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Velo Orange Adds Disc Brake Grand Cru Touring Hubs, Plus Nalgene Compatible Mojave Cage

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Velo Orange disc brake hubs grand cru (2)

 

Even if you’re unsure of the need for disc brakes on your touring rig, it’s nice to have options. Options like the new Grand Cru Disc Touring hubset from Velo Orange. Based on their tool-less design from other Grand Cru Hubs, the Disc Touring models are sold only in 100/135mm front and rear with standard quick release axles. The high flange design keeps the classic look but offers modern brake performance and still uses high quality Japanese cartridge bearings in common sizes.

Along with the disc hubs, Velo Orange also has a new bottle cage that might be of interest if your favorite bottle is stamped with Nalgene…

Velo Orange disc brake hubs grand cru (4) Velo Orange disc brake hubs grand cru (1)

Velo Orange disc brake hubs grand cru (3)

Thanks to the tool free design, the entire hub can be pulled apart with your hands revealing the 3 pawl freehub mechanism inside. Available in 32 or 36 spoke variations, the hubs use a standard 6 bolt rotor mount and are offered in polished silver only. The rear hubs are sold with either steel or aluminum Shimano 9/10 speed compatible freehubs or Campy compatible as well.  Pricing is set at $180 for the rear in any drilling or freehub configuration and $78 for the front, available now.

Velo orange mojave cageVelo orange mojave cage 2

Even though it wasn’t on hand at Frostbike, the new Velo Orange Mojave cage is worth a mention. If you’re planning on touring through the Mojave, or any desert for that matter, getting enough water is pretty important which means carrying it with you. Created with an expanding design the Velo Orange Mojave cage will fit your 32 oz Nalgene bottle or even a 40 oz Kleen Kanteen stainless bottle. The 5 mounting holes give you some leeway in positioning the cage inside your frame but also allows for mounting to 3 pack bosses on fork legs. Available now, the cages retail for $28 each.

velo-orange.com

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Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

No idea why you’d come up with a NEW 10spd hub? If you’re building a NEW BIKE, this rules out middle of the line components like Shimano 105, SRAM RIVAL22 and more lower end stuff that will be 11speed in a year or two. It would have taken very little to give a bit more space on a rear 135mm hub. Of course, you can always get one of the dished cassettes but they cost as much or more than this hub. Who wants that when an 11spd 105 cassette goes for $60.
I wouldn’t care so much if this were a $50 hub for a $250 wheelset but its not

Rider X
Rider X
9 years ago

Because your needs are not everyone’s needs. Some of us still prefer 9 speed, especially for non-race applications. My commuter/touring bike is 9 speed and I just built it up last year. Durace barcons. I ride it 50 km a day on muddy dirt roads and I still get 3000 km out of a chain, at 1/2 the price. Plus shifting worked same all winter. 11 speed would have been in much worse conditions (I have tried).

Don’t get me wrong rode my “modern” bike to work this morning with the good weather. Shifting is quicker and more precise. Great in a pack, fast paced, or racing.

But everything is not a race!

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

You can run your 9spd cassette on an 11spd hub. You can also get more than 3000km out of a quality 11spd chain…I typically get close to 4500km out of one. The issue is that this hub is limiting. Also, I rode 11spd stuff in Milwaukee all winter…its not a big deal

VERY SOON…only the lowest end of components will be available for 9spd. Its already getting there.

Nick
Nick
9 years ago

Veganpotter,

With an 11sp freehub body, he’d have an arguably less durable wheel, which may be a higher priority than two additional gears. 9-speed isn’t going anywhere, dunno where you get that notion from…and neither is 10-speed.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

That body can be filed down for an 11sp cassette. There is plenty of space without changing spoke angles. I’ve done this with MANY hubs for friends and myself…hubs with less real estate than your hub. Milling that down would open up the options for customers. And no…the derailleur will not hit the spokes if you do this…unless said person were to run an 11spd 11-23 cassette and even that may still have ample clearance. Filing some hub away would blow someones warranty but they’d only be doing what you could have done from the beginning. You’re already ruling out plenty of people that would run this for cyclocross and yes…TOURING with the SUPER HIGH END and UNAFFORDABLE 11 speed 105 and RIVAL Groups that are COMMON SPEC now for some bikes and probably nearly all touring bikes in two years

