GT Race Hub Generations

Part 1 of a two part series dedicated to the GT race hubs and part two for the GT Superlace hubs.
GEN 0 (after prototype)
1983-1984
Colors: chrome plated
Holes: 36H
Bearings: Sealed cartridge
Axle: Hollow chromoly
Flip Flop design: Yes
Non Flip Flop design: No
Locking collars: Yes, split collar - aluminum
Design: Cast aluminum low flange. 22mm center hub (hourglass) diameter.
Identifiers: Thickest hub centers. Thinner shoulder landing putting the freewheel threads closer to the hub flange.
GEN 1
1984-1987
Colors: chrome plated, black or white
Holes: 36H
Bearings: Sealed cartridge
Axle: Hollow chromoly
Flip Flop design: Yes
Non Flip Flop design: No
Locking collars: Yes, split collar - aluminum
Design: Cast aluminum low flange. 22mm center hub (hourglass) diameter.
Identifiers: Thickest hub centers. Freewheel landing wider putting the threads further away from the hub flange.
GEN 2
1988-1990
Colors: chrome plated, black or white
Holes: 36H, 32H
Bearings: Sealed cartridge or sealed mechanism
Axle: Hollow chromoly
Flip Flop design: Yes
Non Flip Flop design: Yes
Locking collars: Yes, split collar - aluminum
Design: Cast aluminum low flange. 19mm center hub (hourglass) diameter.
Identifiers: Thinner hub centers.
GEN 3
1990-1994
Colors: chrome plated, black or white
Holes: 36H or 32H
Bearings: Sealed cartridge or sealed mechanism
Axle: solid chromoly and some hollow axle
Flip Flop design: Yes
Non Flip Flop design: Yes
Locking collars: Yes, split collar - aluminum or jam nuts
Design: Cast aluminum low flange. 19mm center hub (hourglass) diameter.
Identifiers: Thinner hub centers. New GT logo on the decals
GEN 4
1994-1996
Colors: chrome plated
Holes: 36H or 32H
Bearings: Sealed cartridge or sealed mechanism
Axle: solid chromoly
Flip Flop design: No
Non Flip Flop design: Yes
Locking collars: No
Design: cast aluminum with thinnest center hub (hourglass) diameter of all the generations.
Identifiers: Thinnest hub centers at 18mm/16mm No flip flop design and no locking collars.
After this generation GT switched over to Mohawk style.

[@Junior-fd8ux]

Just watched for the 20th time while de-spoking a race lace hub out of a wheel and i finally realized I have all gen 2s. Quite a few pairs and I’m looking for more lol

[@MorbidThrasher666]

Awesome bud,you did your homework! I CAN'T wait for part 2 for superlaces. Id love to see a video on the peregrine 48's as well which was suzue's and all its glory if possible.

[@ryanhurd8037]

I had the black GT high flange mohawks on my Robinson pro team with the super 7x rims 👊🏻⚡️🇺🇸 I kinda wish I had some OG hubs for my 93 Robinson Amtrac! Thanks for the info.

[@MrLoco61]

I didn't have a bike when I was growing up but I surely liked them. Now I have about 12 of them. Thanks for the Vid

[@atrains]

MrLoco61 thanks for watching and commenting. 12 bikes is a decent collection. Hope they are all GT’s! Anyway check out my other videos when you have a chance. Lots of GT stuff.

[@uncleronny6748]

Great video. All I ever knew was "beehive".

[@atrains]

Glad it was helpful!

[@monkist]

Yes! A new chapter in the Atrains GT Encyclopedia, such quality content is really priceless! I wish you could shed some light on that “GT wing logo chainring guard” I posted in the Museum the other day…

[@atrains]

Never seen that thing before!

[@monkist]

@@atrains would be fun to ask Gary about it like the FS in the serials😉

[@concretenyc6826]

Waiting on part 2!

[@OlRed.]

I have a set of those hubs on my mosh. It’s still in my extra bedroom collecting dust

[@atrains]

Well they are worth some cash if you sell them. Otherwise get riding on them. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@AmazingChinaToday]

It's interesting how the usage of threaded "jam nuts" were still used with precision bearings, when not needed. Modern hubs have an unthreadeded aluminum spacer touching the forks.

[@humiditysaC]

I have a pair of NOS Gen 3 Race Lace hubs in chrome that have hollow axles. Your vid mentioned they have solid axles only.

[@atrains]

Grab-D-Mann apparently yes some came with hollow axles and some didn’t. Gen 3 was almost always solid axle though.

[@vincestyles1030]

I have an original set of race lace on araya rims still in the box.

[@atrains]

@vincestyles1030 Nice! They will be worth a penny for sure.

[@jasonmarshall7983]

Great video brother well to be honest with you I've never owned a GT the only GT thing I own is a seat but being that learning about BMX is equivalent to about four PHDs I'd say it's great to hear about how the industry changed over the years and the little nuances in the generation so excellent video man my hat's off to you Well when I was 9 and a half my dad bought me a 1980 power light So I had the Suzuki hubs and all that good stuff on him but now I found out about the sealed cartridge sunshine herbs the old school ones and I love all that stuff so yeah BMX drove me back into debt two years ago here but it's worth every damn penny

[@mikedevlin_bmx2446]

My Robinson pro team was from 97 98 and it had the sealed flip flop version with the blue seal on the bearings. I’m guessing they were gen 4. But I’m trying to remember from many years ago. They weren’t Mohawk but the last version of the gen 4s. They were a 32 hole i do remember that much.

