NOS vintage hub vs modern hub I have an early 80s Schwinn Prelude. I need to replace the rear wheel.
The question at hand is should I spend $300 on a pair of NOS (new old stock) Superbe Pro hubs, which have the original 126 mm spacing it came with, or should I respace the rear dropouts to accommodate a modern spacing (130 mm). I like my current gear ratio as well as the classic downtube shifters. I could be convinced to modernize to bar shifters and 8-10 speed cassette but I'd like to see what my options are.
The fundamental question is as follows: is a vintage high end component set better than a mid range modern set (eg. Tiagra)? Specifically the hubs and bearings?
If period correctness is not an issue, a modern cassette hub is the better choice. The problem with old freewheel design is that it puts the drive side bearings in the center of the axle where the weight of the rider can bend or break the axle. Modern hubs either put the bearings to the end of the axle or use an oversize axle that can take the load. Other benefits of modern hubs are that because the freewheel mechanism is part of the hub, you don't have to pay for new one when the cogs are worn out, cassettes are easy to replace because they don't tighten themselves when riding and finally, there are lots of affordable decent quality cassettes to choose from.