And yes, 9spd will be around for a very long time. Of course, you’ll be running SORA cassettes with your old 9spd Dura-Ace shifters once all the good stuff is gone.”

anonymous
anonymous
9 years ago

@Nick
It also comes with a Campy style freehub body, meaning there is no loss in strength with a Shimano 11 speed frrehub.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

anonymous…GREAT POINT that I overlooked. Maybe I’m wrong, but maybe they just bought the body off the shelf from a different manufacturer to keep costs down and the 10spd stuff is cheaper than 11 for some stupid reason.

Seems like a complete cop-out to me.

Serious
Serious
9 years ago

Hey Veganpotter, if you don’t like it don’t buy it.

My favourite bike runs 7spd cassettes. I have no problem finding adequate parts
for this bike.

I also have a bike running 11 spd campag so I’m not a retro grouch.

I can’t understand why some people get so worked up over products that do not meet their requirements. Hey, we have options, just go buy something else.

I’ve got several Velo-Orange parts on one of my bikes. Whether these hubs come in 9-10-11 spd wouldn’t worry me at all, I would just put them on whatever bike they would suit.

Rider X
9 years ago

@Veganpotter – Wheel strength and convenience (I don’t have to find the correct cassette shim) are good reasons for a 9-speed specific hub. You also can’t simply file away the hub, you need also to consider derailleur clearance when the wheel flexes.

I don’t understand your hate-on for <11 speeds. If you want to keep derailleur cables (battery powered shifting on an touring bike is a bad idea!) 9-speed is less sensitive to conditions, hence why I prefer it. I have tried higher speeds and they have not been as reliable.

VO's MO from day one has been mechanically simple bikes focused on reliability durability over peak performance.

Finally, never in my life have I have I ever gotten 4500 km out of a chain (or seen anyone else get an honest 4500 km). For 11 speed you should be changing at 0.5% stretch.

Sam
Sam
9 years ago

Did anyone read that these are touring hubs and realize that even the newest touring bikes come with 10 speed?

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

You CAN simply file the hub away, unless the biggest cog on your 11spd cassette is 25 or smaller. I guarantee it will clear with this flange…it would have VERY GOOD clearance too…far better than many of the wheels I’ve converted.

I don’t hate 9 speed. I would hate having to use crappy 9 speed replacement parts. Would you want to run 7 speed? If you could get high end 7spd stuff, then great but it doesn’t exist anymore(unless you buy high end NOS that’s more pricey than new 10 and 11spd gear). You can only buy junk. The same can be said for 8 speed and soon…the same will be said for 9 speed. If Shimano would indefinitely make 105 or Ultegra quality 9 speed gear, this would be a non-argument but they don’t and won’t.

Nothing would have been lost by making this an 11spd hub…there is already space for an 11spd freehub body on this hub

***I weight over 85kg and rarely get less than 4000km out of an 11spd chain and typically get 3-4 chains per 11spd cassette. I ride a lot…roughly 25,000km per year. Internally, an 11spd chain is the same as a 10spd chain, only the plates are thinner and the EXTERNAL width of the pins.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

Sam…Surley, Salsa, and Bianchi all have 11spd touring bikes on the way. Shimano isn’t going to keep producing 10spd 105 shifters…only cassettes and chains. SRAM will make higher end 10spd stuff a bit longer than Shimano will when it comes to shifters since their derailleurs are already compatible and they’ve claimed they won’t stop making 10speed shifters for a while. But ALL NEW BIKES with 105, Rival or better will run 11 speed!!! That’s just how it is.

My real issue is that with this hub, you can’t run the modern MID RANGE equipment(forget the high end) and it doesn’t give you much of an option to upgrade if you have 10speed now and want to get 11spd. If you have an 11spd hub, you can run 9 speed on it. No loss, no foul right?

