Hi,

I have a pair of Campagnolo Zonda clincher rim brake wheels. I believe they are the C15 version.

I used them as winter wheels for the past two years but for complicated reasons they are now on a better 'summer' bike. I noticed that the hubs, particularly the front, made a 'whooshing' noise.

The wheels, despite being a good 5 years old, hadn't been used until late 2022, so I'd like to think the bearings were still good/clean. However, I was conscious that the harsh UK winter weather (and therefore more washing) may have cased dirt to get inside the hubs.

It had been on my mind to check them for a while, and then the other day I noticed after a 45mi ride that the front hub had a very quiet squeak as it spun. This was only noticeable when I held the wheel right up to my ear. I also noticed there was a very quiet 'gritty' noise. Additionally, the axle feels ever so slightly resistant to turn - the back one feels smooth, but the front feels like there are microscopic ratchets on the inside. Given this, I tried to take the hub apart today, but discovered it operated differently to older Campagnolo hubs and was scared to go any further (I've since watched countless YouTube videos so know what I was doing wrong) so I put it all back together. What I noticed, however, was that after this, the gritty noise had become louder. I am assuming me loosening the axle and attempting to pull it out must have dislodged some dirt?

Gritty noise I can understand - that's dirt. But what's the squeaking?

Is it worth replacing the bearings? Or just cleaning them and re-greasing? I can't believe, even with washing etc. that wheels that have only been used for 2 years already need new bearings?

Many thanks!