Koozer XM490 Pro hubs - Two years impressions

[olavrb]

Thought I'd share my two years impressions of the Koozer XM490 Pro hubs. I bought them to replace some cheap loose ball bearing noname hubs on a commuter / do it all bike of mine. I did not replace anything but the hubs.

Reliability was the most important aspect for me, so I wanted a steel axle in the rear hub.

They have been fine, and I haven't done anything but push some more grease into the pawls since I got them. I never ride in the rain, unless I get surprised during a trip. I ride mostly asphalt and gravel, so the hubs are not taking much dirt or abuse.

Still, I'm very happy with these. Good quality for the price.

Links:

• Store, where I bought them: https://koozer.aliexpress.com/store/912178725
• Product page: https://www.koozer.net/149.html

Pros:

• Good quality to price ratio
• Good spare parts availability
• Steel freehub body is available too (B10-S)
• Lots of adapters available for different frame and fork sizes

Cons

• Pawls sometimes skips a bit and creates a "clunk" sound. I haven't done anything to troubleshoot this yet, though. Has not caused any issues.

[frewster]

Thanks for the long-term review! I have been happy with my Koozer 450 hubs on my MTB but don't have enough time on them for a full review. When I do I'll post my thoughts as well.

[olavrb]

A spoke snapped and I had to remove both the brake rotor and cassette to replace it. I serviced the freehub body while I was at it. No real water or dirt ingress, and all bearings seemed fine. I wiped it clean, and used Slickoleum / Sram butter / slick honey for the pawls. It seems to have worked better than the general purpose lithium bearing grease I used before it.