Ivan
Ivan
9 years ago

Not sure waht this all faffing is about… Don’t like it, don’t buy it Veganpotter…

If this is dead-end product lack of buisness will verify idea quite quickly.

Not your problem mate, not your money invested, stop making such a fuzz about it, because it is ridiculous 🙂

Cheers!
I.

don
don
9 years ago

for me the 36 hole drilling is significant since there is not very much choice when it comes to 36 hole 135mm QR disc hubs

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

Ivan, this is a comments section. In your words, complements would make no sense either when people can just buy the hubs rather that complement them.

Its not a dead and product. I just think its VERY SHORTSIGHTED to make a 10spd hub in 2015. Its not that different than someone making a 126mm spaced hub. If this were meant to be retro then fine, but its not. Its expensive and “seemingly modern”.

8speed is dead…most shops only stock chains and hybrid spaced cassettes now. 9spd isn’t dead but it is dying and your options are small at most bike shops…mountain range, or one road range cassette, have your pick. 10spd is nowhere near dead but will soon be the minority component. Everyone knows Shimano 105 is the industry driver. When 105 changes, companies that make after market gear should listen. Its really only basic common sense since the old stuff WILL FIT on new hubs. Now, when 12 speed comes along, I’m probably gonna be pissed because the hubs will likely be completely different and will very likely not fit in present frames(road or mountain).

Ivan
Ivan
9 years ago

In my country we have such saying: ” róbmy swoje” that translates more-less into “don’t fret, do your stuff”.

If this is such a pain in the back side for you talk directly to producer and convince them that they are going astray with this product.

This is comment section, but not a place for political-like fight. You made your point several times. How many more we need to see that your dead-unhappy with this stuff?

Is it going to convince people happy with this design that they need to buy only most future-proof goods?

Me as an example, I do not need 11 or 10speed, Hell! Most of my rides I do not need anything elese than single gear. And I do not give flying toss about 12, 15 or 22 speed cassettes that are looming in the near future 🙂

Cheers!
I.

CarlP
CarlP
9 years ago

Is anybody read the description? Especially those complaining about the 10 spd freehub.

-135mm

ONETHIRTYFIVE!

It’s not a road bike hub. This hub is made for mtb transmission. Sure you can mount 10spd 105 on those but it’s a touring hub.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

Most touring bikes use ROAD SHIFTERS AND ROAD CASSETTES.

Also, even some true 135 mountain hubs are permitting space for 11speed cassettes(not the XTR cassette which fits on a 10spd body). Foresight from the road is common sense here…11spd will be the norm for mountain bikes very soon and companies are aware of this…no Velo Orange though

Rider X
9 years ago

@Veganpotter – In all your pro-11 diatribe you continually avoid the issue that 9-speed cable actuated shifting is less sensitive to foul components. Having to go to electric shifting to avoid this problem is champagne solution.

I think also you overlook the counter movement emerging against newer standards. It has always existed in cycling, but I think the momentum is getting stronger. A lot more of us are annoyed at the recent raft of standard changes that obsolesces all our gear for what are becoming *minor* performance gains. If you are in the pro-peloton then these differences matter, but for most of us it does not.

VO and many others are riding that wave.

Rider X
9 years ago

Foul conditions, not foul components… my bad!

anonymous
anonymous
9 years ago

I think all you retrogrouches are missing the point that there is absolutely no reason for these to be 10 speed instead of backwards compatible 11 speed. You’re just trying to shrug it off by saying you don’t care. Well there’s lots of people that don’t care. They’re just not buying $180 disc hubs.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

Rider X…thats understandable. However, 11spd is no longer ONLY ELECTRONIC and you can get 11spd at the mid range. If you run SRAM 10 speed, you can go to 11 by buying Rival 22 shifters and a Rival 22 cassette and chain. You don’t even need new derailleurs, brakes, or cranks. SRAM made a great move there.

