I have a set of wheels from https://altocycling.com/.
I need new pawls for the rear hub but they have gone silent- initially after being acquired by https://bacchettabikes.com/ who apparently no longer owns or maintains the brand.
SO, where would I even go about finding pawls to service my hub or am I out of luck?
Good chance they are bitex or something like that. If you can track down who actually made those hubs you can probably find the pawls.
Side rant, I hate it when wheel companies aren’t clear about what hub they are sourcing. I mean I know why they do it, they want to pretend it’s some high quality hub they developed rather than being honest that it’s the cheapest off the shelf hub they thought they could get away with.
If you like the wheels, you could always have the rear wheel rebuilt with a good quality hub. With good spokes and hub it would probably cost a few hundred bucks.
They hubs specify they’re made in the US. Alto opened for business in 2014, so maybe check with White Industries, I9, or Rolf (which is owned by White Industries now).
Good catch Robin, they do indeed look like Rolf hubs. Hubs: The Center point of Speed – Rolf Prima
White (so possibly Rolf) has a big crew at Made right now so it might take a couple days to respond but they may be able to help out.
Post a good photo or two showing the pawl and someone might have a solid for you?
Interesting, they do look similar. I’ll try reaching out
Note to self: in the future, don’t buy wheels from small, boutique manufacturers that don’t have staying power… 
Well, it’s probably a non-issue if they use an established hub like DTSwiss or even common OEM model of Bitex or Novatec.
Big brands are not necessarily better. They may have poor customer service.
That’s exactly my strategy when buying wheels from a local wheelbuilder or from a brand without local support (e.g. Chinese brand). And yes, I do both.
FWIW, my last wheelset was sourced from a local builder and actually came in a lot cheaper than I had them built and shipped them by a (reputable) Chinese brand that hand builds wheels. While the rims of that local builder weigh a tiny bit more, the wheel build quality is likely better, and got local service and one free checkup in return. And that for even less money.
Curious…
Pawls themselves are not a common replacement item. What is the problem with them?
Yikes!
Well…that’s certainly a valid reason.
The fact that any hubs are designed in such a way that they can fall apart under their own weight if you’re not careful is a bit mind boggling tbh
Do these have encaps with a tiny retainer “O” ring in the cap?
Sometimes these get lost or wiped out when cleaning.
If not, what is supposed to retain the cap? There should be something and it might be missing?
Yeah it’s just the friction from an o ring, common design, but if you’re not careful, the weight of a large cassette can cause it to pull off, as evidenced in the video I linked.