SRAM were showing off their Torpedo hub at this year’s Interbike expo, but we haven't been able to examine it closely – until now.
The first Torpedo hubs date back to 1903, when they were manufactured by Fichtel & Sachs. The 21st century SRAM Torpedo hub is a very different beast and we're proud to have one in our greasy mitts.
So, what’s unique about the reborn Torpedo?
Well, with just seven turns of a screw at the hub's end you can change the Torpedo from freewheel to fixed. It’s as simple as that – no instructions necessary.
It weighs in at a chunky 480g, heavier than a fixed or flip-flop hub, but this is at the centre of the wheel where extra mass is less of an issue. It's a trade off, but we expect to find the extra convenience more than makes up for any weight penalty.
The Torpedo is made for 32-spoke wheels and has an Over Locknut Dimension (OLD) of 130mm. It also comes with 16, 17 or 18mm straight sprockets or 19, 20 or 21mm offset sprockets.
We haven’t built it into a wheel yet and put it through its paces yet, but we’ll be doing that early in the new year to see whether the Torpedo really will consign the flip-flop hub to the history books. Prices remain unconfirmed for now.
