Originally Posted by
jefnvk
Seems to me that a loose bearing system would offer the ultimate in reliability. If you have to replace anything, it is likely only generic steel bearings and axle grease available anywhere.
That said, UN55s are cheap and effective.
I dunno, sealed units are just so much less work, ie go and go with basically no maintenance, whereas loose ball systems always needed to be looked after regreasing wise, adjusted properly, and the bearing surfaces can get scored just like with ignored hub cones.
I guess you are right in the sense that if you have access to the tools, you can regrease them at any time, but my experience shows that the sealed units can go a long time with no maintenance.