Who has the best hubs out there? I like the Zipp 404 rim but it looks like you can get them under a different name with a different hub.
So, do you like American Classic, Velomax, Zipp, or Cane Creek as the best wheel/hub option? Why
You want the best hubs out there? Most folks will point you to Chris King hubs. Lace them up to a set of Zipp rims with the same Sapim bladed spokes that Zipp uses and you’ll be the envy of the Sunday long ride. If Phil Wood made a freehub, then those would be a very strong choice as well. Not sure if he makes freehubs yet, though. He’s always been a bit of the Rivendell retro crowd.
Of the prebuilt wheels you mentioned, I prefer the AmClassics.
Mavic, Campy Centaur (or Chorus or Record), Shimano 105 (or Ultegra or DA)
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bang for buck, I don’t think you can beat record or Dura Ace. Remember the boutique hubs don’t list skewer weights while DA and Record do, so they are actually not far in weight (not that hub weight is that big of a deal). They both roll smooth and DA hubs (and ultegra for that matter) have provided me with countless miles of no problems. that said, I’ve never had problems with mavic hubs either but I would vote for zipp rims on DA hubs w/ sapim spokes. I only have a few hundred miles on my new American Classic hubs but have already experienced bearing issues.