That said, I don’t see a massive influx of new companies making 9 speed shifters at a high quality level.

***I’m a bit on your side here too. I’m gonna be pissed if all decent road frames have disc brakes in 10 years and all decent quality hubs are 135mm wide. That being said…engagement is something everyone benefits from. Hopefully there are a lot of points of engagement for the 3 pawls in this hub. However, if there were, I’d think it would be a point to advertise. That’s an important factor on a loaded touring bike(why Chris King hubs are so popular for touring). I also think that going to 11spd wouldn’t rule this hub out for anyone running 9spd, it won’t hurt you. The only true plus I see about this hub is that it comes in a 36h drilling

You could also say a dsic hub on a touring bike is against tradition too since nearly all touring bikes that are presently on the road are running Cantis or V-Brakes

onion
onion
9 years ago

I really dig the Nalgene bottle cage! Not for drinking while riding, but great for cycling to practices and stuff.

Also there should be a rule about commenting on the same post more than once. (And maybe a limit on the number of words written in all caps?) State your opinion once, and don’t feel the need to defend yourself. Sheesh.

Hank Hill
Hank Hill
9 years ago

Is everyone else in this thread trying to troll Veganpotter!? LOLOLOL

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

Sorry guys, I secretly own majority shares in Shimano and SRAM and want there to be no reason for people to hold back on buying 11spd gear

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
9 years ago

Quick, someone help Veganpotter beat his dead horse.

Smokestack
Smokestack
9 years ago

A more salient point: remember when Shimano first released Dura Ace 10sp and it had a proprietary cassette body? And then when it began to trickle down to Ultegra and 105, much less to the mountain groups, how the same 8/9sp cassette body miraculously fit 10 cogs? And how Dura Ace quietly went through a revision so that all freehub bodies were 8/9/10sp compatible? I think there’s a very real chance we’ll see that again. Less tooling = more money after all. I think it’ll likely come to pass that hubs will again be 8/9/10 and now 11sp compatible. There may be a growing pain and a little wiggle on the part of aftermarket hub manufacturers to gain the clearance, Clarence, but history shows that it ain’t exactly impossible.

hjb
hjb
9 years ago

God, these comments are like hubbard war!

My main criticisms are the hubs look CHEAP! Seriously, they look like a Novatec hub which are 1/3 the price. And sure, the bearings are cartridge- big deal, whose aren’t?

If they made them 11-speed, and put a Centerlock interface instead of 6-bolt, then we’d be talking…

icallbs
icallbs
9 years ago

“Most touring bikes use ROAD SHIFTERS AND ROAD CASSETTES. ”

Said by someone who clearly doesn’t know touring bikes but thinks they know all. . .

Try XT/XTR rear mechs, 11-36 cassettes, 224-36-48 front. That is a touring set-up. Barcons. . . .9-speed. . .. yep. .

Nick H (milw)
Nick H (milw)
9 years ago

I like 10 speeds. Just bought a new high end mtb and swapped 11 out for 10 speed. I just like the versatility and ability to swap 10 speed parts from bike to bike. I think 10 is enough but just my opinion. These hubs are right up my alley for touring. What is their reputation for rolling? Thanks

stuffnstuff
stuffnstuff
9 years ago

I own a set of the non disc grand cru hubs, I spoke to VO a few month back about them, they said that the expect an 11 speed version in the near future. Not sure if this will just be a replacement free hub/end caps or whole new hub

Oldfieldcycles
Oldfieldcycles
9 years ago

Veganpotter, do you just blow through derailleurs? i have been using the same xtr rear deralleur on my touring bike for 6 years, still runing 8 speed on it and i have no problem finding 8/9 speed derailleurs when i need them. i have a VO hub on my touring bike and its been great.
I remember when 10spd drivetrains came out and it seemed a little silly, but then when Campagnolo came out with 11spd, all i could think about was the amp in Spinal Tap.

