Originally Posted by badsac
Hey quick question. Do hub have to wear in to start rotating with less friction?
Why I ask, just reading
this post with a dude complaining he's no faster on his new Specialized Allez Elite than he was on some old bikes. This reminded me of a trip I just took with two mates, one on a brand new Orbea flat barred roadie, the other on a Hybrid that had done many miles. I was on my 1991 Trek 920 mountain bike with the original STX hubs and semi-slick tires. Anyway, I was the quickest roller, followed by my mate with the hybrid, with the new Orbea slowest. But that should have been the fastest as it would have had the best hubs and the narrowest, fastest tires. Only reason I could think was that hubs might be like car engines and they have to wear in to give their best. Is that the case?
Hitchy, Ed, Thylacine, and probably everyone else know more about this stuff than I do, but they won't have time to give you a lengthy response -- them being high-rollers, and all. I think they all work at the top end of Collins St.
I have been told that bearings do need to be worn in, especially sealed bearings, but in my opninion, overall weight is the main "roll" factor. I'm a big fat 88kg 'at the moment', and I out roll EVERYBODY, and I'm pretty sure it's the weight.
Like most other attributes of a bike, rolling speed probably can't be put down to one component, so I'd say it's gotta have something to do with the tyres, the whole wheel, and maybe other stuff.....not sure.
I've got a theory that's supported by a few old wise bike shop guys, that sealed bearings are a teeeny weeeeny bit slower than a cone and balls, not that would really notice it in a side by side roll-out. I've done some crude "spin tests" at home, and the cone hubs win every time. Many guys will say that sealed units create more friction, especially the older sealed hubs that have an "industrial" type bearing like an SKF, or whatever. These guys claim that industrial bearings are designed more for heavy loads and very high speeds, not low resistance at low loads and low speeds.
Wait for Tyhlo to crack up at my urban myth spruking
