I am somewhat of a beginner, and am thinking about getting a new wheelset. I am thinking about the 24" Sun BFR rim with a Suzue 36-spoke hub, with a Gazz from UDC. Are the Black Widow Cranks worth the extra $89? I am just wondering if I should get these, or get something different, like the Monty’s. Which would be better for drops and stairs and things like that?
Re: Black Widow Cranks
I would suggest you save up and buy splined. The widows won’t last very long if you put them up to any abuse…
If you must, get Montys
I don’t think they are worth it. I saw a friend of mine bend one on a sub foot drop. I use very cheap cranks on my MUni and I’ve dropped off park tables with out any problems. If you do go with the Suz hub, just get some BE cranks. If you have the money, get a splined setup.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it’s easier (and cheaper) to replace cranks then hubs. Sometimes strong cranks can be a curse.
Has anyone had a chance to try out the new KH/Onza hub? Is it as good as it’s supposed to be?
Assuming that you want 170’s, a cheaper option would be to get Sugino tandem cranks. See this thread for the details. They’re cheaper than the Black Widows. The Black Widows aren’t the best crank for drops and such. They’re nice cranks, but not the strongest. They’re better suited to XC riding (not a lot of drops) and Coker riding.
The Sugino cranks, Unicycle.com chromoly hub, and Alex DX32 rim and a Gazz tire would make for a good wheel. If you’re a light rider you can get away with small drops and such with a wheel like that, but if you’re heavier or the kind of person who is hard on equipment then you might be better off saving up for a KH Freeride or KH XC instead. There is a finite amount of abuse that a standard hub and standard cranks can take before it will break.