Roughstuff
Roughstuff
9 years ago

I’ve always found Velo Orange to be a poor man’s Nitto. Often copied, never equaled.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

No, I don’t blow through derailleurs. However, if I were to buy a new bike, it would most likely be 11spd since the mid-range is now 11spd. Decent frames just happen to come with 11spd now, be that lower end carbon bike or a higher end aluminum bike.

Of course, you can ALWAYS put 9spd cassettes on an 11spd hub. That is what makes this hub kinda dumb in 2015.

It was also mentioned that most touring bikes have MTB rear derailleurs. This is true but last year showed a transition with Ultegra 11 and this year there is 11spd 105. Neither of these will work with a MTB rear mech. If you want to buy a new touring bike in the mid-range price category, it will likely have a compact crank and an 11-32, or a Shimano triple with an 11-28 or so. This hub could go on a newer, low end build but who wants a $180 rear hub when they’re looking at a sub $1300 bike

***My highest end bike(Shiv TT) still has 10spd SRAM RED on it. I have no plans on changing it anytime soon. I also have a Giant Expedition with 10 speed shifters. I’m just thinking in a practical manner in terms of where things are headed…there is no loss to having an 11spd hub since 10spd and 9spd stuff will fit on it. If my 10speed Rival shifters fail on me, I’m not gonna pay the extra $90 for new 10speed rival shifters when 11spd Rival shifters are significantly cheaper and the cassette is basically the same price.

Thesteve4761
Thesteve4761
9 years ago

@vegan

How do you comment so much while riding so far?

Is this hub being available in 11spd really that important?

bikeguy717
bikeguy717
9 years ago

Sorry, but there are NO real touring bikes that use a compact crankset or 11-28 cassettes. I’m afraid that you’re confusing touring bikes with something that used to be called a “sport tourer”. Trek used to try a sell the 520 with road triples, 28t cassettes and STI shifters. They were forced to adopt ‘real’ touring parts into their design after being beaten about the head and shoulders, sales wise, by little companies like Surly who understood what touring bikes really required. Some posters here are either clueless or all star caliber trolls. Chris King hubs being so popular on touring bikes…that’s rich.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

Hmmm…I feel sorry for the guy I sold a custom SEVEN to a couple years ago. He went “touring” across the country with a triple and an 11-28. He’d probably feel like a complete failure if he found out that his trip was a waste. I also sold a new Specialized “touring” bike to a guy that rode across Alaska. His bike had a compact road double and an 11-32…feel bad for him too. And yes…plenty of people that are really touring have nice hubs(Cris King, Phil Wood, White Industries). I’ve sold plenty of Surleys and Salsas with hubs worth nearly as much as the frame…typically built with 105, Ultegra for durability/cost. If I were touring, I’d want a durable frame(can be heavier), durable hubs with high engagement and a stiff, strong rear mech that’s not gonna be hard to replace at an LBS. That probably means a long cage 10spd or 11spd 105, Ultegra or anything SRAM since it doesn’t matter so much for them

***Old 520s were great for their time. Their present spec is out of date with cheap wheels and brakes. The older bikes were far better than the newer ones. They really are set up like a $600 hybrid

Sramcampyno
Sramcampyno
9 years ago

If you really need 11 speed, the hub is available with a campy freehub body. Sooo technically it is an 11 speed hub. I’ve heard that campy, shimano, and sram 11 speed spacing is interchangeable, as long as you can live with having a bike that is all shimano (or sram) except for an 11 speed rear wheel you should do ok.

old guy been there
old guy been there
9 years ago

You mean those 520s that had the wrong gearing, the wrong shifters AND the wrong geometry? Just what you need for self-supported touring…long and low. The new 520s are a dream compared to the old ones. So the wheels need an upgrade…The only thing wrong with SOME higher end hubs on touring bikes is when parts are required in an emergency. Most shops can get you rolling again with Shimano…some of the other stuff is gonna require an extended stay to wait on parts delivery. And while a job can be completed with almost any tool, the proper tool makes the experience so much better..touring bikes included.

Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel
8 years ago

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