I am looking into the Nimbus Eclipse, which is lightweight with an aluminum hub, built for freestyle. I anticipate keeping it mostly on the ground, however one can never resist the occasional curb and/or hop trick. In anticipation of these moments, I want to determine how NOT built for jumps the uni is- if the lighter design creates any real risk of breaking the thing over time. Anyone know how much “core strength” is sacrificed in the aluminum hub?
The hub body and flanges are aluminum, the spindle is steel, you won’t hurt the hub before it hurst you 
The narrowness of the new Oracle hub may make the wheel weaker due to the steep angle of the disc side (high tension) spokes, but that’s to be seen.
FYI, all high end uni hubs have an aluminum hub body and steel spindle, unless they’re solid Ti. The only all steel hubs are cheaper units, like those found on Sun.
Nurse Ben he was talking about the Eclipse hub NOT the Oracle hub haha. So the whole hub is aluminium 
http://www.unicycle.uk.com/unicycle-spares/hubs-bearings/nimbus-eclipse-isis-hub-36-hole-gold.html
should we gang up on Ben?
And the Nimbus 32 and 48 hole hubs are all steel! great hubs.
and the KH ti hobs have a ti spindle, aluminum flanges, and a CF body.
And nimbus 36hole 
And the Mad4One hubs are all steel or aluminium 
Cool info, nice banter, does anyone have an answer to my original question?
I was jumping up small walls and riding off curbs on my beginners unicycle, and it was still working well enough to be passed on. Over a year later and significant abuse (3 foot drops by someone that couldn’t roll out) and it is still going strong. Curbs shouldn’t be a problem for any unicycle these days.
Oh, the Eclipse, now I see why you were concerned…
I know a couple people who ride them on 36ers, one reported twisting a spindle, he’s a big guy, not that “hard core”.
Josh rode the Eclipse hub for muni and twisted a spindle; “Josh is hard core” ;).
It saves weight in a location that won’t benefit you much, so if strength is an issue, get the chromoly spindled hub (Oregon). Maybe in time we’ll see Ti disc hubs, that would be the bomb!
FYI, rumor has it that the Oracle line will continue to expand: 24, 26, 29, …
It’s not CF, just a thin overlay wrap on the aluminum for aesthetics, same thing on the Oracle hub.
Yeah, I forgot about the one piece hub folks. Yeah now, that one piece concept is probably the future…
Nurse Ben, I think you’re getting the Impulse mixed up with the Eclipse?
Sorry to add to the confusion…
My Freestyle unicycles have always had square-taper hubs, at least since I got my first square-taper unicycle in 1980 (before that it was cotter pins!). A good square taper hub can take plenty of abuse, as long as you don’t do it regularly.
Which is not to say I haven’t destroyed my share of hubs. Freestyle (or Flat, or Street) can involve tricks that put other types of stress on a hub other than dropping-type stress. I spent one season learning how to stand on the top pedal while my unicycle was lying on its side, to spin around on it and land my other foot back on the unicycle. That actually broke at least one frame, but probably not any hubs.
In any case, if you plan on doing a wide range of moves, that may include lots of hopping or drops, go for a splined hub. For Freestyle use, any splined hub is probably more than enough. The Nimbus Eclipse hub looks great.
I don’t pay attention to names, sorry, I’m just thinking materials. Eclipse is the standard width freestyle hub, Impulse is the wide touring hub.
The freestyle aluminum spindled non disc hub is in the same category as the touring aluminum spindled disc hub, neither are designed for tricks, muni, or trials. It says so on the hub description.
Even under normal conditions the spindles have twisted. Think lightweight racing products, so short life for high performance. The narrower non disc hub is probably more durable than the wider disc hub. Nimbus does not warranty twisted spindles if they are ridden “inappropriately”.
But really, if you want to go big and light, get a ti hub if you don’t care about the disc brake. Ti is tough stuff as long as it’s used right, Impact or KH.
Yep - not up to 3ft drops yet, but I’m doing lots of hopping up and down stuff on my beginner uni which cost me a huge £35 without any damage - though it does creak a bit, and feels all flexy when landing a bit harder, which I think might be the spokes going out of tension. I’m presuming that people bending hubs are doing bigger stuff (or are much heavier than me).