Originally Posted by
Bad Lag
The single biggest forward leap in technology incorporated into my vintage 1974 (?) bike is sealed bearings. They are the only non-original equipment on the bike.
Lambert/Viscount used sealed bearing hubs and bottom brackets starting around 1974. My brother still has Viscount hubs from that era in use. The bottom brackets haven't fared as well, not so much because of the cartridge bearings, but rather design deficiencies in the spindle.