I'm curious why you recommend loose-ball over cartridge for the hubs and headset? I'd been given to understand that the cartridge bearings handled environmental abuse better. And yes, I know I broke that headset, and most of the other parts that have failed on this bike. The idea of a bike as a repairable machine is a relatively new one for me, and in the first years of my owning this bike, I just rode it and rode it and never did any maintenance at all. Predictably, things started to fall apart, and looking at the cost of shop work for all this stuff gave me a serious wake up call; at about the same time my dad-in-law, who's a very accomplished mechanic for almost everything besides bikes, moved into our house and brought his extensive collection of tools and equipment. I made a resolution then that since I now knew better and had the tools and a mentor, I'd learn what it took to properly maintain the vehicle that's my primary form of transport. Over the last year we've replaced and repaired many parts of the bike, and the of the others in the collection, and I've had a great time picking up a new skill. I've still got a lot to learn, but I'm not afraid of pulling the bike apart anymore, and that's a big upgrade all by itself. Having the forum here to get solid advice on the more bike-specific technical aspects of the work is also hugely valuable. Thanks to everyone who's helped me out!