With the launch of the Patrol 691 in the summer of 2019 we introduced our first bike with a Super Boost rear hub spacing, but what exactly is Super Boost?
If you were to take an old school mountain bike rear wheel and place it next to a modern wheel you might be surprised by the number of changes that have taken place over the year. The most obvious changes are to wheel size and rim diameter, but the humble hub has undergone major revisions over the years.
Originally an MTB rear hub had a width of just 135mm, that then increased to 142mm, then more recently to 148mm A.K.A ‘Boost’.
Super Boost is the next logical step in the evolution of the rear hub and takes the width up to 157mm. Actually, 157mm hubs have been around on downhill bikes for a while, but Super Boost not only gets a larger body but wider hub flanges too which helps to build a stronger and more durable wheel.
Super Boost rear hubs are still fairly new to the mountain bike world but it’s a technology that offers some great benefits to our bikes, and those benefits improve performance for you the rider.
So what are the benefits of a Super Boost rear hub for a modern enduro bike like the Patrol 691? Here are 3 benefits for this new standard.
Increases Clearance
Wheels are getting bigger, tyres wider, but at the same time, chainstays are getting shorter on bikes. The problem with a Boost hub spacing is that it doesn’t give bike designers a whole lot of room to play around with. Moving to Super Boost allows us to retain a playful backend, while also giving you the benefit of incredible tyre and mud clearance.
Retains a standard Q-Factor
Another way around the clearance issue is to increase the BB shell width, this measurement is called the Q-Factor. Once you start to play around with the Q-Factor there are a whole host of issues such as chain line and the fact a wide Q-Factor makes dodging rocks, roots and other trail obstacles a lot tricker.
Super Boost makes a stronger wheel
Perhaps the most important reason to move to Super Boost though is the ability to build a much stronger wheel. With the hub flanges further apart the rear wheel can be laced with less ‘dish’ ensuring better strength and stiffness.
So now you know all about Super Boost, go and check out the Patrol 691 one of the first enduro bikes on the market to take advantage of this new standard.
