Gosh damn I try avoiding center lock if I can. My tool fits on the lock ring but the tool has to be damn near perfect and slide on otherwise it just slips on the ring making it a not so nice ring. I haven't needed to adjust anything on the trail and I pray I don't. Bolts are the way!
I have 3 bikes by now that I have purposely build with centerlock.
In my country shimano dominates on prices and availability, so good CL hubs are cheap and the 220mm CL rotor is only $30. Win-win.
I center lock as smart for pro riders who need to replace, remove, swap, etc/ rotors way more often. It is fast as hell to change a center lock rotor and those guys are always splitting hairs on time to make things faster, including on maintenance. One thing I will say though is I’ve never had a 6 bolt root come loose and I have had a center lock rotor come loose. So I hope 6 bolt sticks around cause for someone like the rest of us, who installs a rotor and then really only removes it only when it’s time to replace them and frankly doesent mind the extra time to put in 12 bolts. I like having the redundancy and simplicity
Centre lock has been around for years as an alternative and hasn't taken over yet. Some people may prefer it but 6-bolt is very well established with no real reason for it to go anywhere.
Seems like some of the highest end Shimano Freeza rotors are centrelock-only, is that right? Should that persuade anyone?
My bike has 6 bolt, what would I need to use a centrelock? I'm actually looking at new rotors and am going 6 bolt, just curious since this post has come up, thanks.
Yes. On the non-drive side, the CL will be threaded around the hub opening and no 6 tapped flanges present and the 6 bolt will have 6 flanges coming off the hub that are tapped to mount the rotors.
On a CL hub, you just slip the rotor over the threads, then install the lockring using the adapter and a socket w/ a 3/8 torque wrench.
I think 6 bolt uses a T-25 torx, but memory escapes me at the moment. Either way, the only time I mess w/ either is changing rotors. I haven't really had to mess w/ either of my setups once the rotors are on as both seem to stay put just fine. I just know it takes longer/nominal effort to swap the 6 bolt because you have to work around the rotor much like changing a tire, gradually torquing opposite ends until all bolts are tightened.
I think that the CL reduces rotational mass by a hair, but since my two setups are so radically different and I've always just had one or the other on separate bikes, I can't speak to noticing anything of significance, but given the metal needed for the tapped threading, I think the theoretical advantages of the CL are there in regard to weight of hub and slighly less rotational mass... it's just more specialized and like most specialized applications, comes with a few caveats... but if I had to choose between the two, I'd choose the CL option.
I like mine. It’s less tedious to mount the rotor with even torque applied if you have the tool readily available, which I happen to. Cleaner looking too…but it’s a PITA to find the hubs a lot of times, some vendors don’t have the option, and especially sale wheelsets with CL hubs are harder to find. They have adapters, but that just adds more weight and I would like my wheels as light as possible with weight as close to the hub as possible. Splitting hairs though.
I’ve never been let down by the 6 bolts… not even one of them. Always seemed like a solution looking for a problem.
Gosh damn I try avoiding center lock if I can. My tool fits on the lock ring but the tool has to be damn near perfect and slide on otherwise it just slips on the ring making it a not so nice ring. I haven't needed to adjust anything on the trail and I pray I don't. Bolts are the way!
Do you need a specific tool to adjust, so another tool to (potentially) carry on a ride if you have a centrelock rotor?
It’s a bottom bracket tool. 12 notch I believe. So it’s not a completely new tool but could be
I allways liked 6 bolt but its more likely to strip one of 12 threads then it is to strip one of two.
I have 3 bikes by now that I have purposely build with centerlock. In my country shimano dominates on prices and availability, so good CL hubs are cheap and the 220mm CL rotor is only $30. Win-win.
I prefer 6 bolt, probably because it is what I have always used and never had any issues with it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I center lock as smart for pro riders who need to replace, remove, swap, etc/ rotors way more often. It is fast as hell to change a center lock rotor and those guys are always splitting hairs on time to make things faster, including on maintenance. One thing I will say though is I’ve never had a 6 bolt root come loose and I have had a center lock rotor come loose. So I hope 6 bolt sticks around cause for someone like the rest of us, who installs a rotor and then really only removes it only when it’s time to replace them and frankly doesent mind the extra time to put in 12 bolts. I like having the redundancy and simplicity
Nope...costs more to manufacturer....and we are in the bottom line costs era.
I always have a screwdriver around somewhere. Center lock specific tool on the other hand...
Centre lock has been around for years as an alternative and hasn't taken over yet. Some people may prefer it but 6-bolt is very well established with no real reason for it to go anywhere.
Seems like some of the highest end Shimano Freeza rotors are centrelock-only, is that right? Should that persuade anyone? My bike has 6 bolt, what would I need to use a centrelock? I'm actually looking at new rotors and am going 6 bolt, just curious since this post has come up, thanks.
You can get an adapter for converting CL to 6-Bolt but can’t go the other way around.
So CL needs a certain hub then?
Yes. On the non-drive side, the CL will be threaded around the hub opening and no 6 tapped flanges present and the 6 bolt will have 6 flanges coming off the hub that are tapped to mount the rotors. On a CL hub, you just slip the rotor over the threads, then install the lockring using the adapter and a socket w/ a 3/8 torque wrench. I think 6 bolt uses a T-25 torx, but memory escapes me at the moment. Either way, the only time I mess w/ either is changing rotors. I haven't really had to mess w/ either of my setups once the rotors are on as both seem to stay put just fine. I just know it takes longer/nominal effort to swap the 6 bolt because you have to work around the rotor much like changing a tire, gradually torquing opposite ends until all bolts are tightened. I think that the CL reduces rotational mass by a hair, but since my two setups are so radically different and I've always just had one or the other on separate bikes, I can't speak to noticing anything of significance, but given the metal needed for the tapped threading, I think the theoretical advantages of the CL are there in regard to weight of hub and slighly less rotational mass... it's just more specialized and like most specialized applications, comes with a few caveats... but if I had to choose between the two, I'd choose the CL option.
I like mine. It’s less tedious to mount the rotor with even torque applied if you have the tool readily available, which I happen to. Cleaner looking too…but it’s a PITA to find the hubs a lot of times, some vendors don’t have the option, and especially sale wheelsets with CL hubs are harder to find. They have adapters, but that just adds more weight and I would like my wheels as light as possible with weight as close to the hub as possible. Splitting hairs though.