Chris King has all the time been about making essentially the most exact elements – it’s proper there within the title. Their hubs are artworks, with their patented RingDrive system buzzing away as you coast. However that RingDrive precision got here at a price, specifically a extra advanced service process and dear driveshell replacements.
Chris King had already phased out their needle-bearing design of the RingDrive system in 2019. Transferring from that to a twin-bearing system lowered drag by greater than 20% and made for a system that was lighter and simpler to fabricate. The problem was that adapting the present hub design to the present twin-bearing system required a number of axle and inner driver physique variations.
Now with the Gen 4 hubs, that every one adjustments.
“Earlier iterations of our hubs wanted to steadiness compatibility with evolving exterior applied sciences, just like the SRAM and Shimano drive methods, with our patented internals and bearings. With these core methods having stabilized, it gave us a chance to rethink what was occurring inside our hubs, and so we took the possibility to simplify issues for our riders and streamline manufacturing.
For Gen 4 we undertook a holistic growth course of for every of the three hub merchandise Increase CenterLock/6-Bolt, R45D, and R45, collapsing the specs right into a design that permits for a common axle and inner components. In earlier generations, we chased specs that led us to totally different bearing sizes, and many others. Gen 4’s common components have allowed us to streamline manufacturing, and because of this, helped us cut back hub costs AND the price of the small components long-term riders will need for hub service and upgrades.”
King Gross sales Supervisor Greg Hudson
Notably, Chris King factors out that “this isn’t a performance-based evolution.” Primarily, the hubs now use common components which permit King to supply drive system conversion kits for simply $80 (for hubs which are already transformed to or offered as Gen 4). Evaluate that to their earlier conversion kits which had been as much as $380 in 2023. Higher but, the Gen 4 system is backward suitable with earlier King hubs, so you may convert your present hub to Gen 4 – although these conversion kits are costlier. “Transferring ahead, Gen 4 R45D and Increase 6-Bolt conversion kits are priced at $275, which incorporates the axle, adjusting clamp, bearings, and driveshell. Equally, Increase CenterLock conversion kits are priced at $250, inclusive of the axle, bearings, and driveshell.”
On the time of writing, costs for brand new Gen 4 hubs weren’t obtainable, although we all know that driveshell conversion kits for brand new hubs ought to run $80 because you solely want to alter out the driveshell. Chris King says that Gen 4 hubs are actually delivery and are being constructed into their full wheels.
Particular enhancements with Gen 4 embrace:
- Model new driver/axle system
- Improved compatibility/ease of adjusting Driveshell sorts
- Decrease-priced conversion kits
- Higher XDR person expertise with threaded Driveshell finish cap
- Simpler meeting and disassembly (no axle wedge)
- Easier preload adjustment (no spacer spring to compress)
- Extra versatility resulting from common axle and inner components
- Extra cross-compatibility resulting from widespread bearing sizes
- Backward compatibility with earlier generations of King hubs
- Gen 4 R45D hubs make the most of an up to date adjusting clamp that permits for disc elimination with out the necessity to take away the adjusting clamp.
