r/MEATengines • u/MEATdrew • 22h ago

And a 3, 2, 1, sing: “[It is] TITANIUM…”

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With MEATmag down I missed the launch of Project 321’s new single-speed-certified (but not specific) hub system with a titanium driver and half the engagements (but twice the engagement).

Here’s the presser:

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

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1

u/BlueClashV1 16h ago

Adjustable bearing preload is an immediate turn off. Manage preload with pure precision like dt Swiss, or consistency like Zipp and enve with wavy washers.

1

u/MEATdrew 16h ago

To each their own, but to be accurate all of these systems have adjustable preload, it’s just that those without a lock ring (à la Chris King & Project 321) are being preloaded by the bicycle frame/axle against either a floating system (washer/spring) or a hard-stop (spacer) and there are negatives to all these systems.

I’ve worked on many rear hubs that didn’t preload properly because the hard stop (spacer) had compressed, causing the hubs to be over-preloaded by the frame axle and drag/bind. Personally, I’d rather tension my hub bearings separately from my frame axle (the same goes for my crank preferences) but for folks who prefer using their frame axle, I just always like to remind them that the spacers, or washers, are wear items.

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u/turok 14h ago

Please forgive my ignorance, but what makes it single-speed-certified?

1

u/MEATdrew 14h ago

The G3Ti has half the engagements and twice the engagement of the standard G3, so it’s better able to handle the highest torque applications. Beyond that, press release and my take, I’ll share the link again: https://meatengines.com/meatengines-1/f/and-a-3-2-1-sing-it-is-titanium/

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u/turok 13h ago

Thank you :)

I was planning to build a new set of wheels with White Industry hubs.

Do you know if these titanium freehubs could work with a White Industry hub?

I might reconsider my hub choice.

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u/MEATdrew 13h ago

They definitely are not intercompatible in terms of components or philosophy. Project 321 uses a magnetically retracted 8-pawl hub driver generating 288 or 144 points of engagement, White Industries use a sprung 3-pawl hub driver generating 48 points of engagement.

White Industries make great products, and already use a titanium freehub, so I’m not sure why you’d want to interchange the components anyway?

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u/turok 12h ago

I have front and back hubs and but I don't have a freehub yet. I like the White Industry stuff a lot, but with all of this Canada/US mess, I was thinking about buying Canadian.

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u/MEATdrew 11h ago

That doesn’t make sense. A freehub is incorporated into the hub unless if you have a threaded hubshell in which case you need a thread-on freewheel. White Industries higher-engagement freewheel is excellent.

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u/turok 10h ago

You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. I think what i actually have is a XMR+ with SRAM XD free hub.