>Wayne Davidson asked:
>
>Hi all, a little question to the group, re rear pista hubs, which is
>more common, and which would build a stronger wheel, small flange or
>large flange?
Harvey Sachs replied:
>Sir, this question is more likely to set of a theological schism
>among the honorable members than to settle things. It could get you
>kilt...
>But that may be fun, too. As far as I can tell, flange height is
>the bike industry's equivalent of skirt length: pure fashion. The
>compliance of the tire must overwhelm flex in any other component of
>the wheel. So, you can worry, match what the fashion dictated in
>that decade, or be a funkmeister and grab what you find at the right
>price.*
That's a good answer to the second clause, but a more specific answer is possible to the first clause, viz.:
In the pista (track) world, high flange hubs are way more common than low flange.
In the road area, it's more a matter of period. Up through the early '70s, high flange was the norm, while after that, small flange became the fashion.
Actually, if mem'ry serves, this change was roughly contemporaneous with the move from centerpull to sidepull brakes, and from fancy to plain lugs.
A digression: The abbreviation of hub styles is a slippery matter, almost as error prone as "SR" vs. "SR"*:
*One way to go is HF (High Flange) vs. LF (Low Flange.)
*T'other way is LF (Large Flange) vs. SF (Small Flange.)
Thus, the abbreviation "LF" is fundamentally ambiguous, and should generally be avoided if you value clear communication.
Sheldon "Used To Like HF Rear, SF Front" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
+---------------------------------+
| Is ambivalence a bad thing? |
| Well, yes and no. |
| -- Garrison Keillor |
+---------------------------------+
*"Super Record" or "Sakae Ringyo"
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