ORC Details
The Alchemy Orc rear hub is a product of several years of hard work and careful design. Calling the hub's chief designer a perfectionist is something of an understatement, and his attention to detail truly shines through on the finished product. This is ultimately a hub built for maximum performance; the largest practical axle, hub shell, and bearing sizes were used to maximize stiffness and efficient load transfer, while the position and diameter of the hub flanges were carefully calculated to allow the best possible wheel builds. While this hub is by no means the lightest available, it offers performance gains that more than offset the weight difference of other lightweight hubs.
Alchemy's hub design is centered around stiffness and efficient torque transfer. All the little details that make this hub special contribute in some way to these paired traits. For instance, the external diameter of the freehub body is attached directly to the hub shell with a large bearing, and internally attached to the axle with another bearing. By attaching the freehub to both hub shell and axle, the whole system becomes much stiffer and more structurally sound. Additionally, the diameter of the hub shell is relatively large in diameter, which also contributes to overall hub stiffness. The freehub's ratcheting mechanism is equipped with three simultaneously engaging steel pawls on a drive ring with an impressive 36 engagement points, allowing for quicker and firmer engagements under pedaling force.
The Orc's flange design and spacing is optimized to allow for the best possible balance of spoke tension between the drive and non-drive sides. The flanges are angled as well to ensure that the spokes take a smooth line between hub and rim, which helps to ensure long spoke fatigue life.
The Orc is available in both Campagnolo and Shimano versions and is designed to be fully compatible with 11 speed cassettes. The freehub bodies are interchangeable, but doing so will require specialized tools and wheel re-dishing. The advantage of this system is that no compromises are made with regards to flange positions and non drive spoke tension.
Free Ceramic Bearing Installation on New Hubs
We'll install all Alchemy Ceramic Upgrade Kits purchased with an ELF or ORC hub free of charge before shipping. This way you can make sure that your bearings are properly installed and you'll receive all the performance benefits of ceramic bearing upgrades. Make sure to drop us a note on your order letting us know you'd like your bearings installed.
Assembly
We recommend that Alchemy hubs be built by an experienced wheelbuilder. We are happy to provide this service, and can provide helpful suggestions in rim and spoke selections. Please contact us directly or submit a form for a custom wheelbuild here .
Links
More information on the Orc hub is available in our forum .
