so anyone interested can see the problem in more detail than I've
been able to explain it.