[@atrains]

That is very interesting, I have to admit I didn’t even consider Robinson bikes to be using GT low flange race hubs that deep into the 90’s. Nevermind 32 hole. I know that the Rebel used generic aluminum hubs mated to Weinmann hoops. The SST used Mohawk hubs. The Pro versions used Mohawk hubs as well. I think there was a model that used three spoke mags too. Anyway I don’t think stock production Robinson bikes used generation 4 GT low flange hubs but again I am no expert.

[@mikedevlin_bmx2446]

@@atrains yea again I’m going off memory from almost 30 years ago. But they had the acorn style bolts too. I do remember the distinct blue seal on the bearings tho. The bike may have been earlier but it did have v brake mounts. The rims were the Weinman aluminum. I’ll see if I can dig up a picture and I’ll be sure to share it with you !! The frame was a 1 1/8 with brake mounts. I remember my dad taking me to get it in 97ish. Maybe 96. My parents got rid of it when they moved about 16 years ago. I wish they kept it !!!

[@marioumpierrez]

Awesome video mate! I see you used a few pictures of mine that you probably picked up from bmxsociety (the blue gen 0 and a set of gen 2). Andy from BMX Museum sent me the link due to a comment I put in one of his listing. I’ll look you up in the museum later on and we can exchange. It’s awesome to meet somebody that shares your passion as to produce this type of material. Kudos!

[@atrains]

Honestly I’m not sure where all of the photos came from. Some were Goo l e searches and some from my personal photos, others from the BMXMUSEUM. It was a great effort from a variety of sources. Input from C4 labs, discussions with Robinson owners, a few great members on the BMXMUSEUM as well. Thanks for watching and commenting. Check out my other videos when you get a chance.

[@marioumpierrez]

@@atrains fantastic effort! Congratulations and thanks!

[@andrewjphillips]

Excellent as always man keep it up

[@akeller9464]

Awesome informative vid! 👍🚴‍♀GT RULES!!

[@403patriot3]

1984 norco starfire mini, araya mini rims in red with matching high flange hubs. I believe they were either suzue or suntour

[@atrains]

Nice. That was made by Tange in Japan. Bert Lewis was the founder of the company. I’m confused though what does that have to do with the GT race hubs?

[@403patriot3]

@@atrains You asked what kind of Hubs we ran back in the day, Pertaining to low flange race hubs.

[@atrains]

@@403patriot3 oh yes….silly me. Makes sense. Cool! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@403patriot3]

@@atrains If it counts for anything, I only ride GT now anyways. All my old bikes, all my newer bikes it’s all GT.

[@FoxRob93]

Great video, trying to figure out which hubs are on my bike I remember buying them in 1986 or 87 but not sure which ones they are they are high flange GT hubs but only one side is threaded for the freewheel.

[@atrains]

FoxRob93 high flange GT hubs from 1987 would have most likely been Gen 1 Superlace (freestyle) hubs. Superlace were only threaded on one side of the rear hub. Hollow axles for Gen 1. Sealed ball bearings and locking collars. I’m planning on a follow up video for the Superlace hubs but I need to get my hands on the generations so I can do all the measurements. I have all three generations but they are mounted to bikes.

[@FoxRob93]

@atrains I'm trying to find proper spokes length to order new spokes since mine are rusted from sitting in a friend's garage for 23 years.

[@atrains]

@@FoxRob93 your best bet it to remove one spoke and measure it. I don’t lace wheels so I can’t help you there. Fun fact, I’ll restore a GT chain link by link but I won’t lace a GT wheel. Superlace is a bit of a rubix cube but once you get it it’s relatively easy.

[@FoxRob93]

@@atrains I learned to lace wheels when I worked at a bike shop as a kid, they are a bit different with the staggered spokes and all spoke are inserted from behind the hub. I was planning on going to my LBS and ordering new ones. I found your video while trying to find the specs on the complete wheel which I did find.

[@robdramirez7510]

Gen 3 not all solid axle. I have an original 92" Pro Elite on hollow axle.

[@atrains]

You are correct. After I recorded the audio for the video I made some final adjustments and discovered that my notes pointed to as you stated. There were both solid and hollow axles on the Gen 3 hubs. The description area in the video shows it correctly. Thanks for commenting and watching.

[@adamjellison161]

How do you know if a hub was originally a flip-flop hub? I have gen 4 off a sonic that's laced like that but I am not the original owner so could they have been re-laced improperly?

[@atrains]

@Adam Jellison All flip flop hubs have threads on both sides of the rear hub for the freewheel. There are several different types of flip flop hubs available for different applications. Their main purpose is to allow changing between two (and only two) different gear ratios on one rear wheel without the added complications of a multi-gear setup or derailing. It has nothing to do with how the spokes are laced.

[@wheels.3239]

looking for help guys, I have bought a 2007 GT Ruckus Dirt jumper (Green/Gold) with Alex rims and GT Cassette stye hub. It has a lot of play, and i cant get it apart. i am new to this and would really appreciate any hints.

[@atrains]

Sorry I’m not much of a new school bike guy so I can’t help with your question. Try the BMXMUSEUM.com.

[@justinphillips3316]

Do you have any GT gen 1 race lace hubs for sale? I have 1983 GT Geoff Scofield replica that his dad Gary Scofield GT team manager built for me

[@atrains]

Justin Phillips Sorry I do not have any for sale. See the BMXMUSEUM or Evilbay

[@justinphillips3316]

Ok thanks... it was worth a try. I screwed up and bought a pair of high flanged free style hubs not doing my research