Here's my testimonial to cartridge bearings. I rode the bike that is currently my winter beater for 10 years before it became my winter beater, and 2 winters before ever touching the hubs. Admittedly it didn't have that many miles on it before becoming the winter beater. The hubs are old Suntours laced to Araya 26" rims with galvanized steel spokes. nothing fancy at all. After 4 winters being ridden daily through snow and slush and crap, the front still spin like new. that front wheel is one of the best spinning wheels I've ever seen. The rear is in need of new bearings, at least on the drive side, but that's a lot of miles and a lot of abuse for one set of bearings. In that same time I've gone through countless bottom brackets, both loose ball and cartridge variety.

They had NSK 6001 cartridgebearings. NSK is a high quality Japanese bearing manufacturer, and I think Phil Wood bearings would be hard pressed to be any kind of improvement, but that was what I ordered to replace them, because they are the high quality bearings available from bike distributors. I doubt the claims that they have better seals than anyone else since Phil doesn't make their own bearings. They "have them made to their specs" which means whatever manufacturer makes them for Phil clearly has the capability to make them for themselves. I could get NSK 6001 from any bearing dealer, but I know the Phil Wood are excellent bearings, and I can get them cheaper than MKS bearings through QBP. I wouldn't hesitate to put an NSK bearing in any bike hub though. Talk about bomb proof.





this one still spins well after 4 winters, but the drive side one is getting a bit crunchy.